By: Anna Gibson

Former Teen Vogue Editor-in-chief Elaine Welteroth has stepped down after working with Conde Nast for nearly six years. Being only the second African American Woman to hold his position as well as the youngest in the company's history, Welteroth had helped grow the magazine by integrating progressive writing in politics, social justice, and feminism. Her voice throughout the 2016 Presidential Election encouraged readers to participate and practice their civic duty. Not only did she shatter the paper print she hit the web and launched Teen Vogue's Youtube channel which discusses a wide variety of subjects including culture appropriation.

In her farewell Instagram post she stated:

“I moved to New York City at 21 as an editorial intern, my greatest dream was to become Editor-in-Chief. It was a goal too intimidating to even say aloud. I was convinced it was totally out of reach for someone with no connections, no trust fund, and no fancy clothes. I pursued the path anyway. Eventually, I started believing the vision placed inside of me. I learned to shrug off the fear of failure, and how to refuse the urge to shrink—even when I was asked to.

Now, at 31, God has broken the glass ceiling on all of my wildest childhood dreams. My bucket list is all checked off and somewhere along the way I’ve managed to join the ranks of unstoppable women who’ve, throughout history, stared back into the face of the unknown and decided to MAKE IT HAPPEN.After six life-changing years at Conde Nast, I’ve decided to leave the company. Leading @TeenVogue at a time such as this, alongside some of the most talented people in the industry has been the most rewarding experience of my editorial career. It has helped me discover how to use my voice to empower young people and girls. This will continue to be a major focus for me as I take my next step—because beyond the compelling covers, and groundbreaking conversations we started online, cultivating this incredible community is what I am most proud of.”

Although Welteroth has not stated a specific reason as to why she left, a Condé spokeswoman said “We talked to Elaine about a number of different opportunities, but ultimately she decided to go in a different direction”

We hope the see Elaine Welteroth continue her activism and great work in the near future.