Before I was officially a University of Iowa student, I was a Daily Iowan reporter. I made the choice to stay in Iowa City for four more years after graduating from high school a few miles away, based on my love of the town and my desire to be involved with the college paper. Reporting from my parent’s basement, I published my first front-page story weeks ahead of my first day of class.

In these four years, I’ve worked with almost every section in one way or another. I started as a news reporter, where I covered how K-12 schools were responding to the pandemic and on-campus protests to the COVID-19 response. A few months into my freshman year, I was assigned to cover the 2020 congressional race in the 2nd District. I ended up writing many stories over several months about the election that ended with just a six-vote margin.

This coverage landed me on the politics team, where I quickly found myself enmeshed in Iowa’s political landscape as a reporter and then as the politics editor. When other students were at the Iowa vs. Iowa State football game, I was in Des Moines covering a political rally. When others were on winter break, I was at the opening of the legislative session. With my DI press pass, I traveled to D.C. for the first time during the week of Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s confirmation to speak with Iowa’s congressional delegation. I learned to hound politicians for quotes, and calling up a legislator became a casual occurrence.

In my last year here as assistant digital editor, I’ve collaborated with people across different sections, sitting in the tiny podcast studio with the sports team, picking up arts stories, or setting up concerts in the newsroom. I’ve bonded with the student journalists who also spend their weeknights here. Between reading print proofs and publishing stories on our website, we riffed about the latest insane thing we saw online and scavenged for free food.

Every year, the DI has introduced me to a cohort of smart, inquisitive, and funny people with the same crazy disposition that motivates people to join their college paper.

To Julia, Caleb, Rylee, and Lauren, thank you for welcoming me to the EPI team as a freshman. And thank you to Lyle Muller, a tough coach and a fierce advocate of student journalism who truly made me a stronger reporter.

Thanks to Jen Wagner and Jason Brummond, who supported me as a high school senior visiting the newsroom when applying for a scholarship and have been there for me ever since.

Shout out to my desk buddies Parker and Jami. Jami, it’s been amazing watching your passion, and I know you are going to continue thriving in the coming year. Also Evan, thanks for bringing a goofy vibe and more creativity to the DI. Thanks to Sabine, who I’ve worked alongside since freshman year. We’ve been roommates, co-news editors, and most importantly, co-party planners.

Across all my different positions, I’ve also been the unofficial newsroom townie, bragging about growing up with Jan Jensen as my neighbor, or chiming in if I went to high school with one of our sources. While reporting in the field, or marching in the homecoming parade, I’ve had the chance to hear from our readers, and I know the work done by this group of sleep-deprived students makes an impact in our community.

Iowa City is a beloved place in my heart, and it’s been a privilege to tell its stories.