Hi everyone! As the spring semester wraps up and The Tiger transitions into its staff for the fall 2025 semester, I’d like to introduce myself as The Tiger’s newly elected Editor-in-Chief.

After writing student-athlete spotlight articles in high school for my hometown newspaper, I knew that once I got to college I wanted to join the newspaper. I showed up at my first meeting for The Tiger during the first week of my freshman year, fall 2023, and the rest was history.

While Clemson has quickly become home to me over the past two years, I was born and raised in Clayton, California, a small town east of San Francisco — 2,500 miles away. Joining The Tiger was one of the best ways that I found the sense of community I was seeking, as I immediately felt at home from the first day I stepped into the office.

I initially joined The Tiger to write for the Sports desk but instead found myself interested in News. Everyone I met on staff, especially the News desk, was incredibly welcoming and helpful in nurturing my skills as a reporter.

During my time at The Tiger, I have been a contributor, senior reporter, Assistant News Editor and, most recently, News Editor. Over the past year specifically, I have grown exponentially in my reporting, writing, editing and leadership abilities. I cannot wait to give students, both new and experienced, the opportunity to do the same.

The Tiger has truly been one of the best aspects of my college experience thus far, and I am incredibly honored to have been entrusted with the future of this organization. During my time as Editor-in-Chief, I intend to do everything I can to both continue and expand on the work that has been established before me.

One of my favorite things about The Tiger is that it truly has something for everyone. Whether you’re a writer, photographer, artist, business enthusiast or you just like talking to people, I encourage you to stop by our office at Hendrix 311 on Tuesdays at 5 p.m. to see what we’re all about.

I am thrilled to lead South Carolina’s oldest (and best) college newspaper in the upcoming semester, and I truly cannot wait to see everything that this incredible staff accomplishes in the coming years.

Kat Pugh is a sophomore English major from Clayton, California. Kat can be reached at [email protected].