Maria Shaikh is a biochemistry junior and healthcare hopeful that tripped and fell into an Asian Studies minor, and then stumbled again into The Mercury. She joined as Copy Editor in spring 2023, worked as Opinion Editor since October that year and succumbed to being Managing Editor in summer 2024 — even though em dash policing will always be her passion. She can be found napping around campus, starting too many projects, writing scathing opinions and procuring UTD’s hottest goss. After her four-year sentence at UTD, she plans to pursue a master’s degree while writing on the side, and fleeing back north to where they have four seasons.