Reminiscing about my time at St. Edward’s without being cheesy is difficult. Coming into college, I honestly didn’t know what I was going to do with myself. To be frank, I was at my lowest point. I’d recently lost my greatest support and advocate for my passion in writing, my grandmother, and my passion for writing depleted greatly because of this. Even as I tried to write for Hilltop Views my first year, I found that I couldn’t find my niche within the organization. 

It wasn’t until the pandemic wreaked havoc over our lives that I found myself within Hilltop Views as the Newsletter Editor. With Leidy, a previous Newsletter Co-Editor, we found ways to reconnect with the student body during an incredibly isolated time. Sharing what our staff covered each week was rewarding, with my professors always wanting to highlight the work we’ve done in class and urge other classmates to sign up. Seeing my friends’ and fellow staff mates’ work flourish and be bragged on brought a level of indescribable joy, and I knew that my role here was to support this team in a more behind the scenes role. This year, I added social media editor to my title, and while plugging in weekly was a bit draining, I found that I was tuned in with what’s going on around campus the same way pre-pandemic. 

None of the work I’ve done would’ve been possible without my support system, so I’m going to try my best to find the right words to properly thank them!

To the many Writing & Rhetoric faculty – like Amy Clements, Mary Rist, Beth Eakman, Moriah McCracken and Sasha West – thank you for seeing me through my words. I didn’t know what kind of writer I was meant to be, and it was your teaching and guidance that led me to realizing my full potential. To Jena Heath and Curt Yowell, thank you for being guiding figures through my albeit small journalism career. The honest feedback helped me cultivate my digital talents, and you two are the foundation of what we create on this team. 

To my friends on the Hilltop, I thank you for sticking by my side through some of the toughest years of my life. I found myself within each and every one of you, and we’ve made irreplaceable memories together that I’ll hold dear to my heart. Especially to Evie, Esme and Gasvid, we’ve made the best out of our senior year together, and I wouldn’t change anything in the world. You all are the most authentically genuine people I’ve ever met, and I hope this message makes you cry just a little bit and love me a lot more.

To the chaotic people behind this newspaper, I thank Nina, Claire, Gracie, Elle, Milo, Gabe, Audrey, Sienna and Isabella for making this last ride a memorable one. We all put our 100% into it, and you were the best teammates I could’ve asked for.

To my family and friends back home, I couldn’t forget about you guys. You’re the reason why I felt comfortable moving three hours away from home without knowing absolutely anybody in Austin, and you’re the driving force behind everything that I do. I also want to thank the angels supporting me from Heaven, my MawMaw and PawPaw. Even if you guys aren’t physically with me, I can still feel your presence and love regardless of the distance. 

None of this would’ve been possible without the immense support St. Edward’s has provided me. I’ll always cherish the time I spent here, and it’s time for the next writers to continue this paper’s legacy.