It was a rollercoaster of a semester, and I learned a lot. Unfortunately, I let a lot of people down.

I was not the editor that I and others envisioned myself to be. My starry-eyed ambition for this semester and the future of the paper quickly vanished due to self-inflicted personal setbacks which caused a break at the beginning of the year. It affected not only the news section but the entire paper.

While I did make some improvements after my break, ultimately, I didn’t complete my end of the bargain. However, I still need to thank Sandi Kobiesa, Mikayla Finnerty and Frankie Beer for always checking in on me and supporting me through difficult times, when I thought nobody would.

Sandi and Mikayla were the perfect leaders and I can’t wait to see what Mikayla does as editor-in-chief  and Sandi in her post-Evergreen life.

Mikayla’s positivity radiates every time she’s in the newsroom, and it’s been an honor and a pleasure every time we’ve collaborated. The editor-in-chief position is in good hands.

Sandi helped pull me out of the depths that I didn’t think were possible to get out of, and I wouldn’t be still standing if it wasn’t for her. Her selflessness not only saved me, but it is felt throughout the entire newsroom, and the Evergreen won’t be the same without her. No amount of thanks will represent the amount of impact that she’s had on my life.

Lastly, Frankie, it’s only a matter of time before you’re accepting a Pulitzer Prize. You’re one of the hardest working people and greatest human beings I’ve encountered in my life. Your hard work and dedication are going to pay off 10 fold, and I can’t wait to be reading your work in a national publication one day.

You’re a beloved icon in the newsroom and an impeccable journalist and editor.

You really stepped up when I couldn’t and put the news section on your back, and I’ll be forever grateful for that.

My time as editor has come to an end, but I still will always be an Evergreener. I can’t wait to get back into the passion that got me here in the first place, which is writing and reporting next semester.

To all of our reporters,  we’re all so proud of you. Thank you for putting up with us, you’ve all improved tremendously and put out a lot of great work.

To the copy team, you guys are absolute troopers, and the behind-the-scenes heroes and helped me out A TON.

To the readers, I hope we provided you with stories that got you to come back and read more.

To future editors, be sure to plan accordingly because this is a tough job. Don’t let small battles turn into big battles because they will bite you in the ass, and remember your mental health should always take top priority.

To myself, you weren’t that guy pal, now you have to make amends. Actions speak louder than words, take this time over break to focus on yourself and learn from your mistakes, because after that it’s time to put pen to paper and get to work.