Stepping forward in my career

It’s been a little over a year since I joined the DAR. Moving to Poplar Bluff was a leap of faith and it has definitely paid off. Today, I am thrilled to announce another step forward in my career as I accept a promotion to assistant editor.

I have plenty of thoughts going into this. First, I’m surprised leadership is part of my career path. I always associated it with bossing people around, which I never received well and don’t want to try, but to my relief newsroom leadership is highly collaborative. We reporters are pretty self-sufficient as long as we’re going in the same direction.

I’m also nervous because I want to do well, not only for myself but also for the DAR and all its readers. Time management and organization can be real challenges for me, but I also know Chris Pruett and Donna Farley wouldn’t have offered me this position if I wasn’t capable. I’m learning sometimes, we have to trust those with a bird’s eye view of us.

I’m also proud of myself. Before I moved to Poplar Bluff, I was working hard to become a person who could succeed outside her comfort zone. After I took this job, I continued developed as a journalist, teammate and person.

A huge thank-you to all my coworkers and this community. You welcomed me to Poplar Bluff and I’m so excited to continue my journey here.

One final thought: “Samantha Tucker, Assistant Editor” has a nice ring to it.

Samantha Tucker is assistant editor at the Daily American Republic. She can be reached at stucker@darnews.com.