As fall comes to a wrap, so does my time as Editor-in-Chief for The Recorder.

Never in my life have I met such an incredible, talented, hard-working group of people. In the newspaper, I see progress. I see hope for our future and for our reputation.

I came into the newspaper with the intent of making it the best it can be. And while doing everything I want to do for the newspaper is impossible, at the end of the day, I know I did everything in my power to progress the newspaper towards something bigger.

Yes, we are a college newspaper. Yes, we do not have the same resources as other newspapers across the country. Yes, we have overcome some difficult times. But that doesn’t mean we aren’t capable of achieving something amazing.

Straight out of high school, I knew I would come to college with one goal in mind: to become the best journalist I can be. I did not ever think I would walk away from my college newspaper as a junior with a year of leadership experience already under my belt, ready for the next step.

Being thrown into the role of EIC as a sophomore was definitely a wake-up call. So many people doubted me. So many people told me I couldn’t do it. But that never stopped me from doing what I came here to do—to show what I am truly capable of when I put my mind to something.

And trust me, there were times when I doubted myself. There were times when I couldn’t help but break down from the amount of stress I put myself through. There were times when I was convinced I sucked at my job. There were times when I thought I screwed things up for the paper. But in the end, it was all worth it because of the experiences The Recorder has given me and how much I have grown since my time as a staff writer.

I put five semesters into this newspaper not because I wanted something to put on my resume and not because I wanted the title next to my name, but because I fell in love with what my words meant to others. I know how cheesy this sounds, but in my case, it’s true.

Being EIC gave me the ability to help others, to learn and to focus on the bigger picture. I was pushed to the limit. I faced the repercussions of some of the work I, and my fellow colleagues, had done. And nothing has ever made me feel stronger and more confident in my work than I do today.

As I head to NBC Connecticut to start the next chapter in my life, I can’t help but feel blessed—blessed to have worked with such an incredible staff and to have been given the opportunities I have been so early in my collegiate career.

And while it will be hard, it’s time to move onto the next chapter of my life. The Recorder is a stepping stone to my future career as a (hopefully) big-time journalist.

The Recorder isn’t just a newspaper. We are a group of students with a passion to report. We spend countless hours interviewing, writing and editing to put out a weekly product that we can call our own.

And while from the outside, we may just seem like a group of students who like to push peoples’ buttons and press for answers, we do it for the betterment of the university and the journalism industry as a whole.

I love this newspaper and everything it entails and couldn’t be a prouder leader. Until next time.