I remember standing on the football field in San Diego with the cheers of celebration ringing through the stadium. The players held up their trophy in celebration of the 2019 Holiday Bowl win. Banners hung on the railings, saying “win it for Hayden.” I put my lens cap on the 300mm lens and exited through the tunnel, knowing it would be my last time covering Hawkeye football.

I remember driving back to Iowa City through the snow on Interstate 80 after a full day of covering the Iowa caucuses. Everyone in the car was exhausted, but we still played old-school tunes to keep us awake. I came back to the newsroom and went into production, checking that the lens caps were on properly. I put away the camera kits, knowing it would be my last time photographing Iowa politics for The Daily Iowan.

I remember stepping off the court of this year’s Big Ten women’s basketball tournament in Indianapolis. I held onto the camera bodies and placed the lens caps back on the camera in the media room, not knowing this would be the last photo assignment I would cover for the DI.

The semester brought unexpected turns for the class of 2020. I was unaware that the last assignment I covered for the DI would truly be the last assignment I would ever cover for the news organization. Through the last couple of months, I started to think back to how I started at this publication.

The DI gave me everything. Even through late nights, multiple assignments, and times of stress, I owe this newspaper everything.

It took me a while to find journalism at Iowa. I transferred across the country in 2016 from an art school in Florida where I studied filmmaking. My passion truly lied with filmmaking and nothing could stand in the way of that dream — until I found photojournalism.

Immediately following the 2016 presidential election results, I repeatedly ventured out into downtown Sarasota, Florida with my camera. I interviewed protesters and created my first documentary photo essay. Soon after, I met with my adviser, showed her the photographs, and said, “I want to do this with my life.” Her response was, “Well, that’s photojournalism.”

Attending a small art school without a journalism program meant I had to transfer. I ended up choosing the University of Iowa, but was uncharted territory without a certain path. I received pushback from advisers wanting me to stay in the cinema program. For a long time, I felt lost. To make matters worse, I did not touch my camera for months.

My first semester at the UI had gone by and I demanded to study photography and journalism. Ultimately, I ended up in the majors I wanted, but still felt a piece missing.

Late in the fall semester of 2017, I received an email from internship coordinator Paul Jensen, indicating the DI needed photojournalists. I felt like this could be my chance. A few days before the spring semester began, I was hired.

From then on, I experienced more creative growth than I ever could imagine. I worked my hardest that semester to take any assignment. I met continuously with photo coach Danny Wilcox Frazier, participated in the critiques, and worked my way to becoming photo editor the next semester.

As the year progressed, I decided to extend my abilities and apply for my current position as the creative director. This past year, I experienced the greatest artistic growth in both photography and design.

The DI provided me with a sense of place. It is difficult to know where to start with thanking a paper that gave you everything. Perhaps a senior column is a good place to begin.

Thank you, DI, for all of the memories. Had I never sent that application sophomore year, I never would have discovered my true passion. Thank you for giving me new friends, new goals, and new opportunities.

This semester gave all of us a lot of lasts — the last time covering sports for the DI, the last time getting an 11 p.m. coffee to help us power through the last hour of work, the last time we would see our co-workers who became family.

But even though there were many unexpected lasts, I’ll always think of the firsts. Those are the memories I will cling to.

I remember the first time when I felt like I finally made it as a photojournalist. I felt pure exhilaration after getting a winning shot of the women’s basketball team at the 2019 Big Ten Championships, with legendary Hawkeye Megan Gustafson holding up the trophy near head coach Lisa Bluder.

I remember all of the team members embracing each other and crying tears of joy after winning Newspaper of the Year at the 2020 Iowa Newspaper Association convention.

I remember walking in the newsroom one day and seeing one of my photos hung on the wall, which was a goal of mine ever since I started years ago.

I remember times when we all sat around in the chairs in the newsroom, laughing uncontrollably after hearing a funny joke from one of our co-workers.

I remember us having an editors’ meeting outside and sitting by the IMU with those random nice February Sunday evenings.

I remember hugging my best newsroom friend and editor-in chief Marissa Payne after sending the caucus guide to the printer and knowing the DI had done something great.

Overall, I’ll remember everyone and every opportunity. I’ll put the lens cap on senior year and know that no matter what, all of us will move forward to the next assignment.