The first time I visited Baruch College, I picked up a newspaper from a stand in the second-floor lobby. Little did I know the newspaper was crafted by The Ticker — the student organization that would become a big part of my four years at Baruch.

I sought to enter into the world of journalism from the get-go. During “Convocation Day,” I went up to The Ticker’s table and met members I would soon see in the Media Suite weekly.

I signed up to be a staff writer for all six sections of the newspaper and to be a copy editor. I was ambitious, to say the least.

I began writing for a few of the newspaper’s sections and became a second-level copy editor. I learned the ins and outs of a weekly print and online newspaper, which was very rewarding.

However, I hit a point in my journey, at the start of my sophomore year, when I lost confidence in my potential as a student journalist. The voices in my head told me I was not good enough and needed to pick another field.

The doubt led me to take a semester-long break from copy editing. I still wrote articles, but I distanced myself from The Ticker as I tried to figure out what I truly aligned with.

This moment of my college experience is important for me to acknowledge because it is a common experience that is felt by many, and it is completely normal. It took some time and personal reflection, but I did fully return to The Ticker.

Coincidentally, I rejoined during the spring 2020 semester, which everyone knows what happened then. There were a few factors that encouraged me to regain my confidence as a student journalist.

The most impactful one was The Ticker’s Editor-in-Chief Amanda Salazar’s encouragement.

During my time of doubt, she reassured me and asked me to join The Ticker again as a copy editor. At the time those words meant a lot to me, especially from someone I admired, and to this day I am grateful for the push Salazar gave me.

I have had the privilege of seeing Salazar’s growth as a student journalist from freshman year. I remember when she told me her first news story had landed on the front page. From that moment I knew she would do amazing work, and I was not wrong.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, I became more active within The Ticker and wrote each week for the opinions section. A driving force for me is to address important social injustices that persist today.

The pieces that I am most proud of are on women’s rights, worker’s safety, environmental justice and more.

In the summer of 2021, I was promoted to opinions editor, and I owe many thanks to former Opinions Editor Crystal Chunnu for encouraging me to take it on. This position is one that I had desired for myself freshman year and when the opportunity came for my last year at Baruch, I just had to take it.

While I was faced with self-doubt, I persevered and listened to my intuition, which was telling me that this was the right path for me. I am glad that I pushed through the negativity, because being an opinions editor has been such a rewarding experience.

Each week, writers have expressed and shed light on important issues that occurred in New York City, CUNY and across the country. I am proud of the amazing work that was produced for the opinions section during my year as opinions editor. For that, I applaud each writer that contributed, and motivate each to continue writing about what they are passionate about.

Being a part of The Ticker team has meant a lot to me. I have made meaningful friendships that are special to me. I am grateful for each person on the staff and will remember our times in the Media Suite and on Zoom.

My chapter at Baruch is ending, and while it is bittersweet, I am happy to say that The Ticker has made this chapter much more than what I could have imagined.