The Ticker has been the greatest gift in my time here at Baruch College and saying farewell to The Ticker is, by far, the hardest part about graduating. In fact, I’ve dreaded writing my farewell letter for the past four years. 

I will never have enough words to properly convey my love for the people and the power of this organization.

I have gotten to see the tangible product of hours of hard work — hold it in my hands and page through the culmination of dozens of students’ creativity and collaboration.

For two years I have had the honor of being editor-in-chief. I am forever grateful to have been trusted with Baruch students’ stories.

If you have ever contributed to The Ticker — through writing, editing, photography, graphic design or multimedia — know that I am grateful for you. If you have ever picked up The Ticker and read a few of our articles, know that I am grateful for you, too. We exist for you.

In my first week of school, I was sitting in the Clivner=Field Pedestrian Plaza starting my first assignment of the semester when I was interviewed for an article.

I joined the paper and began writing consistently. I am proud to say I have contributed to every section and department of The Ticker. 

The writing rhythm felt natural, but there were other areas of my first semester where I struggled.

 My classes challenged me in a way I had never been before. While we were slowly moving beyond the pandemic, club events and classes were all still largely virtual. My peers were friendly, but there was only one person in my cohort that I clicked with and two in my virtual first year seminar. I felt alone. Then my grandmother’s health rapidly declined. Her memory was fading, and we had to transition her into a memory care facility. I was afraid she was going to turn into a person I wouldn’t recognize.

College was nothing like how I’d imagined. But when everything felt wrong, The Ticker felt right.

Writing gave me a purpose, and the kindness of the editorial staff gave me hope that I would find my place at Baruch.

I became a copy editor and a writer for The Ticker’s 90th Anniversary Alumni Column. I heard firsthand how important our work is for Baruch and how important memories at The Ticker were for past members. 

This was when I truly fell in love with The Ticker and when it became my dream to be editor-in-chief someday. 

At the end of my freshman year, I was selected to be The Ticker’s next news editor. 

I was forced to face my new friends graduating. I couldn’t imagine The Ticker without them. 

At the end of my freshman year, I got to the media suite early, sat at the big conference table and cried. I tried to memorize the details and feelings of the space. I took in the stacks of newspapers that fluttered on the tables, the colorful whiteboard full of drawings and the bullpen where each editor sat.

 I knew that sooner than I could prepare for I would be the one graduating.

While the sadness was painful, I was struck by how different I felt from just one semester earlier. The Ticker transformed my college experience.

These years at Baruch also had some of the most personally challenging moments of my life. I said goodbye to two pets and three grandparents. My mother was diagnosed with cancer and began a long journey to recovery. Yet, when I look back on this time my strongest feelings are the happiness and gratitude. 

It is my hope that we all find a community like The Ticker, at Baruch and beyond. We never stop needing a place to grow and an outlet to give back.

In my final editorial meeting at The Ticker our arts and culture editor, Sarah Gabriel, suggested we start the meeting with an ice breaker. She asked us each to name one thing we couldn’t live without.

I thought about some funny options, but I said The Ticker. My managing editor, Sonia Kalo, answered love. That was when I realized that for me, they are the same thing.

The Ticker has taught me love: love for my teammates, love for our community, love for what we create, love for our subjects, love for Baruch and love for our possibilities as people. 

I can’t imagine living without the love The Ticker has given me. 

I also want to thank the professors that made learning fun — you helped me develop as a student and a person. I am grateful for the English, journalism and law departments.

I especially want to thank Professor Corey Mead for being the most supportive, hilarious and helpful advisor. Cali, your kindness impacts students in ways you may never fully understand. I hope you know that your support has been essential to me personally. And I would not have my novel without you.

Thank you to Professor Marc Edelman for teaching me so much about the law and sharing your passion. You could teach any subject, and I would fall in love with it. I hope to be the kind of lawyer, teacher and person you are. Baruch needs your expertise and your vision.

I want to thank some of the pillars of the journalism department: Vera Haller and Gisele Regatão. You have made me a better reporter and shown me the magic of journalism. It is hard, important work, but it is also fulfilling and fun. Thank you, Geanne Belton, for sharing your wisdom as a journalist and a lawyer — I have loved learning from you, and I am so proud of the thesis you helped forge. 

Thank you to Professor Harold Ramdass for being the perfect balance of strict and supportive parent. 

Thank you to Professor Naima Coster for teaching me craft and reminding me why I love writing.

Thank you to Professor David Rosenberg for your guidance throughout both of my honors thesis.

Thank you to Professor Sean O’Toole for creating the best kind of English class: reading books that expand your mind and touch your soul.

I am grateful for the support of Baruch’s Office of Student Life, especially our advisor, Dinetta Curtis; Evelyn Almonte and Traci Espinet-Marquez. All of us at The Ticker are grateful to the entire custodial team — thank you for your kindness and for keeping our space beautiful.

I want to thank the best mentor: Glen Schaeffer. Your guidance has meant everything. I cherish every conversation with you.

Thank you to my other CUNY communities: TEDxCUNY and the Lexington League. I love you guys.

And of course, I would be nothing without my parents. Thank you for helping me figure out every InDesign issue and crisis. Thank you for putting up with late nights. Thank you for believing in me when I couldn’t believe in myself. Thank you to my mom for being my best friend and for fighting to stay in this world with me — I love you more than anything.

In my four years at Baruch, I have had the privilege of working on close to 100 issues of The Ticker and with dozens of Ticker team members. The work we do to make The Ticker is often invisible and you may not have ever met our staff members. I want to give them thank yous.

 You would not have The Ticker without these people, and I would not be me without them.

Emanuela Gallo | Editor-in-Chief 2023: Thank you for introducing me to The Ticker and trusting me to be your successor (twice!). I aspire to your kindness, brilliance and drive. I am grateful for your guidance and even more grateful for your friendship.

Amanda Salazar | Editor-in-Chief 2022: Thank you for being my first EIC, for believing in my potential and helping me believe in myself. Your dedication to journalism inspires me. 

Edgar Llivisupa | Sports Editor 2022: Thank you for teaching me about InDesign and true friendship. When I was scared and stubborn (I wouldn’t stop grouping everything on a page) you showed me patience and made me laugh. I will always be there for you.

Arianne Gonzalez | Arts & Culture Editor 2023: Thank you for your creativity, your skills as an editor and for always sending me Twilight reels.

Dani Heba | Sports Editor 2023: Thank you for being the life in every room and showing me how important it is to have fun. I admire you; I respect you and I have never hated you (even in middle school). 

Caryl Anne Francia | Business Editor 2023: Thank you for being the most passionate person I have ever met. You are a one-woman army, and you remind me how beautiful it is to care. I hope to work as hard for all that I love as you do. 

Farah Javed | Managing Editor 2023: Thank you for teaching me copy. 

Suporna Das | Managing Editor 2024: Thank you for loving, protecting and leading The Ticker. I can’t imagine having been EIC without you as ME. Thank you for being my friend and the best partner. We will always be The Ticker’s mom and dad.

Sanjit Giuliani | Associate Managing Editor 2024: Thank you for being the best deputy leech, being there when things were chaos and for giving me some of my happiest Ticker memories. 

Alina Sluzhyvenkova | Opinions Editor 2024: Thank you for introducing me to blueberry matcha when I was stressing out, getting me hooked on F1, sharing your stress-baked muffins and being the best besticle.

Mariana Oliva | Copy Editor 2023: Thank you for making me laugh, being my Harman bestie and braving Jimmy Fallon with me.

Judah Duke | Business Editor 2024: Thank you for infectious positive energy even when you were running on no sleep and nothing but Red Bull. I also appreciate your willingness to step up and cover important reported stories.

Mia Euceda | Arts & Culture Editor 2024: Thank you for sharing your expert artistic tastes, staying connected to The Ticker and being the best chaperone.

Alexandra Adelina Nita | Graphics Editor 2024: Thank you for taking the time to connect with your graphics team and get to know them as individuals. I appreciate your multifaceted talents as a writer and visual artist and always valued your insightful contributions to our editorial topic discussions.

Vibodha Gallage Dona | Graphics Editor 2024: Thank you for using your abilities as an artist to bring the visual component of our stories to life.

Dua Jafri | Copy Chief 2024: Thank you for sharing your impeccable sense of humor, your contagious British accent and a love for Blank St.

Ali Hussain | Science Editor 2024: Thank you for taking up the challenge of the science section one last time, opening up to us, being genuinely interested in the Barbie movies and being a wonderful commute buddy.

Josephine Lau | Copy Chief 2025: Thank you for being the best copy editor — I always knew I could count on you. I value the thoughtfulness and attention to detail that you bring to everything you do.

Karizma Jernigan | News Editor 2025: Thank you for being the kind of person that listens in a way that makes people feel seen and heard. I’m grateful for your calmness and warmth.

Joonwoo Kim | Opinions Editor 2025: Thank you for selecting each topic and handling each article with care. You are one of the only people that is as hard on themselves as I am on myself — I hope you know you are doing a great job. 

Irza Waraich | Business Editor 2025 and Managing Editor 2026: Thank you for setting an exacting standard that enables each article to be the best it can be. I’m grateful for your practical wisdom and ambition. You will be an incredible ME. 

Sarah Gabriel | Arts & Culture Editor 2025: Thank you for being the kind of person that gets involved and gives their everything. I hope you see how valuable you are as a creator, as a team member and friend. You do so much more than you even realize, and I can’t say enough how much I believe in you.

Julia Aiello | Science Editor 2025: Thank you for your genuine caring, your endless energy and your hilarious commentary. You make even the most exhausting post-layout LIRR journey an adventure. There is no one else I would trust to transfer trains with and no one better to have reinvigorated the science section.

Victoria Lisi | Sports Editor 2025: Thank you for persevering through every technological challenge thrown your way. I appreciate your sarcastic commentary and your dedication.

Ashley Kodowa | Multimedia Editor 2025: Thank you for your hands-on leadership of the multimedia team, your patient training sessions and your communication. 

Jumaane Millette | Photography Editor 2025: Thank you for sharing your talents as a photographer and being an unflappable calm point in The Ticker office. 

Richard Wen | Graphics Editor 2025: Thank you for contributing your art to The Ticker and sharing your enthusiasm with our community.

Carol Chen | Production Assistant 2025: Thank you for working hard to make everyone’s favorite part of the newspaper — the back page with the puzzle and comic — as exciting as possible. I’m also grateful for your care showcasing Baruch talent through the Bearcat Creatives column.

Stephanie Pisarevskiy | Web Editor 2025: Thank you for single handedly ensuring all our articles get uploaded every week and for being a role model for diligence.

Jackenson Edme | Marketing Director 2025: Thank you for taking on the role of marketing director while also juggling so many other commitments like basketball, other leadership roles and work. I appreciate your willingness to expand your creative skills and your ability to implement your marketing analytic skills for our organization.

Alyssa Iglesias | Multimedia Assistant: Thank you for stepping in to ensure our content gets done anytime there is an emergency. I appreciate your sense of humor, and your finished commencement video truly makes me cry.

Sabrina Kippes | Anchor 2025: Thank you for being a face to our organization and being the bridge to the Baruch community.

Stephanie Gabriel | Staff Writer 2025: Thank you for embracing and protecting The Ticker and Snapshots. I am grateful for your leadership, your loyalty and your commitment to leaving a lasting positive legacy for the futures of both organizations.

Reagan Rawner | Staff Writer 2025 and Advertising Director 2026: Thank you for brainstorming solutions to seemingly impossible problems, making me laugh even when I’m really stressed, fighting alongside me and trusting The Ticker to be kind to you.

Kayla Aaron | Senior Staff Writer and Columnist 2025: Thank you for being my schedule twin and my first friend at Baruch. I’m grateful for every KaylaxMaya lunch, every quick hug in the office and every advice phone call. You’ve already made a huge impact on Baruch and CUNY, and I can’t wait to see the difference you continue to make in the world. 

Michael Berger | Sports Podcast Director and HR Director 2025: Thank you for your compassion, talent, comedic brilliance and ability to connect with people. I love our handshake, our inside jokes and our Blank St runs. Just seeing you makes me feel happy and safe.

Akilah Campbell | Business Manager 2025: Thank you for being my bestie, my Grumpy Wumpy Pookie Wookie Chalupa Bear, my finance sis and my money girl. I can’t picture my time at Baruch without you. You are smart, beautiful and uniquely you. I’ve never been to Paris, but I can’t imagine it feels anywhere near as amazing as being with you. 

Sonia Kalo | Managing Editor 2025 and Editor-in-Chief 2026: Thank you for your quiet strength and your whimsy. Thank you for being the person I share thoughts and feelings with over bubble tea, the face I look for in a crowd when I’m nervous, the shoulder I lean on when I’m crying in my office and the giggly happiness of every day. You have so much talent and an astounding ability to love. I am excited to watch The Ticker thrive under your guidance.

As this chapter of my life comes to a close, I know I am not truly saying goodbye. I will carry The Ticker with me forever. I will hold onto the lessons, the memories, the friends. Most of all, I will hold onto the love.