It’s a typical Tuesday afternoon—I’m staring at the blinking cursor on my computer screen, wondering what in the world I’m going to write my column about this week. Things are a little different this time, and I’ve had to put a little more thought into what I’d like to say, as this will be my final 500-word musing to appear in this column of the paper.

Trust me, it sounds more dramatic than it really is. While it will be hard for me to hand over the reigns to someone new (I tend to have a really tough time letting go of things), I wouldn’t do so unless I was absolutely certain I would be placing the responsibility in the right hands.

Although I won’t be graduating in May, I chose not to embark on a second year as editor-in-chief for one particular reason: I wanted to give someone else the opportunity to experience what I have in this position. I’ve learned so much over the past year, not only about media and leadership, but also about myself, and I wouldn’t want to keep anyone else from having that same experience. It can truly be life-changing (as cliché as it sounds).

I don’t know if I can begin to express how incredibly proud I am of this year’s Review staff. We have truly accomplished so much. We all came into our jobs with little to no experience, replacing several seniors that graduated last May. Although the transition was anything but easy, I think we’ve come together quite well since then to produce a quality paper, and we have emerged at the end of the experience as better people in more ways than we’ll ever know.

I also cannot thank those fellow staff members enough for putting up with my inexperience and crazy antics over the past year. I know I couldn’t always find the answers to your questions, and I probably could have refrained from belting boy band tunes a little more, but you all stuck with it and didn’t leave me out in the cold. It has really meant a lot to me—I can’t tell you how much I hate being cold.

Additionally, I have to express my appreciation to the students, faculty and staff who have shown support for the Review, its endeavors and, especially, me. Unfortunately, you all got stuck with me as editor-in-chief—there was no student vote to decide this position. However, your confidence in the abilities of the Review staff and myself has proven to be endearing, especially when we weren’t even sure of ourselves. I cannot possibly thank you enough.

In my final words, I want to give my best wishes to next year’s Review staff. I know your talent will lead you to great success, and I hope that I have done enough to leave everything with the Review better than it was found. Embrace change with open arms, and remember to take a deep breath every once in a while. And when you feel it’s necessary, break out the mics and rock out with your…well, you get the idea.

Finally, I would like to express my gratitude to the Washburn community for giving me the opportunity to serve you at the newspaper. I hope I have done everything possible to fulfill the purpose of this paper and make you proud of our university’s publication. I hope the experience was as rewarding for you as it was for me. I know it will certainly be one I will never forget.