Let me take you back in time. It’s September 2013, around midnight. On this warm and fateful evening, my best friend, my confidant, my silly rabbit and future Managing Editor Ehlayna Napolitano asked if I could take photographs of a now-demolished residence hall for a Chronicle article about its demise. I reveled in taking photos of that moldy place I hated living in so thoroughly. I wish I could remember more and make this more romantic, but the point is I got to be on the cover my first time at-bat. A few issues later I became photo editor because the former one stepped down without really telling me. Becoming copy chief was more organic and made a lot of sense for me as a linguistics major. It’s been great working with everyone and I can’t believe how much I have learned from all the wonderful people I got to work with.
I want to thank the sports section for teaching me so much that I never would have sought out on my own and especially for rekindling my childhood excitement about sports that got suppressed during young adulthood, even though your section is long as hell. I hope Ben Suazo and Alexis Vail read this, my respective copy pa and ma. You guys were so fun and inspiring and I still cannot believe Alexis is from Salamanca, New York. Thanks to Jesse Saunders, my angel, my photo editing light for having so much ambition and talent. Sarah Kocher, you rock and I’m so excited about your future and am infinitely glad you’re around to be copy chief. Amanda Valentovic, always sad you left copy, but I’m excited to keep reading features even after I graduate. Last, but certainly not least, I want to say farewell to Glenn the custodian who is genuinely one of the most sincere and friendly people I’ve ever met. We all miss you at the office!
Working for The Chronicle was a good deal; I got to hang out with my best friend, made new friends and I had an outlet for my creativity. I got to be published, which was wild to me given the weird town I come from. I couldn’t possibly express my thankfulness for its existence and for the graciousness and hard, unpaid labor of the people I’ve worked with. I just wish everyone would remember that 10 is a numeral.
Now, can anyone get me a job?