I applied for a sports columnist role at the start of the 2016 academic year on the recommendation of my roommate, Alysen Boston, who worked as opinion editor for The Daily Evergreen.

I didn’t know it at the time, but taking her advice was one of the best choices I made in my college career.

Before starting at the Evergreen, most of the experiences on my resume were simple fast-food gigs I held in high school. They would not be enough if I wanted a career in the sports industry after college — and that’s been my goal for over a decade.

A couple semesters of writing led to the opportunity to become the sports editor. Sure, this meant struggling to keep my GPA above water, painfully long nights of staring at a computer screen and occasionally disciplining writers.

But it also meant becoming a part of a lifelong family, learning how to better manage a staff and shaping how I wanted the section to look going forward.

Being a sport management major in a communication setting was weird at first. I didn’t feel like I belonged in the newsroom, until I realized that many of the other editors aren’t communication majors, either. We’re all one bunch of students that come together from different departments to produce the student voice of WSU.

I chose to go after the position of sports editor, not just for the obvious benefit of making my resume look better, but also because of the struggles I would endure. Struggling means success. If we don’t fail, we don’t learn. I knew I was going to make mistakes, and that’s what ultimately drove me to apply.

Had I not gotten the guts to put on some fancy clothes and interview for the editorial role, I would still be uncomfortable with my managing style, as well as programs like InDesign, content management systems and how to produce a daily paper.

When applying for internships to earn my degree, I am now qualified for professional communication positions. This opportunity has opened the door for more career options and given me confidence in my abilities.

Most importantly, the number people I’ve met through the Evergreen has skyrocketed. The friends I’ve made, the memories I hold and the overall experience I had will not be forgotten.

I strongly urge anybody and everybody to become involved with their student newspaper, as the opportunities are unlimited.