It saddens me that this will be the last editor’s column that I submit for the Ferris State Torch, and I truly can’t believe the day is here.
I have told this story many times, but I will try to wrap it up quickly. I never applied to any other colleges than Ferris, and I always knew this was the place for me.
After being rescinded in my freshman year and then having to medically withdraw during my junior year, I never let that stop me from pursuing the college experience.
I technically didn’t get additional time here because of those instances, but it has made my college journey feel longer, and I wouldn’t change a thing if I could go back and do it again.
I started not knowing what I wanted to do here, and then after being admitted back into school after my first year, I switched into the journalism and technical communication program. In my introduction to journalism class, Dr. Garrett Stack referred me to the Ferris State Torch.
I was so nervous after he said I should apply, and I spent the whole semester going back and forth, wondering if it would be the right fit for me.
I finally reached out to the current Editor-in-Chief at the time, Noah Kolenda, who offered me a freelance culture reporter position.
This is what started it all.
I didn’t realize it at the time, but this was the place where I would feel most connected to people on campus. This is where I made so many friends, most of whom I can rely on for almost anything.
I fell in love with the job, the people and even started to love going to school again because I had this amazing opportunity.
Although I was worried at first, I knew I had made the right choice as soon as I turned in my first article. It felt so satisfying to see my work being displayed on a public platform, especially on our college campus.
I was receiving constructive criticism from Dr. Stack and the section editors, I was getting out and exploring different parts of campus I normally didn’t reside in and was feeling a new sense of pride while working for the Torch. Things were definitely on the up and up for me after spending my freshman year struggling to realize if college was the right place for me.
I eventually was offered a section editor position, something I had always kept in the back of my mind, but didn’t really think I was too qualified for. Here I am now, having almost finished running the show on my own for an entire year.
It might sound like a cliche or super corny, but I strongly encourage anyone who is feeling like they don’t belong at college to get out there and find a group of people who will take you in. I used to feel like that was silly, and there wasn’t something like that for me on campus.
This is exactly what college is for. It is the perfect place and opportunity for everyone to get out there, find people in a similar age range as you who have similar interests and really discover who you are as a person. I have learned and grown so much since joining the Torch and coming to Ferris that I couldn’t picture where my life would be without those things.
College and specifically the Torch have become such intricate parts of my life that it is hard to imagine I am less than a month away from graduating, where I’m supposedly supposed to move on to bigger and better things.
I know it is probably just because of all the overwhelming emotions I feel while writing this, but I can’t even imagine anything bigger or better than being right here, living the life that I have in Big Rapids.
I have become comfortable in my own skin and developed friendships that I know will last me a lifetime. You all know who you are, and you all have been there for me when times have gotten tough. Through stress, anxiety, heartbreak and even in times of laughter and joy, you were all there and stuck with me, even when it was hard.
I wouldn’t be who I am today without the beautiful people I have in my life. Even the ones who aren’t here anymore, I still carry pieces of them that helped me grow into who I am now.
Shout-out to all the friends I made at North Hall, my freshman year. You all helped me realize I have the potential to get through college. I know I would tell you all that I would be dropping out after the first year, and none of you would see me again, but look at me now. I did it.
Shout-out to the Campus Creek G5 boys, Jack, Michael and Sam. This was our first apartment as adults living on our own, and if it wasn’t for those late nights we would spend together, I probably would have gone insane. Sam and I have and will continue to hold down the fort until our lease is up in June.
A special shout-out to everyone I have met at the Torch, because you all have changed my life in more ways than I can count. You all taught me what it means to be a good person, a strong leader and most importantly, how to be a friend even when times are hard.
A personal shout-out to Dr. Scott Kowalewski and Dr. Mindy Myers. This year was one of the most challenging for me for several different reasons, and without your encouragement and support, there is no way I could have made it. You both have been there for me more times than I can count, for whatever it was I needed.
If you couldn’t tell already, it is very safe to say that I am going to miss this campus and publication with all of my heart. Thank you all so much for everything. This newspaper would be nothing without the amazing students who sacrifice so much to put it together and the readers who pick up a copy or visit our website weekly.
Thank you to the city of Big Rapids for becoming my home, Ferris State for providing me with memories I will hold with me for the rest of my life and the Torch for becoming my family.
You all mean so much to me, and I owe all the credit to you for being the reason I walk across that stage on May 9.
To the next Torch staff, remember this. I believe in you all and know things haven’t been easy, but look where we’ve gotten after all the obstacles we’ve faced this year. Personally, I just think it attests to something my former Editor-in-Chief and one of my closest friends, Dylan, told me. The Torch will always find a way to sustain itself.
Torchies for life.