Serendipity is the only word that can explain where I am today. 

I am going to be very honest. When I applied to transfer, San Diego State was not my first pick, but it seemed to be the second-best choice. 

I never looked back once I made this decision, from the moment I set foot on campus to writing this senior farewell.

However, there were times when I wished I had managed my time better and procrastinated less often. I somehow survived.

For the past two years, all the people I have met at SDSU have been beyond amazing. I can’t think of another word that can better describe this journey. 

I only wish I had 48 hours a day to attend all the extracurricular activities, write more stories for The Daily Aztec and take more photos at sports events. 

Okay, I lied. I want 72 hours a day.

I remembered the turning point when I finally felt that SDSU was becoming my second home.

It started like any other school day, but when I walked into the newsroom, I overheard Petrina Tran talking about a meeting in the conference room. 

Being the curious journalist that I am, I asked what was going on. 

Little did I know that the answer to that question opened a whole new path into journalism.

She said that it was the general body meeting for the Asian American Journalists Association SDSU Chapter and I should go hang out.

It was that day I joined and attended my first AAJA SDSU meeting. 

It was a new organization with tight bonds. Everyone was very supportive of each other, which made the transition to a new environment much easier for me.

A lot of my favorite memories were made during my time here. 

There are times in the middle of the night when I wonder. Where would I be now if I had chosen another school or stuck with my last job?

I cannot imagine who I would become if I had not met all the wonderful people here at SDSU.

I consider everyone I have met a mentor because I have learned and continue to learn from them and they keep me humble, which I am thankful for.

I am beginning to feel like an Oscar winner who wants to say thank you to everyone, but doesn’t have enough time to say all the names.

Thank you, Professor Melissa Mecija, for holding me accountable for spelling and not relying on autocorrect.

Thank you, Dr. Peggy Peattie, for helping me build my photo portfolio and finding meanings in every photo I take. 

Thank you, Dr. Amy Schmitz Weiss, for teaching me the importance of digital storytelling.

Thank you, Professor Jim Trotter, for opening my mind on ways to tell a feature story.

Thank you to every professor who shared their knowledge to nourish my growth.

Thank you, Isabella Biunno, for your Monday check-in messages; they are what I needed to kick off every week this year.

Thank you, Isabella Hodges, Abigail Segoviano and Olivia Vargo, for being my cheerleaders and ears for my rants. 

Thank you to every peer who inspired me with your creativity.

Thank you, the APIDA Center, for being my second home.

Thank you, Dr. Virginia Loh-Hagan, for putting up with me. 

I was the President of AAJA SDSU.

I was a News Editor for The Daily Aztec. 

It is time for me to move on. 

But I will always be Christie Yeung.

I wish my brief time here had left a mark on someone’s life, like some of you all did in mine.