The Kernel Media’s Board of Directors appointed sophomore Rana Alsoufi and junior Rayleigh Deaton as the incoming editors-in-chief of KRNL Lifestyle + Fashion and the Kentucky Kernel during its meeting on March 25.

Alsoufi is a journalism major and psychology minor, previously holding the position of managing editor for KRNL. She has also held the online content editor and copy editor positions for the magazine.

“I am just thrilled to be appointed as KRNL’s next editor-in-chief. I would be lying if I said I haven’t been thinking about this since I first came to UK, but for it to have finally happened is nothing short of a dream come true for me,” Alsoufi said.

Alsoufi has many goals both personally and professionally for the coming year and hopes to expand KRNL even further into the community with new opportunities and ventures.

With a big thanks to previous editor-in-chief Allie Diggs, Alsoufi said she appreciates the guidance and preparation for all that’s to come.

Rayleigh Deaton, a communication and political science double major with a minor in journalism, will be continuing as the Kernel editor-in-chief for the second year in a row.

Deaton has been a part of both the Kernel and KRNL magazine and has found a home worth staying in.

“The Kernel is more than a paper, it’s a family,” Deaton said.

With a new year comes new goals, the most important being making the Kernel more approachable, according to Deaton.

“I feel that sometimes people hear ‘award-winning independent student publication,’ and that can be a bit intimidating or sound like something that you have to have it all together to be a part of,” Deaton said. “But we’re all students, and we’re all learning, and I want people to see the Kernel as a place where they can come, be themselves and learn how to do good journalism.”

UK Student Media Advisor Ryan Craig is supportive of the board’s decision, excited to see where the two lead the publications.

“I think the Kernel Board of Directors did an excellent job in selecting Rayleigh and Rana as editors-in-chief for the upcoming year,” Craig said. “Both are talented editors and students and have a clear-cut vision for where they’d like to take two of the better collegiate news organizations in the country.”