How do you summarize three years into 500 words or less? Hundreds of moments and thousands of words to explain how a subterranean, fluorescent-lit office could change your life.
Anyone who has spent more than 30 seconds with me knows how much I care about The Battalion, it’s pretty much all I talk about. For the first time, I’m struggling with the words to describe this experience.
Once you get bit by the journalism bug, all you want to do is write. The Battalion gave me a place to do that.
When you come back from a year of virtual classes, all you want is a place to hide from freshmen. The Battalion gave me a place to do that.
Once I start a project, all I want to do is put my whole heart into it. The Battalion gave me a place to do that.
The Battalion is my place.
My place is filled with words, with laughs, with tears, with frustration. It holds my highest highs and lowest lows. My place is where I found my purpose and passion.
Most importantly though, my place is where my friends are, old and new. Everyone who I’ve met through The Batt has had a profound effect on my life, and I can’t possibly thank each and every one of them.
To my whole family, thank you for reading my work, for letting me vent and rant on the harder days and for helping me learn when to take a step back. To my dad in particular, I wouldn’t have worked at The Batt without you.
To Pils, thank you for trusting me. This year brought more struggles than I think anyone imagined, but thank you for handing over the reins. I hope I’ve made you proud.
Kyle, I could never write a list thanking you for all you’ve done for me and the paper. What I can do is thank you for believing in me, even when I stopped believing in myself.
To Bobby, thank you for joining me on this crazy journey and seeing even my wildest visions. Seeing you find your passion for photography has been one of the greatest honors of my life. You have so much to offer the world, and I look forward to seeing it each and every day.
To Megan, thank you for standing by my side throughout one of the most challenging years of my life. I really didn’t expect to find one of my best friends in senior year of college, but there you were.
To Ish, Zoe, Ruben, Caleb, keep killing it. Each of you inspires me and motivates me to be better every day. To all the editors I’ve had the privilege of working with: Cameron, Jordan, Caroline, Kenzie, Ana, Anna, Sydnei, Ryan, Jonathan, little Kyle, Grant, Luke, Skylar and all those who came before, thank you.
To every single member of The Battalion, THANK YOU. You have made the hardest of times worth the struggle, through your presence and passion.
Long live The Battalion.
