It’s hard to believe that I first stepped into the journalism office four years ago. I was a terrified freshman with a love for writing and a legacy to live up to. Just as anyone would, I’ve grown a lot through my high school years. My freshman and sophomore years were spent relatively angry – I don’t even remember what I had to be angry about, but I was. I was determined to be an international business major. I just wanted to make money, because I thought that money was the only thing that mattered. Throughout those two years, I still happily wrote for Mainstream. I wrote opinions and, in my sophomore year, a column about media’s effect on society. I can wholeheartedly say that writing is embossed deep in my soul and is a critical part of who I am. I am so thankful for the experience of writing for Mainstream because it was a constant reminder that passion makes me happy.

In a sign of how things change, I am headed off to college not to study international business but marine biology. I have the dream of helping the ocean. The ocean is my passion, and Mainstream helped me realize that. My goodbye to readers is rather simple: Thank you. Thank you to everyone who said they read my article and said it was good. I hope to continue writing for my university newspaper. This experience of writing has pulled me from my anger, and now I’m excited for the future.

College: University of New Haven