I’m Andrew Marzullo, the former Editor-in-Chief of The Ticker and proud member of Baruch College’s graduating class of 2020. I never could’ve imagined being in this position. None of us could’ve imagined it, actually. Never would I have ever believed that not only my last semester as The Ticker’s Editor-in-Chief but my last semester as a college student would be overturned by a global pandemic and a time of social upheaval. However, adversity has never been a stranger to me or The Ticker.

When I came to Baruch College, I never would’ve dreamed of holding a position of leadership. I was never involved in my high school newspaper or television station. I didn’t really know many people when I came to the school. I only came here because I was a finance major with law school aspirations that had enough credits to graduate early, so I figured, “let me just get my undergraduate out of the way.”

Flash forward four years. I’m a journalism major, editor-in-chief of The Ticker, host of a radio show, former intern at SiriusXM where I worked with more celebrities and personalities than I care to admit and, most importantly, a member of a family I never thought I’d have. My experience at Baruch started with me binge-watching The Office in a study pod in the library, and is ending with me spending time with my Ticker family.

I’ve spent countless hours in the media suite – probably more than I care to admit. There were days I’d finish class at 3 p.m., yet stay in the office until 11 p.m. just hanging out with my Ticker family. There were many nights I would sprint to the last chance bus back to Staten Island at 2:45 a.m., just to show up at my deli job a mere three hours later. I will never regret these times. In these moments, I made friends that will last a lifetime. This is what I tried to instill on the current staff of the paper and what I hope they will pass along as well.

My mission as editor-in-chief – and you can judge me – was not to put out a perfect product, but to help others grow and develop relationships that would last beyond college. The Ticker is a student organization. It never was and never will be a “perfect paper.” I say this because there is no such thing.

The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Los Angeles Times all have correction boxes. Everyone makes mistakes. I’ve probably made more mistakes than I should have. But that’s what makes a college organization so great. It’s a place to learn – particularly from your mistakes. It’s a place to grow not only as a journalist, but as a human being who knows how to be accountable, how to persevere and how to look adversity in the face and say, “I will beat you.”

I was ready to resign as editor-in-chief after my first semester because I didn’t think I was up to it. But it was the long-lasting connections, the memories, the abilities I learned to say “there are forces I can’t control, but I can find a way to persevere beyond them” that made me say, I can do this. And just when I thought I finally had everything working in not only my favor but the favor of The Ticker, I had it ripped away from me by a faceless adversary.

It was at this moment I knew how much The Ticker meant to me, and when I knew that, despite any obstacle thrown in its way, The Ticker would survive. The website’s traffic increased by 300% in this time. Members of the staff went above and beyond to make sure that their sections were not only putting out solid content, but that their replacements were trained and ready to go. I couldn’t have been prouder to have spent nearly four years with The Ticker until this moment.

To the incoming executive board and staff, I say not only good luck, but keep on keeping on – particularly to my good friend, Noah Fleischman, The Ticker’s next editor-in-chief. I know that not only will you exceed anything and everything I’ve ever done in the chair, I know you’ll do it respectfully and intelligently.

To the rest of the staff – those I know and those I wish I more acquainted with, I say enjoy this time. It will be stressful. It won’t be easy. But you’ll look back after you graduate and say this was my college experience and I wouldn’t want it any other way.

The Ticker opened my eyes to the great passion and work of student journalists and their reach not only at Baruch, but in our greater communities. It taught me more about life, perseverance, community, friendship, and, most importantly, failure and how to rebound than anything ever has. I never believed my college experience would be what it has been, and, in all honesty, I wouldn’t ask for it any other way.

I hope that we all keep this in mind as we journey into our careers, relationships, graduate school experiences and more. It’s not about the journey, it’s about the destination. Always remember to live in and seize the moment, because, whether you know it or not, you are exactly where you need to be in life.

Congratulations to the new staff and good luck! Thank you for one of the best runs of my life – a time I will never forget.