Find pride in the people and enjoy every moment
When I sat down to write this, I thought this would be the easiest thing I would ever write for the Yellow Jacket.
Instead, I have sat down every day for the past seven day, I’ve looked at the computer, and I’ve put my hands on the keyboard.
And every single day, nothing.
It’s not that I don’t know what to say. I have so much to reflect on from my last four years at Waynesburg University, but I can’t choose just one thing.
So instead of talking about me for the next 400-500 words, I’ll take that space to thank everyone that’s helped me through this amazing journey.
The first goes to Professor Richard Krause. (For the record, this is not me trying to suck up for a better grade in class, I swear.) He sat me down the first day I visited this campus and told me about the school newspaper and its history. He gave me my first introduction to the world of journalism, and it’s been an interesting ride ever since.
Professor – soon to be Doctor – Brandon Szuminsky has taught me almost everything I know about newspaper writing. Not only was/is he a great teacher, but I’m glad that I can call him a mentor and a friend.
(Now please just finish your dissertation so I’m not wrong about the whole ‘soon to be doctor’ thing, because I don’t want to be a story you tell future students about a guy who awkwardly gave you a title that you never received in a column.)
Speaking of which, I knew someone that visited La Roche College.
While Szuminsky taught me what I know, Sarah Bell, executive editor of the Yellow Jacket last year, got the ball rolling as far as my career is concerned.
To put it simply, she gave me the motivation I needed to get involved after literally doing nothing my first two years at this university.
Pretty much she yelled at me every time she knew I needed to do work and yet I kept procrastinating. There’s a reason she was the mom of the executive staff.
The rest of the Yellow Jacket staff and the rest of the Department of Communication family has become just that: a family.
I know for a fact that when I leave here in a couple of weeks, I will leave with some of the greatest friendships that will continue well into my future.
Some of them – like Nick Farrell, Chad Green and Cori Schipani – I’ve known for years. Others – like Chelsea Dicks, Kara Bemer and Olivia Latimer – I have only known for a short time.
Heck, an actual family member became one of my best friends for life. I won’t mention names, but he always delivers every morning on 99.5 The Hive between the hours of 7 a.m. and 9 a.m.
What’s funny is that of all my friends I’ve made here, my greatest friend Tori isn’t part of the department. Even though I don’t have siblings, she’s like a sister to me, and I treat her as such.
The people at this university, more specifically this department, are amazing. I thank God every day that He led me here and has surrounded me with some of the greatest individuals I will ever know.
Even though I failed to mention every name, everybody I’ve met here over the last four years here are just as important to me as the next.
It has been an honor to not only be a part of the Yellow Jacket for four years, but to be able to contribute in making it an award-winning newspaper again as well.
I thank everyone I have met at Waynesburg for helping make this journey one that I will never forget.
God bless.