I would have never imagined myself writing this column four years ago, because four years ago, I had no idea I would end up graduating from the University. My high school friends spent most of their senior year May nervous, but ultimately excited, for college to start. I, on the other hand, felt bitter and sad and lost. I was committed to New York University but growing more and more certain that I had made a huge mistake. In the spring of freshman year, I applied to transfer schools and ultimately decided on U.Va. My mom will say that my decision was heavily motivated by the multiple bookstores on the Downtown Mall, and she’s not that far off base. In truth, I didn’t really know what I was getting into until I was in it.
The same can be said for my experience with The Cavalier Daily.
During my second semester at the University, I applied to write for the Arts & Entertainment desk. I had no journalism experience, but I had gone to NYU with the vision of one day becoming a music journalist — a vision that had very much fallen apart when I realized I was too indecisive and interested in too many things to narrow myself that much at 18. However, I still wanted to give it a shot. Plus, one of my roommates, Leila, was a writer for the desk, so any chance to hang out with her more had to be worth it.
Fast forward to two years later, when Leila and I sat on the patio at The Virginian and tried to figure out how to accurately capture our time as the 136th term’s Arts & Entertainment co-editors in these 900-word pieces.
I titled my parting shot after a lyric from one of my favorite Maggie Rogers songs, “That’s Where I Am.” I listened to “That’s Where I Am” on repeat when it first came out during that other senior spring four years ago. For a few minutes as the track would play, I believed that maybe everything would all work out. And now, when I look back on my year as editor — and for that matter, college as a whole — I’m blown away at how much did.
The articles got published, the interviews were rescheduled, we had pieces for print. I transferred to a university I barely knew anyone at and had the time of my life. Our staff writers made it past setbacks and made their deadlines. I’m going to graduate college having ended up doing a version of what I set out to do four years ago. It all works out in the end.
Or does it?
I’ve been breaking a cardinal rule and burying the lede. As I prepare to graduate, I can’t say for sure that it all works out in the end.
Sometimes we make mistakes because we don’t know any better, and sometimes we make mistakes even when we do. Unlike half of our school, I was not born with Google Calendar attached to my hand. I knew that time management would likely be a problem for me going into this position, and it was.
It’s a tough job for a girl who hates her computer. There were quite a few articles I dropped the ball on. My GPA took a hit I am not proud of. There are stories I wish we had covered that we probably could have if I had just been a bit more organized. There wasn’t a single week of 2025 that I felt like I had everything under control.
And still — I loved it all. Rather than trying to beat myself up, I write this all to say that progress is not linear. Sometimes, I had to make the same mistake a couple of times before I knew what to fix. The fact that this improvement could be so incremental is what also made it feel so meaningful — like the first time I opened a draft and instinctively knew how to shape it, or how I write down everything in my planner now. Thanks to The Cavalier Daily, I got a thousand chances to try, fail and try again, learning a little more each time about what kind of writer, leader and person I truly wanted to be.
Much of that learning came from the incredibly hardworking and intelligent people I was surrounded by. Michael and Xander’s awesome passion — and occasional flair for the dramatic — for sports that I used to care nothing about. Naima’s otherworldly dedication as our editor-in-chief. Dana and Adair’s A+ sense of humor, Blaine and Kate’s kindness and Hailey’s patience. My weekly dinners with the utterly brilliant Scarlett, who approaches everything she does with empathy, thoughtfulness and, perhaps most crucially, great outfits. These people have inspired me so much, and I feel lucky to know them.
Most importantly, I can’t imagine having done this without my co-editor Leila — the first person I talked to at U.Va., my second-year roommate and one of my best friends. My dad has always told me to surround myself with people who make me want to be a better person. How lucky I was to find that in you.
And to the staff writers we worked with — I really am so proud of you guys. Arts journalism often gets perceived as frivolous, even in the journalism world. Thank you for taking it seriously.
If given the opportunity, I don’t think I would tell my 18-year-old self it will all work out in the end. I still turned my parting shot in late, after all, and at the time of writing this, I’m not sure where I’ll be after graduation. It might not work out perfectly. Nonetheless, I know it will all be worth it.
Grace Traxler was an arts & entertainment editor for the 136th term and a staff writer for the 135th and 137th terms.
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