At some time early in my college career that I can’t accurately pinpoint now, I filled out The Ticker interest form to be a writer for the Opinions section. The unfortunate truth is that while I began receiving emails almost instantly, I regret to inform you all that I let them sit in my inbox for the longest time, too afraid to reach out and start writing.

Writing this letter now, as the departing Opinions Editor of The Ticker, I look back at that version of myself. She was anxious and worried, thinking that her writing wasn’t good enough, so it seemed like a better idea not to start at all. I told myself that I wasn’t a journalism major, and while I loved writing, I didn’t have what it took to contribute to the newspaper.

Now, you can guess where I’m going with this cliché setup. She joined anyway, started writing, and even got a leadership position and everything was all sunshine and rainbows. And I’m not going to lie, that’s sort of what happened. But don’t be fooled by the result; there are a couple of steps in between.

While the version of myself writing this farewell letter is still anxious at times because let’s be fair, everyone is from time to time, she no longer allows those worries to stop her. This version of me, the post-Ticker version, is more confident in herself and her writing skills.

Joining The Ticker felt like being wrapped in a warm blanket and handed a cup of hot cocoa. This organization offered me kindness, community and guidance, which allowed me to grow within The Ticker and as a person, a student and a friend.

One of my biggest regrets is that I didn’t start sooner.

I wrote my first article ever for the summer issue before the beginning of the Fall 2022 semester. I remember doing work in a café with one of my friends and excitedly telling her that I’m writing an article for the school newspaper. I was ecstatic. The article took me three hours to complete.

However, when I got the article back with all the edits, I was bummed. You wouldn’t believe it… it had edits. As it turned out, I wasn’t flawless at writing newspaper-style articles on my first try. Shocker.

At the time, my typical move would have been to abandon this idea altogether, kiss The Ticker goodbye and join another organization instead. But, as you can probably tell, that’s not what happened. I couldn’t tell you for sure what made me persist, but before I knew it, I was writing weekly.

And then again, as if it was meant to happen all along, I found myself training how to do first edits and layout in InDesign. Here, I’d like to thank the previous Opinions Editor, Adriana. Her kindness and guidance from the feedback she provided on articles to patiently explaining the intricacies of the role are the qualities I tried to embody during my tenure.

My first solo issue was in the winter, and I cried while trying to do layout. At that point, I found myself thinking, “why did I ever think I could do this?”

Eventually, I started figuring it out with the help of other editors. What seemed like an impossible bundle of tasks at first became more enjoyable than I ever thought it could be. I want to thank our Sports Editor, Victoria Lisi, for her support, words of affirmation and hilarious personality that carried me through many production nights.

I also want to thank our Editor-in-Chief, Maya Demchak-Gottlieb, who transitioned from boss to friend in no time and never failed to ensure that I was feeling mentally and physically okay. Maya’s dedication to The Ticker and its staff, even with a million other commitments she has, is nothing short of extraordinary.

Suporna Das and Sanjit Guliani deserve a couple of words as well. I constantly look back on layout nights and continue to be inspired by your dedication and passion. One of the best things The Ticker gave me is your friendship.

Lastly, I want to give some words of encouragement to my successor, Joonwoo.

While at times, being the opinions editor might feel so overwhelming that you want to drop everything and never show your face again, remember, that feeling is temporary. But the community of like-minded, kind, selfless people who are ready to help you at any time isn’t. The relationships you will forge in The Ticker and their impact on you are permanent, and they will transcend your role as the editor.

Aside from all the wonderful people I’ve met and the qualities I developed, perhaps the greatest lesson I took from The Ticker is that you can start anytime. There is no right or timely way to begin. You can just begin.

Don’t let silly fears or irrational thoughts hold you back from starting something that calls to you like The Ticker did to me. I’m all better now.

Boom, now we’re at the sunshine and rainbows part.