Exactly two months from today I will be sunbathing on a beach in Jamaica, holding a fruity drink not approved by the JBU covenant and stealing glances at my new, handsome husband. But two months seems so very far away at this moment.
Right now I have to start my 15-page research paper, finish a semester-long project, plan a wedding, find a big-girl job, and make sure this issue gets out with as few errors as possible. Thankfully, I have been with the Threefold Advocate long enough to pick up some tips to get me through to graduation.
#1 Things are going to be out of your control. God has been teaching me this lesson since the first time my color-coated planner did not match reality. However, working for the Threefold Advocate has helped me face this truth like nothing else I have ever done.
I cannot control when people cancel my interviews, when my staff members do not turn in their stories on time, or when news breaks about two hours before we go to press. I also cannot control what assignments pop up, what foods they serve at my reception venue, or what jobs are available in Memphis, my future place of residence. I just have to pick myself up, keep on going and trust God has bigger and better plans for me than I have for myself. Things aren’t in my control, but they are in God’s.
#2 The things that are the most challenging are also the most rewarding. The hundreds of basketball games, every Dr. Mandy Moore class I have ever taken, and my four years on the Threefold Advocate are all proof of this.
So the article that took me out of my comfort zone and required me to ask tough questions—that’s the article that won the award. Or that week where I interviewed 11 different people, wrote two stories, drew a cartoon, and made a graphic—that’s the issue I am most proud of. Although this has been the most challenging semester of my college career, I know I will look back one day and consider it the most rewarding.
#3 It’s the people that matter most. When I look back on my days of basketball, it’s not the wins or the losses but my teammates I remember most. When I think about freshman year, it’s not the papers or the tests but the friendships that are the most important to me. And one day I will look back on those long Tuesday nights working on the Threefold, and I won’t remember the stress or the snacks, but the staff who made it bearable.
Endless thanks goes to my managing editor, Esther Carey, for making this year possible. You are a valued teammate and an even better friend, and I know you will be successful no matter where you go. Thank you to my advisor, Marquita Smith, for always believing in me and pushing me to become a better writer and editor. I would also like to thank my wonderful staff, who have put in lots of hours to bring the paper to you each week. Thanks for the endless smiles, laughs and jobs well done.
Likewise, when this semester and stage of life draws to a close, it’s the relationships that will matter most. Thank you to my best friends and housemates at #thezoo who have been my biggest fans and supporters throughout this year. Thank you to my beautiful family who always has my back. And thank you to my wonderful fiancé, Daniel Fish, for helping me keep my perspective through it all. I love you all, and I can’t wait to see where life takes us.