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I am, at last, at the end of my college career. Well, at least until I regain the mental strength and agility to attempt graduate school.
The excitement and slight fear of starting my life are hitting me hard but at the same time I’m faced with saying goodbye to so many people and things that I love — TAS being a major part of that.
I owe so much more to TAS than many of my colleagues and friends probably realize. When I first transferred to APSU I was a very withdrawn person. I didn’t socialize well and I was horrible at talking to people I didn’t know.
Starting out as a writer, I had to quickly become acclimated to talking to people. Weekly, I was conducting interviews and making phone calls to people I had never spoken too. I even had the chance to meet and interview some very influential people, including Terrance Roberts of the Little Rock Nine.
I became good at talking to people in a business manner. Then I became an editor and my entire world changed.
Being an editor truly brought me out of my shell. I had the opportunity to go on multiple trips where I learned valuable reporting techniques and got to compete in writing competitions.
I’ve seen this paper do a complete turnaround and now we are considered one of the top college newspapers of the South. I personally like to think I had something to do with that, but I won’t toot my own horn.
But it’s not just professionally that TAS has helped me. I’ve made unbreakable bonds and friendships with my co-workers and advisors. We’ve laughed and cried together. Whenever I’ve needed someone to talk to, all I had to do was call one of my co-workers up, or go lay down on Patrick’s couch in his office while he played therapist.
These people truly have become family. In retrospect, I have never felt more comfortable in my skin than I have since working at TAS. And I have so many people to thank for it. So many in fact it would take up far too many graphs on this page and Patrick would make Kristin cut most of it.
So to tie this up, I must now say a heartfelt farewell. Arrivederci e buona fortuna. See you on the other side. TAS
