The Echo

I graduate in a little over a week and my future is still unknown. The job market is incredibly competitive, housing prices continue to rise and most job salaries simply don’t provide the funds needed to survive. It’s nerve racking and I’m unsure where my road is going to lead me next. It’s safe to say this isn’t what I had in mind for myself a year ago. Yet even in the face of an uncharted path, I remain excited for everything that life is going to have to offer me.

I never envisioned myself living past 16 years old. I never honed any craft or found hobbies to stick with. When I turned 17, it felt like an accomplishment, but also a “what now?” I didn’t get an answer to that question till I decided to further my education at UCA. I come from a small town, and when I moved to Conway for school, I left behind the only friends I knew. I was in a new town and terrified of showing anyone my personality for fear it would scare off any potential friends.

Going to college was always scary to think about. Being a first generation college student didn’t really give me opportunities to figure out what it was like before stepping onto campus. I know that no high school student has anything figured out, but I felt even more lost than I thought one should be. I believed that I was going to be a teacher, but then I graduated from Arkansas State University-Beebe with an associate’s in theatre.

It felt like graduation would never get here. Yet here I am, four years deep and about leaving education behind forever. Well, not forever. Of course, I plan to go back and get a master’s at some point, but I think I will be way more involved in education than I originally planned. While journalism was a passion of mine, I’ve grown to have a love-hate relationship with it here at UCA. Some parts I loved, some parts I could do without.

Roughly three hours ago UCAPD received a report of a stabbing in Baridon Hall. According to a mass email sent out by the police department, the victim was stabbed by a known perpetrator in the leg. “The victim stated that a little after 3pm on Monday, April 27th, she was stabbed in the leg by a known perpetrator,” the email said. The report is being investigated as aggravated assault. No other details have been released at this point, as the investigation is still ongoing.

One of Conway’s favorite annual events, Toad Suck Daze, is right around the corner beginning on Friday May 1. The festival has been a Conway tradition since 1982 and has been downtown for 30 years. No matter how old you are, if it’s a yearly occurrence or you’ve never been, there is something for you. Local restaurants and businesses will be featured alongside, live entertainment, fair games and more at Toad Suck Daze.

David Pavon, Mauricio and Paola Portillo and Valerie Pavon (left to right) pose in front of their new restaurant, El Fuego, in downtown Conway. David Pavon is a sophomore at UCA and opened his restaurant’s doors on April 20. Motivated by family and rooted in passionate determination, UCA sophomore David Pavon is bringing the heat to Downtown Conway with his own restaurant, El Fuego.

Bell Urban Farm hosted a plant sale that featured local farmers and growers from across Arkansas. The event featured numerous types of plants and nurtured attendees with community and growth. (Mackenzie Hicks) On Sunday, April 19, Bell Urban Farm hosted its annual spring plant sale featuring local farmers and growers from across Arkansas. The plant sale offered families a chance to enjoy a nice, sunny day while they shopped the selection of plants, tools, seeds and soil.

The Conway city council discussed road projects, infrastructure grants and Conway Corp at its April 14 meeting. The meeting began with Shawanna Rodgers, director of the Department of Community Development, giving an overview presentation of the department’s activities in the last year. Rodgers thanked Mayor Bart Castleberry for his help in allowing the department to make an impact and shape different aspects of the Conway community.

Three of UCA’s student media outlets – The Echo, The Scroll and News6 – won over 90 awards at the 2026 Arkansas College Media Association awards hosted at Arkansas Tech University April 10. The Echo won first place in Newspaper of the Year and third place in Website of the Year. Junior political science major and news editor of The Echo, Mary Lyle, won Reporter of the Year.