In October of my freshman year, I nervously sent in sample pieces to The Daily Aztec hoping there could be a spot for me as a writer. I remember flipping through the paper and seeing other writers’ music and arts-centered stories thinking that maybe one day I would be able to do the same. Four years and 50 articles later, I’ve had the chance to write about some of my favorite bands, interview artists, share students’ incredible stories and find my voice as a writer.

If I stood face to face with the girl who came here four years ago to escape the life she had in Chicago, I probably wouldn’t like her very much, but I wouldn’t change what was to come. I am proud of the person I am now and I am proud of the generation I belong to, a generation of compassion, acceptance and resilience that has so much to offer for the future.

Nothing in college has gone as I planned, now including graduation. The current state of the world is anything but normal. Our lives are on pause as we fight with fear unsure of what the future holds. It is the future of the unknown that keeps you up at night, but it is the unknown that has always brought me to the greatest parts of my life.

Thank you to The Daily Aztec for the endless opportunity to pursue my love for storytelling and writing. Thank you to my editor Ceighlee for always supporting my ideas as well as all of my past editors for your dedication to the Arts and Culture section. Thank you to my family for reading every word I’ve written, even the horrid ones in the beginning. Thank you to my friends who have been by my side over the past four years – your strength and passions will lead you to more than you can imagine. Thank you to my professors who opened my mind to new ideas. Thank you to San Diego State for giving me a life I only once thought of in my dreams.