After all the stories shared during my time at The Northerner, somehow this one is the hardest.

I’ve sat and stared at a blank document for days on end. How do I sum up the most influential period of my life thus far?

If I close my eyes and imagine my time at The Northerner, I don’t see bylines or articles or awards. I see the faces of people who have changed my life.

I see the gleaming smile of President Cady Short-Thompson as she was announced as NKU’s seventh president. International students who just touched down in the United States for the first time trying to find their footing. A political science husband and wife duo who deeply impacted the university in their 20 years of professorship. Determined students in the School of the Arts putting blood, sweat and tears into their craft. Earnest faculty members pleading for action after a multi-million dollar budget deficit cut 100 faculty positions.

And the list could go on one hundred times longer…

Why NKU?

It’s been a recurring question throughout my time in college: “Why did you come to NKU?” Most people usually say it with a raised eyebrow and a puzzled look when they learn I’m a journalism major from rural Western Kentucky.

I always love that question. It never fails to bring a slight smile to my face as I gear up to explain a years-long answer in a couple sentences.

There are usually a few things I reference: the affordability, location, small class sizes.

But the deeper answer is the opportunity. An opportunity to lead. An opportunity to form deep connections. An opportunity to try my hand at everything—literally.

I can’t imagine another university or student news publication where I could sit courtside photographing basketball games, produce a documentary on the history of Newport, anchor a weekly newscast, host a weekly podcast and so much more… all while leading our staff as editor-in-chief.

I’ve never had to worry about entering the “real world” because every single thing we’ve done at The Northerner has been real. That is the beauty of NKU, and that is the beauty of The Northerner.

My start with The Northerner

It all began with my first journalism professor at NKU, Dr. Steve Bien-Aimé. I sat in his News Writing class as a first-semester freshman, surrounded by older students. Because of my youth, I felt like I needed to prove myself as a capable student. I hit it off with Dr. B right away. His guidance went above and beyond what you would expect from a professor.

I remember him encouraging me to join The Northerner. “You have to,” he told me one day. So I took his advice and wandered into a meeting. I remember the smiling face of Braden White, who grew to become editor-in-chief and one of my closest friends.

With Braden’s guidance, I took on my first story. At the end of my first year, I meekly applied to be on staff. I applied for what I thought I was deserving of: assistant arts and life editor. I still had no real idea what I was doing, and I didn’t even know if I could commit to being an assistant. But I sat in an interview with Braden and Mildred Nguyen anyway.

I could immediately feel their infectious passion and aspiration. I vividly remember reaching the end of the interview and Braden and Mildred saying, “So we know you applied for the assistant arts and life position… but how would you feel about being news editor?”

I remember my stunned response: “Oh!”

My goodness, I’m so glad I said yes. I dove in head first—well, there was no choice really, because in that first semester, the news broke of NKU’s budget deficit, the departure of President Ashish Vaidya, a national presidential search and much more. Whew.

The talent of my fellow editors at the time (Braden, Mildred and Killian Baarlaer) still blows me away. It was something I took for granted until they all graduated and left me wondering how we would fill their shoes.

On top of that, our faculty adviser and sense of reasoning, Michele Day, retired. To this day, Michele is someone who has always been in my corner, asking me thought-provoking questions, challenging me to be better and showing me the true spirit of journalism. I still recall her breaking the news that she’d be retiring at the end of the spring 2024 semester. I was crushed. What would we do without Michele?

But we adapted, grew and thrived this past year. Annie Hammock, our new faculty adviser, brought an unmatched level of experience and expertise. Our staff was the biggest and most diverse group of people we had in a long time.

And we really have tried our hand at everything—from broadcast news packages to a documentary to a lengthened monthly magazine.

Forming a family

Beyond that, I’ve found a family at The Northerner. I remember reading past editors’ farewells and hearing stories of their bonds with other students and late nights spent in the newsroom. I yearned to have a connection and experience like that. But as I sit down to write my own farewell, I realize I had it all along.

There’s a cheesy quote from one of my favorite TV shows, “The Office.” It goes something like, “I wish there was a way to know you’re in the good old days before you’ve actually left them.”

I’ve had many “good old days” experiences here at The Northerner, whether it’s through work or play (because we certainly excelled at both).

I’m reminded of the time after Short-Thompson was announced as president when Braden, Mildred, Killian, Sydney Bellm and I piled into the newsroom and congregated around a table, diving into interview recordings and throwing down quotes on a shared document.

I recall my anxiousness heading up to the top floor of the Lucas Administrative Center for an interview with the provost, chief financial officer and vice president of Student Affairs during the budget deficit. Mildred and I sat across from the administrators in a sterile conference room, asking hard questions and feeling a sense of responsibility to deliver the news to the campus community.

I also think fondly of the times where our staff refused to do anything work-related and just spent time with each other. I can’t speak enough about how special this group of people is.

It’s one thing to have a staff that can tolerate one another and work together professionally. In fact, many editors would dust off their hands and call that a success on its own. But it’s an entirely different thing to have a group of people who decide to invest in each others’ lives and care deeply for each other.

As a staff, we gathered together like clockwork for our “weekly hangout,” and it soon became the thing I looked forward to most each week. From bowling to game nights and pick-up basketball games, we genuinely became a family. I will never forget the laughs, conversations and memories from our time together.

Many thanks

There are so many people who played a pivotal role in my time at NKU and The Northerner.

Thank you to the professors who saw something in me that I didn’t even see in myself. To Michele Day, Wes Akers, Stacie Jankowski, Annie Hammock, Steve Bien-Aimé, Tracy Songer and countless others: Your encouragement, motivation and endless advice gave me the confidence to keep going. You gave me opportunities a girl from Beaver Dam, Ky would have never dreamed of, and—most importantly—you challenged me to be better.

To the editors who came before me and those who will come after, thank you. The Northerner has transformed into a pillar of the NKU community, and that is a direct reflection of the dedication of student journalists. Keep going.

To the people who have sat down with me for an interview or a chat on the sidewalk, thank you. Everyone has a story, and I have been privileged to connect with so many members of the community to share theirs. You are the reason I do what I do.

And finally, to our devoted readers, thank you for trusting The Northerner and supporting our work. It’s the greatest compliment we can receive when someone simply says they read our article. Please continue supporting real journalism.

While it’s time to say goodbye, the memories made and the stories told in the past four years will not be soon forgotten.

Here’s to what comes next!