Dedication, a diverse perspective and a love for newspapers are among the qualifications needed to be leader of any newspaper, and the new editor in chief of the Arizona Summer Wildcat and Arizona Daily Wildcat is no exception.

“”As soon as I started at the Wildcat I knew I wanted to be editor in chief,”” said Nicole Santa Cruz, incoming editor in chief.

Santa Cruz will begin her post at the Wildcat this summer and has already chosen an editorial staff for the summer and fall.

“”I’ve always had a desire to pursue the quest for knowledge, and I’ve always had a desire to know the intricacies of whatever it is I’m doing,”” said Santa Cruz, a journalism junior. “”I bring that to the Wildcat.””

A Pima Community College transfer student, Santa Cruz said she wanted to be a magazine writer, but the Arizona Daily Wildcat has helped her find a niche in newspapers.

“”Our job is to relay the news to the community, and in a dual purpose we’re writing the history of the University of Arizona,”” Santa Cruz said. “”I want to find the news that’s most important to the UA because that’s the community we serve.””

Beginning as an administration beat reporter at the Wildcat, Santa Cruz covered the presidential search committee that selected Robert Shelton as well as the beginning of President Peter Likins’ transition away from office – one of the most challenging and important stories of the year, she said.

“”As a journalist you get sent out there sometimes to report on things you have no idea about,”” Santa Cruz said. “”I now know things about the university administration that I would have never known by myself, and I get to share that with the student body.””

The ability to take a complex issue, break it down into something simple, and report that in an article is invaluable, Santa Cruz said.

No social life, little sleep and daily deadlines are just some of the exciting benefits of the job Santa Cruz can look forward to, said outgoing news editor Aubrey McDonnell.

“”If you can look at all those negatives and still find that the positives overweigh all that, then (editor in chief) is something you should be doing,”” McDonnell said.

A lack of sleep will be nothing new for Santa Cruz, who at times worked two to three jobs while remaining a full-time student and news reporter, which never affected her ability to deliver quality work, McDonnell said.

“”She is one of my favorite people to work with and one of my most reliable reporters,”” McDonnell said. “”She’s going to do a wonderful job.””

The weekly deadline of the Summer Wildcat will give Santa Cruz the advantage of learning the responsibilities of editor in chief at a slower pace before she dives into a daily routine in the fall, said Aaron Mackey, outgoing editor in chief.

“”She’s bringing a fresh perspective to the paper,”” Mackey said. “”I look forward to watching as a proud alum as she takes the reins.””

Santa Cruz has shown her dedication by tackling difficult and high profile stories and never failing to deliver them accurately and timely, said Mark Woodhams, the adviser to the summer and daily editions of the Wildcat as well as the director of Arizona Student Media.

“”I’m extremely optimistic that we’re going to have a great year,”” Woodhams said. “”Nicole is going to be an outstanding editor in chief for the Wildcat.””