It is amazing how fast time flies by. It seems like only yesterday that I became editor of The Nicholls Worth. I felt prepared for the job as it came time for me to take over, but didn’t really know what to expect.Serving as editor of my college newspaper has been one of the most demanding endeavors I have undertaken.

After attending class in the morning, it was off to the newsroom to prepare the week’s paper. On Tuesday, the busiest day of the week at the newspaper, the senior editors and myself would work on completing the paper before press time. We would often work until two the next morning.

Those late nights, or early mornings, taught me a lot about life. I learned people are most interesting when they are exhausted and working off of little sleep and that often some of the best ideas for the paper were developed during those times.

Something else I quickly learned about being a newspaper editor was that it was a thankless job. No matter what you do, oftentimes, someone would be mad at you. Whether it was an individual unhappy about a story that was written or perhaps a reporter upset about the way an article was edited, an editor is bound to do something wrong.

And when good things actually happened, there is usually no one that calls or writes to say thank you. This is not meant as my way of griping as I leave, because through it all, I would not change a thing.

This newspaper taught me a lot about others and myself. I was given the awesome opportunity to learn things about this campus that most people would not otherwise know. I was also able to grow as an individual and learn how to balance the many obligations on my plate. It was not long before I learned magic, making myself appear to be in two places at the same time.

This newspaper has been able to do amazing things in the past two years. The Nicholls Worth has been recognized on numerous occasions by both state, regional and national journalism organizations for the quality of its news coverage. I want to thank from the bottom of my heart all of the staff members that made this newspaper a success. I truly enjoyed working with all of the staff members that have passed through the newspaper over the past two years.

There are a few individuals that helped me through this job and without them, the newspaper would not be what it is today. Eugene Dial, vice president of student affairs and enrollment services, has been a great representative of the administration for the paper. He understands the role The Nicholls Worth holds on this campus and has helped explain that role to others for me on more than one occasion.

Nicki Boudreaux, director of student publications and adviser, has made this year truly enjoyable. She is a dynamic individual with a unique ability to keep students engaged in their jobs at the newspaper. Having her to toss an idea to has been incredible. No idea was ever too stupid or too big for the newspaper to achieve.

The student publications administrative assistant, Anne Toloudis, is definitely the person responsible for making this newspaper happen each week. She has a way of mixing the sternness of a drill sergeant with the compassion of a mother. She is a tremendous asset to both the newspaper and the University. I know that working with her will be one of the first things I will miss about this job.

Of course, I could not do all of this on my own. My managing editors, Renee Bergeron and Chas Guidry, made this job more manageable. I could trust them to take care of anything I needed them to do. I wish both the best of luck in their future endeavors.

Finally, I would like to congratulate Katelyn Thibodaux who will serve as the next editor of the newspaper. It was not long after she began working at the newspaper that I knew she would be the one to succeed me. Katelyn has proven her dedication to the newspaper and I know that things will be in great hands under her leadership.

Thanks to everyone who made these last two years possible for me. As I embark on life’s next journey, I know that the experiences from this newspaper will help guide me in the right direction.