When I submitted my first S&B staff writer application in the summer of 2021, I was sobbing. I had convinced myself that no one in their right mind would think me capable of writing a coherent article, let alone permit me to publish one. 

But it had been my dream ever since I first learned to type on my dad’s clunky old iMac to become a published author. So, I called him up and he urged me to suck it up and hit “submit.” Three years, hundreds of interviews and over fifty articles later, I couldn’t be more grateful for that phone call. 

My high school had no robust journalism program, and I’d never interviewed someone in an official capacity. At The S&B, I simply learned how to do the job by doing it. 

I still remember sweating before my first interview for a low-stakes arts article, scared that my list of twenty prepared questions wouldn’t be enough. Slowly, and with the guidance of so many other talented student journalists, I found my footing and eagerly snatched any opportunity for an extra story.

After spending months on an article that resulted in a fellow student throwing our stacks of newspapers in the rain, I learned quickly that journalism can be a thankless industry. However, realizing that not everyone will always respond well to your work served me greatly in the next couple years as I dealt with more criticism and grew in confidence — both in my reporting and personally. 

Navigating these more challenging stories gave me the courage to apply for opinions editor in my second semester and then serve as co-editor-in-chief during my junior year. Returning as a writer this year was one of the wisest decisions I’ve made, as I feel better equipped to start my post-grad reporting job at the Storm Lake Times-Pilot.

During our final all-staff meeting for the year, the seniors went around the room delivering final reflections about their experience at the paper. I politely declined to answer because as soon as it came my turn, my eyes had welled with tears and a lump in my throat prevented me from speaking a full sentence. 

Generally, I think I express myself better in writing than dialogue. So, to anyone I’ve worked with at The S&B in the past three years, I’d like to say this –– I don’t know who I would be without this newspaper. 

Thank you to Abraham Teuber `22 and Eva Hill `22 who gave me my first big-girl job and answered my hundreds of questions. Thank you to Nadia Langley `23, my partner-in-crime and without whom I’d be half the journalist I am today. And thank you to anyone I’ve worked with or interviewed over the last three years. You’ve changed me more than you know.