Goodbye

Five years ago, Pitt State was a new adventure, an unexplored wilderness of opportunities and experiences – now, as I prepare to student teach and graduate, it feels like leaving behind a beloved friend. And it is especially bittersweet saying goodbye to the Collegio.  

I joined the Collegio staff as a reporter in 2015, and since then I have learned and grown tremendously. I have had the opportunity to write stories about campus traditions and university functions, students’ achievements and professors’ contributions. I have met people in every academic department and college, conversed with students of all walks of life, and engaged with people of different cultures and beliefs.  

Being able to be a part of stories and experiences that transcend my own has been one of the most rewarding experiences as a reporter; some of my favorites include the Pittsburg women’s march, accounts from survivors of sexual assault, and being live on the scene with photo editor Salehin Mahbub for a drug bust near Pittsburg Community Middle School.  

Working at the Collegio has been more than a job for me – it has been a second home, and one that I will truly miss. As Editor-in-Chief, I have helped bring the Collegio into a new digitized era; our social media accounts and website are thriving, and we remain dedicated to bringing relevant and diverse content to our readers. I have full confidence in the abilities of my successor, Brianna Price, as well as the rest of the Collegio team to continue bringing this treasured publication to its full potential.  

My immediate future plans involve student teaching and, ultimately, graduating in May with a degree in music education. No matter where the rest of my life takes me, Pitt State will always hold a special place in my heart – Once a Gorilla, Always a Gorilla.