My first story for The Miami Student looked like a Christmas tree lit up with red, green and blue strikethroughs from various editors. By the end of the story, it was as if I’d never even touched it.
I cried.
A lot.
I vowed to never write for the publication again and to quit journalism altogether (yes, I was dramatic and yes, I am still just as dramatic).
Four years later, I’m leaving the newsroom an Entertainment Editor-at-large with 52 bylines for written stories under my belt.
More important than that, I’m leaving the newsroom a different person.
A more confident person.
My first year at Miami University, I cried to my journalism professor and the advisor to The Student at the time, James Tobin. As I sat in a hallway in Williams Hall, I told him I was a horrible writer, that I would never be able to make it in the professional world of journalism — that I would never compare to my amazing peers.
I don’t remember exactly what he said that day, but essentially he told me to not give up, that I had a gift for writing and for telling stories and that I was one of the more gifted students he had worked with.
And boy, am I glad he told me that.
That conversation, which I’m sure he barely remembers, changed my life. I stuck with journalism, and I returned to The Student with a renewed passion for writing.
I started my editorial journey as a co-multimedia editor. I was one of the youngest editors ever, getting the position de-facto after the previous editor, Ben Deeter, graduated. I enjoyed my time in that role, and I learned a lot about myself as a leader.
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But two years, 18 podcasts and a pandemic later, I wanted to move on. Desperately.
So, I quit.
I didn’t quit the paper, but I laid to rest my time as an editor of podcasts in favor of becoming an editor for written sections. My favorite section to write for was Entertainment and, after working under some of the best editors I’ve ever had, Will Gorman and David Kwiatkowski, I had honed my craft of movie reviews and cultural criticism pieces.
I became an assistant entertainment editor, and the rest is history.
I have written several entertainment pieces and edited countless of them. I love that there is a place to discuss and criticize the thing I love most — media.
I’ve gotten to run the section with one of my best friends, Sean Scott, The Student’s newest Editor-in-Chief (you’re gonna do great, bestie). And who could forget my friend Reece Hollowell, the most verbose and talented writer I know (keep up the great work with the graphics, too #neverforgetTheWifeGuys).
After my departure from multimedia, I also became an assistant Campus and Community editor. I got to know some of the best people I’ve met at Miami. Reagan Rude always has a quip or a sarcastic comment at the ready, which keeps the energy alive in the newsroom. Alice Momany is one of the sweetest people I know, and I’ll miss having her as an editor (she always leaves the nicest comments).
And Luke. Oh, Luke. Every time you come into my sight, I want to fight you. And yet, I can’t help but acknowledge how talented a writer you are and how cool a person you are. You’re one of the most fun people to hang out with, and I will genuinely miss talking to you about movies and my incomplete in FST 301 (but don’t worry, I will still want to fight you for the foreseeable future).
And where do I even begin with my best friends, Lexi Whitehead, Cosette Gunter-Stratton and Hannah Horsington? You all have been my rocks these four years. YOU all have helped me grow the most.
Lexi — I love you. I love how you’re always there to listen to me when I have a problem. I love how you are always there to help me choose an outfit. I love that we can say we’re going to sit in our living room to do homework, and then end up gossiping and getting nothing done. I’ll never forgive you for barking at me … but I will miss you infinitely after we graduate.
Cosette — I love you. I love our talks in the car whenever I need a ride and you volunteer. I love that you have become an honorary roommate of mine, Lexi’s and Hannah’s. I have loved seeing you grow in your role as Editor-in-Chief, and I will forever be grateful I had you as a fearless leader for my final year at the paper.
Hannah — I love you. I love how organized you are, how you’re the mom friend of the group. I love how you feel comfortable telling all of us about your worries, and I love that you are a listening ear for me. I have loved seeing you grow in your passion for broadcasting.
I love you all, and I hope we’ll always talk every day like we do now.
Through all of that — the editorial changes, the myriad of edits, the relationships that have come and gone — I’ve grown.
I’ve grown in my leadership skills. I’ve grown in my confidence. I’ve grown in more ways than I can say.
I guess all I can say is thank you, The Miami Student. You’ve been the best college experience I could have asked for.
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