I uprooted my life across the Atlantic Ocean to teach English in Ontinyent, Spain in 2018, after feeling unsatisfied by seven semesters at Baruch College. There, I had a gratifying life teaching children and traveling to learn a distinct yet familiar culture.

The entire time, I wondered if I would return to complete my degree.

Following some soul searching and convincing from close ones, I returned to school in spring 2021. In little time, I learned that the field I neglected was still my passion.

I sought to gain as much writing experience as possible before my college experience ended to prove I had the talents to be a journalist.

Everything fell into place one day in July 2021 when the Journalism and the Writing Professions Department offered me a scholarship that allowed me to enroll for another school year and Baruch Athletics Sports Information Director John Neves contacted me with a volunteer opportunity.

After over 15 journalism courses, I finally felt competent in my abilities to join The Ticker.

It wasn’t that I had never heard of the paper. In my first stint in college, I met numerous members and heard their pitches to join. My best friend was even a news editor.

Yet, I felt inadequate to join.

For those unaware, the office is located within the Media Suite on the third floor in the Newman Vertical Campus building.

Once upon a time, it was boisterous with staff members present past 10:00 p.m. on a Friday to close production for the week. I remember seeing the office from the staircase directly across, thanking the Lord I wasn’t there.

This year, I was eager to help in any way I could. I wrote for various sections, copy edited several articles weekly and served as the Undergraduate Student Government correspondent, all while volunteering for Athletics during sporting events when in-person events were still restricted.

By the end of the winter semester, I was offered the sports editor position. Although I’m not a sports fan, I set out to revive the section to allow writers to cover the events they are passionate about while highlighting the Baruch sportsplayers that came back after their years-long hiatus.

Now, I am one of those members that sit in the office into the late evenings, both having fun and training the next crop of members to produce the best paper possible.

I do not regret the increased workload or stress. The Ticker gave me a sense of belonging as an untraditional student in a school infamous for its almost nonexistent student life, compounded by the pause of in-person events.

To all future Ticker members, welcome to the paper.

No matter how much time passes, each member has at least one fond memory of working with some of the most talented, hardworking students Baruch has to offer.

To all the current Ticker members, enjoy what is gearing up to be your first normal college semester. I cannot wait to hear of all your success in the future and catch up on the things that delayed production that week.