Fascination with life isn’t interested in what should be.
I am so much more than one job, one story, one mistake or one accomplishment.
This is a school and a town that has found itself in the national spotlight time and time and time and time and time and time again, and The Cavalier Daily’s news section has remained an independent overseer of all of these difficult and polarizing issues.
Covering Virginia sports could not have led me into a more circuitous and unexpected three years filled with memories I will carry with me beyond these Grounds.
I am forever thankful that this student paper and the people within it reignited my love for journalism.
It was a long and arduous journey, but the positive change we created in our community made it all worth it.
Looking back now as a fourth-year student, I realize that The Cavalier Daily had a formative impact on my undergraduate career.
As my time in The Cavalier Daily draws to a bittersweet close, I understand now that sportswriters don’t have to just focus on sports.
I loved my experience at the University, and because I loved it, I was a journalist who wrote about its achievements and its failures.
Being on this paper gave me opportunities I never would have dreamed of as a first year sitting in a crowded info session, debating if I should even apply.
We’ve managed to transform our newspaper into the digital era and provide news that the University and Charlottesville community deserve.
Our University might not be known chiefly for its creative side, but that’s something I sought to change through my journalism.
As I enter the journalism workforce during a perilous time for both humanity at large and the field in particular, I am reminded of how important it is to remember why I do journalism.
As I always say, if an opinion isn’t making somebody pissed off, then it probably wasn’t worth writing about to begin with.
My only real goal was to make one person laugh a little bit when they read my work. Some articles missed the mark, others were on target.
I’ll just say that students should approach their college experiences with a healthy dose of scepticism.
Even though I don’t want to be a journalist or have a career in social media managing, I wouldn’t trade this time for anything. I’ve never felt more at home.
Under close scrutiny, human emotions can be exposed no matter how much one tries to conceal them. From one second to another, a plastered smile can slide into a subtle glare or smirk.
Thank you to all who have been with me on my journey.
Setting my Cavalier Daily hat down, I’m flattered and honored to have been included in this mission.
