If I’m being honest, I absolutely have no idea how to write this.

It’s crazy to me that the time has finally come where I close one chapter of my life and enter the next. I didn’t think it’ll come so soon but as most people say, life comes at you fast.

It’s important to cherish every minute you spend while you’re on this earth.

I cannot begin to think about the amount of joy, happiness and excitement I’ve felt over the past four years of my life. As I reflect on my time in higher education I’m glad to say that I’ve overcome so much to be where I am today.

Being an African American male, a first-generation college student from a low-income background and a single parent household, I’ve come down a long, tough road. My journey has helped define a part of who I am.

So with that being said, while being a student at San Diego State University I can say that I’ve had some of the best times of my life. From the people I met, the knowledge I gained, the organizations I’ve joined, etc. I’ve never had so many great experiences.

Some of my greatest experiences have definitely happened during my time being a staff member with The Daily Aztec.

The Daily Aztec has granted me so many opportunities to do the ethical journalism work the world needs and along the way I found something I love to do and that is photography.

I’m happy about my progression in the photography game.

I first picked up a camera back in 2018 and didn’t really take it seriously. I wasn’t really understanding the creativity and elegance that pictures can have.

The more I snapped a shot the more I realized that taking photos is actually really nice and it became a hobby. It sounds corny but capturing life’s moments is a beautiful thing. Whether it be a picture with you and a friend, a celebration, the emotions people express, etc. All of it tells a story and everybody loves a good story if it’s put together nicely. They say “a picture is worth a thousand words” and I asked myself what would be something I can tell stories about and get people attracted to? Since I love sports so much it didn’t take long for me to figure it out.

I took a leap of faith and told myself I wanted to be a storyteller. A person that can capture all of life’s moments and piece it together for an audience.

The Daily Aztec allowed me to do just that and I am grateful for it. I began to master my craft and make every opportunity count while covering sporting events for San Diego State athletics.

In closing, I have a bittersweet feeling as I prepare to leave this university. The people I’ve met, laughs and smiles I shared, the memories that were made is something I will never forget and hold dear to my heart.