There were difficult instances during my two and a half years with The Quinnipiac Chronicle. There were times when I wanted to just give up and quit. And there were moments when I questioned why I did this in the first place. But there is one thing that always motivates me to keep doing what I’m doing – you.

Because of you, I know that my work matters, that my energy and time are never wasted and that the job is so rewarding.

I entered journalism with a passion to be an agent of storytelling and to provide people with a platform to access information that’s important to them. Mostly, it’s asking a lot of difficult questions, tracking down sources, locating statistics or paper trails, speaking with people who might not want to speak to you and hitting so many dead ends. That’s not easy.

What makes it easier is knowing that you trust me to tell your stories while providing encouraging, honest feedback and constructive criticism, driving me to improve my reporting and always do better.

Sometimes, when I had interviews scheduled after a long day or on a weekend, I didn’t want to do it because I just needed a break. But when I heard the passion behind the stories my sources were telling me and heard how thankful they were for my work, I know exactly why I love being a journalist.

From covering the closure of Ireland’s Great Hunger Museum to investigating the shutdown of the nurse anesthesia program, I’ve learned so much. And thanks to The Chronicle, I’ve met so many hardworking people who have always been supportive of what I did.

I’ve grown so much with The Chronicle alongside my fellow editorial board members who taught me to get out of my comfort zone and always set bigger goals while upholding a high standard of journalistic practice. I’m thankful for that.

The organization and the work I did gave me a head start in my professional career. And as I said, I couldn’t be here without your support. I’m excited about what comes next for me, and I hope you continue to show the same support for the work for The Chronicle’s next generation of journalists as you have shown me.

As I continue to believe that journalism matters, I’d like to thank you for the opportunity to serve and be in the practice.