Who would’ve thought it would end like this?
I certainly didn’t.
When I came to LSU from Jacksonville, Florida, in 2014, I was filled with joy, anxiety and optimism.
Besides graduating from college, getting a job in Student Media was the No. 1 priority for me, and it was something I thought about frequently.
But there was one problem: Me.
For some reason, I could never muster the confidence to apply to work in Student Media. Every day, I grabbed a copy of the paper, found a chair in dusty ol’ Middleton and read The Daily Reveille.
It was honestly one of the highlights of my day.
Eventually, I decided to stop over-thinking working for Student Media, and I gave it a shot.
If journalism didn’t work, then fine, at least I could be at peace knowing I tried something completely out of my comfort zone.
Looking back, that was hands down the best decision I ever made during my college career.
Last April — my first semester at the Reveille — I tried to wrap my head around what I was doing, and I had the time of my life.
I was covering different sports across campus, interviewing coaches and players who I had grown up watching on television.
I was writing.
No two days at the Reveille were ever the same.
It may sound crazy, but man, after my first semester here, my confidence was sky high. I finally found a “job” I genuinely enjoyed, and it was something I felt I was good at.
Of course, I owe a lot of my growth to my past editors, who were patient and willing to work with me. I’ll never forget the experiences and people I met while working here.
In just one year with the Reveille, I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to cover stories and go to places I never would have been able to go to otherwise.
Being in Auburn for LSU’s wacky last-second loss was crazy. Spending four hours inside of a McDonald’s the next day after Les Miles was fired was even more absurd.
Driving more than 1,000 miles to Wisconsin to cover a football game at Lambeau Field was special.
And of course, I can’t forget about the LSU-Florida fiasco last year.
Sure, it was grueling to have to balance college and working for the student paper. There were late nights, skipped classes and stress. Lots of it.
But I’m proud to say I made it work, and I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.
And if someone would have told me last year that I would become a sports editor one day, I probably would have laughed and had a panic attack thinking about actually becoming the sports editor.
Nevertheless, I am at the finish line, one that I’m proud of, and I’m ready to begin my next chapter in life.
I’ve grown from a clueless college kid who transferred to LSU from a little community college, to a soon-to-be college graduate who accomplished his goal of working in student media.
Out of all the journalism tools and skills I picked up at the Reveille, the biggest takeaway from my experience here was to never sell yourself short.
My next chapter — moving to Los Angeles to intern with MLB.com — includes some of the same fears and anxieties I had before I joined the Reveille.
But I’m sure I’ll be able to overcome those fears.