Today is a bittersweet day because it is my last print day with The Banner.
After four years of working for Lancer Media Group, I am saying good-bye.
Before I go, I have some people I want to thank and thoughts I would like to share. Please read this in Jimmy Fallon’s Thank You Note style.
Thank you, The Banner, for showing me the passion I had for journalism and giving me the space to improve my writing skills in a loving and supportive community. For that, I am truly grateful.
Thank you, to all the people who poured into me throughout my four years at The Banner. You showed me work can be fun, and coworkers can become family. I hope to pour into others the same way my family at LMG has poured into me.
Thank you, Dr. Mary Ann Pearson, director of student publications, and Sonya Singh, assistant director of student publications, for giving me a space to be creative and always encouraging me in all that I do. You showed me, a marketing major, that there is room for anyone of any skill set in the world of journalism. Thank you for the long talks and comforting words when life was stressful and overwhelming. I think what I will miss most once I graduate is seeing your smiling faces every day and hearing your kind words.
Thank you, to the amazing 2021-22 Banner staff. Thank you for trusting me as your editor-in-chief and showing me the kind of leader I can be. I am sorry for all the Slack messages but maybe, just maybe, you will miss them once I have graduated. If I do not say it enough, you are all amazing individuals that I am truly blessed to know. Your hard work does not go unnoticed, and I am honored to have worked alongside you during this year.
Thank you, Emily McGinn, junior journalism and new media major and managing editor, for being the best managing editor an editor-in-chief can ask for. I’m grateful for the friendship we have formed, the many Wanda’s homework dates and your persistence in introducing me to the “Indiana Jones” movie franchise. I can’t wait to see all that you accomplish in your last year at The Banner. You are truly one of the most creative and smartest people I know.
Thank you, the Newsroom, for being a space for collaboration, creativity, late night talks and early morning meetings. This room in the basement of the W.E. James Building has become like a second home during college. I will miss the packed Tuesday night meetings, the random objects that pop up on my desk and most importantly, the memories made there.
When I joined The Banner during my freshman year, I had no idea of the impact it would have on my life.
Not only have I been blessed with winning awards through my work with LMG, but the years have shown me the value of hard work and perserverance. The community and experiences I have been part of will forever have a mark on my college years.
My final thank you goes to the readers. Whether you read every issue or are reading for the first time, thank you for giving The Banner an audience to write for.
Writing for the California Baptist University students, faculty and staff has been nothing short of a blessing in my life.
