It is difficult to explain what it means to leave a place that helped build you. That is what The Battalion has been to me.

For three years, this was where I grew the most. I started as an account executive and eventually grew into the role of business manager, but who I became there mattered more than any title. The business side of the paper was creative, fast-paced and always changing. I loved building relationships with clients, thinking of new ideas and learning to communicate with confidence. I learned to stay calm under pressure, carry responsibility, trust my judgment and adapt quickly when things changed.

I still remember opening the paper and seeing the first ad I sold printed on the page. It was tangible proof that persistence and conversations could become something real. Seeing my work in print felt surreal, and it marked the beginning of my future in advertising.

What made the role especially meaningful was believing so deeply in what I was supporting.

The Battalion has long been one of the places where students can speak honestly, challenge silence and question power. In moments of censorship, controversy and pressure to stay quiet, I was incredibly proud to stand behind an organization that cared about integrity and student voice. That gave my role a level of purpose I never expected from a student job, and it is one of the reasons this experience meant so much to me.

It also taught me that loving a university does not mean asking less of it. I care deeply about Texas A&M and the Core Values it teaches, which is exactly why I believe it should always strive to live up to them. I admired that the paper never shied away from difficult questions and was willing to pursue honesty. To care about a community so deeply that you want more from it is one of the truest ways to serve something you love.

That same sense of pride showed up in many ways throughout my time here, but one of the clearest was helping expand BTHO into women’s basketball and volleyball. Across dozens of games, I learned how much planning, creativity and detail go into building moments people remember. Watching thousands of papers rise in an arena all at once is a feeling that is hard to describe. Those programs deserve that energy, and being able to help direct more attention and excitement toward them was one of the most meaningful things I got to be part of here. 

The work challenged me, taught me and gave me a sense of purpose I will always be grateful for. Still, when I look back on these years, it is the people who made the experience unforgettable.

I’m especially thankful for Hayden, the person I worked alongside most. We faced challenges together, bounced ideas off each other, celebrated wins and navigated this chapter of college side by side. Having someone who understood the pressure, humor and unpredictability of the role meant a lot. He challenged me, supported me and taught me so much. I am incredibly grateful our paths crossed.

I’ll always be grateful for Spencer. He believed in me, trusted me and led with the calmness and kindness I hope to carry into my own leadership one day. He made work fun, brought energy to the office and helped shape not only my experience at The Battalion, but who I became as a person.

What made this experience even richer was getting to share part of it with friends. My friends Pranay and Nikhil worked in different parts of the organization and getting to collaborate, create campaigns and grow alongside them made this chapter even more meaningful. There was something special about spending my college years doing work I cared about alongside people I cared about, too. I know how fortunate I was to experience that.

I’m proud to have mentored Spurthi and Nandika. Watching them grow into the role, find their confidence and make it their own has been incredibly rewarding. It reminded me how much others once invested in me and how meaningful it is to pass that forward.

The Battalion gave me the chance to contribute to a university I love, and I will always be grateful for that. 

It’s hard to put into words what it means to leave Texas A&M and the community that shaped me. I’ll miss the little things: familiar streets, Thursday mornings, getting jumpscared by the life-size Spencer cutout and the familiar smell of the MSC basement. 

Although I will miss The Battalion deeply, the values it taught me will stay with me long after I leave this place behind.

As I graduate and begin my career in advertising, I’m leaving with confidence, sharper skills, friendships I value and a clearer sense of purpose.

Thanks and Gig ’em.