I came to Northern Kentucky University at the perfect time. It was a strange period, rife with changes, both in my personal life and on NKU’s campus. When I came to NKU, Griffin Hall was still under construction.

This year, the building was finished, and I got to take advantage some of the technology it offered because most of my classes were inside it. Griffin Hall was hardly the only change I experienced here, though. I began writing for The Northerner through one of the first classes I took at NKU. The professor for my practicum class, which partnered with The Northerner, was Gayle Brown. Gayle is a wonderful woman, and she was the reason I joined the staff of The Northerner.

This year, we had a new adviser and practicum professor, Jacque Day. While many of us at The Northerner did not agree with the process of the change, I realize that in the end, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to get to know and work with both of these amazing and unique women.

As a staff member of the newspaper, I had a lot of exciting opportunities to learn new things and meet new people. In parting, I want to express how thankful I am—to the university itself for providing a quality education at an affordable price, to all the professors and students who taught me something and showed that they cared, to the friends I have made here and to the family I have found in my fellow Northerner staff members. I wish you all the best, and I will carry the memories of this place with me as I leave to embark on the next part of my journey.