I’ve been behind nearly 200 front pages for The Daily Iowan. I’ve designed hundreds of inside pages and page elements. I’ve written several daily and long-form stories, a lot of them relating to Herky the Hawk, if I’m honest. I’ve even picked up a byline on two books.

Summing-up my time at the DI with a four-sentence paragraph is insane. At the surface? Yeah, that’s really all I did. But behind the scenes?  I’d like to think I had more of an impact — maybe on the DI as a whole or just the people I’ve met along the way.

I want that impact to be my legacy.

No matter what, each year, there are stories passed on in the newsroom. Stories from people who have since graduated told by upperclassmen, stories of mistakes from years past from coaches, and stories that just happened that day. I want the newsroom to tell stories about me, as weird as that is.

They don’t have to all be good; I have made countless mistakes while here. I’ve had my fair share of crashouts for the entire newsroom to see. We’re a learning lab after all. But I want people to learn from what I experienced and not make the same mistakes I did.

I wouldn’t mind a few good tales sprinkled in, though.

Of course, we have to do thank-yous. First, I have to thank my mother, sisters, aunt, uncle, and grandparents. They’ve been supporting me since I packed up to move to college. I can’t be more thankful for always having people to talk to and rant to. Even if you didn’t understand what I was talking about at the time. I wouldn’t be who I am today without that support.

Now, let’s get into the newsroom. I’ve been here for four years, and I have very little space to thank everyone I need to, but I’m going to highlight a few.

Heidi, our in-house production manager, was essentially my work mom for four years. She always put me in my place when I needed it but was there when I needed her. She constantly says she never really interacted with students before I came along. I made Matt promise to never let your office go quiet next year.

My entire support system is made up of individuals at the DI. It’s kind of hard not to since I spent more time at Adler than at my apartment. There was always someone to talk to about anything in the newsroom.

Shreya and Stella, I don’t think you guys realized it, but I would’ve lost my head so many more times had you guys not been there. You’re both extremely level-headed, and having that at my back made my year so much better.

Cody, I’m sorry I spelled your name wrong that one time, but thank you for going with it and not holding a grudge.

Matt, thank you for sticking with me through the chaos of pregame. I’m grateful we have gotten to work together because you’ve both improved my writing and also graced me with random sports knowledge, like who won the World Series in 1973.

Grace and Bella, you guys aren’t afraid to speak your mind, and I think that helped me feel confident enough to share mine.

And finally, we get back to the start. Maddie and Kate, you’ve literally been there since day one. I’m thankful for you always being willing to listen. Jami, it feels like you’ve been there just as long, but as we’ve discussed, you came in a little later. It was amazing to watch you grow into being our editor and also fostering an environment where I felt safe and protected. I’m grateful to call you all my friends.

I can’t wait to see what stories are created out of this newsroom. It has fostered hundreds of journalists, but going even further, it has shaped hundreds of great people. Thank you.