Unfortunately, I do not have the bragging rights to say that I’ve been with the Clarion since day one, but I can proudly proclaim that joining the Clarion and being a part of this witty, fun and dedicated team makes me so glad I stepped out of my comfort zone to return to student journalism despite hardly knowing anyone there at the start. I have been a part of a school publication all throughout high school, and although I loved the experience, I wanted to challenge myself by stepping back my freshman year to see if I’d miss being a part of a newspaper. Unsurprisingly to most readers, my freshman year of college was my most miserable year out of the four. In hindsight, I wish I had joined sooner.

Fast forward to today and serving as the Clarion’s News Editor for the past two years has been a fulfilling experience that has challenged me to constantly look for engaging stories and familiarize myself with the DU community—something that is challenging as a commuter student when you’re not living and breathing on this campus twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Despite the tedious light rail trips, late night drives and funky sleep schedule, I would never trade this if it means missing out on the laughs, quotable moments and the support system I had at this amazing paper.

I want to give a big thank you to my fellow editors and writers who helped me feel at home: Grace, John, Ryan, Taryn, Justin, Sydney, Ellie, Maya, Caitlan, Monica, AnnMarie, Daniel, Hannah, Nina and so many more! Since I graduated in March, I am once again newspaper-less and my heart aches knowing that this chapter of my life has come to an end. As this awkward softy struggles to find herself again, I’m honored and grateful for the time I got spend to playing a tiny part in this paper filled with a legacy of such cool, smart writers. Keep reading DU, the Clarion is not going anywhere.