Before I left home for college, my parents tried to tell me that the next four years would go by way too quick and to make the most of it. I didn’t believe them at the time, but as I prepare to graduate on Saturday, those words could not have been more true.

I visited WSU for the first time back in 2011, my junior year of high school, during Homecoming Weekend with my grandpa, an alumnus. Together, we attended an alumni event the first night and my grandpa introduced me to late President Elson S. Floyd.

Floyd towered over me, and at first glance, he seemed like an intimidating person. Turns out after talking with him for a few minutes, I got a good enough sense of his personality to say he was one of the most inviting, personable and cheerful individuals I have ever met.

Soon after talking with Floyd, he got the audience’s attention and made a speech. At the end, he called me up on stage to let the audience know that I was thinking about becoming a Cougar. The audience erupted in cheers, and it was at that moment I knew I had to become a Coug.

Looking back six years later, I can honestly say joining the Cougar family was the best decision I have ever made. WSU gave me so many opportunities to grow as a person and as a professional.

In the spring of 2015, my junior year, I was hired as a sports reporter for one of the best student-run newspapers in the nation, The Daily Evergreen

I can honestly say the one mistake I made in college was not joining The Daily Evergreen earlier.

You can learn far more from reporting and spending time in the newsroom than you can from sitting in a classroom. For anyone, in any major, looking to improve his or her writing skills, I highly encourage you to think about becoming a reporter.

As a senior, I took on the role of assistant sports editor. I was quite nervous about taking on the job, because I had only been with the Evergreen for a semester.

It’s crazy how much time goes into producing a paper five days a week. I’m not really sure how some of the editors that work every night manage to balance it all, but they do, and they are always able to keep a smile on their face. It’s amazing.

I can easily say the people I worked with are some of the most driven people. They inspire me to work harder and to continue to learn every day. I believe I am more prepared to take on the “real world” because of them.

With that, I can say WSU truly gave me the full-bodied college experience I was looking for. I still can’t believe my time here at WSU will come to an end on Saturday, but as one door closes, another opens.

Until next time, Go Cougs.