When I was little, I wanted to be an astronaut.

Yeah, so does every other kid, but I really wanted it. I spent my whole life dreaming of space and kept that thought until I came to college. I went to astronomy camps during summers in high school. Once it came time to apply to universities, my intended major was astrophysics – I was going to be an astronaut.

However, as I got older, I realized that my passion for space and the stars was really just a passion for escapism and longing for something that made me feel like I belonged.

When I enrolled at Hofstra in 2020, my intended major was forensic science. I was going to work for the FBI, and that was where I thought I belonged. I took classes online during my freshman year due to COVID-19, but when sophomore year began and I was faced with two more years of chemistry and biology classes, I decided it was time for a change.

I had not only excelled in all the writing prerequisite classes I had taken so far, but I actually enjoyed them, so I enrolled in a public relations class – something to get my feet in the water. I took PR100 with Professor Jeff Morosoff in hopes of figuring out if that was something I was interested in. While I found out that public relations was not for me by the semester’s end, I also knew for sure that I no longer belonged in the chemistry department.

Writing had always been a passion of mine, and it felt like something that came naturally to me. I grew up on “Gilmore Girls,” watching one of the main characters, Rory, aspire to be a journalist. I watched rom-coms with my mom like “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” and “The Holiday” where the protagonists worked at newspaper or magazine organizations. It wasn’t until I took that PR class that I realized that writing was something that I could actually do for a living. I started taking more journalism courses in the spring, and in the middle of the second semester of my sophomore year, I officially changed my major.

Flash forward to my first semester of junior year – I started to feel like I had no idea what I was going to do with my life. I loved my courses, but I was never involved in any extracurricular activities relating to my new major. I felt like I was too far into college to have no experience in the field that I had set myself up to be a part of. I had a bit of a Rory Gilmore meltdown moment fearing that I wasn’t doing enough.

That’s when I decided to take a chance and go to a Chronicle news meeting. I had never written a news piece for a class yet, but I went to the meeting and explained that I was new to the major and wanted some experience writing. I decided on an event to cover and went with one of the current news editors as a safety shield from my impending anxiety and fear that I wouldn’t measure up. I remember after the event waiting for one of my expert sources in their office for what felt like forever because I was so nervous.

But then afterward, it felt like I was floating. My friends and I now call it “post-interview clarity.” It is something you can only feel when you are so nervous about something because you care so much about it, then it goes well and you feel like you can do anything. That feeling never goes away. To this day, every time I do an interview, I feel like a new person afterward.

And that’s how I knew I belonged here – in this field, in this school, in this paper, finally figuring out what really made me feel comfortable and confident in my own abilities. But none of that would’ve happened without the continued support of everyone that has come into my life because of the Chronicle.

For the second semester of my junior year, I studied abroad in London, completely separating myself from all of the work I had done at the Chronicle by an entire ocean. But when the current news editor, Moriah Sukhlal, and assistant news editor at the time, Lily Spinda, sent an email about applying for an assistant news editor position, I jumped at the opportunity. We had a Zoom meeting just before I was planning on going out one night in London, and then a few days later, I found out I got the job.

When I returned to campus my senior year as assistant news editor, it felt like I had something to come back to. Moriah, Lily and I did a lot of work that semester that I am really proud of. At the end of the semester, I was promoted to be a news editor for my last remaining semester at Hofstra and at the paper.

Moriah, my newspaper mother (even though I am older than you), you have served as an incredible leader and role model for me and taught me so much while working at the Chronicle. You always support me and give the best advice when it comes to tough decisions. I have so enjoyed sharing this role with you, and no one else could balance me out in this position like you have.

Anna DeGoede and Julian Rocha, the two of you have led with such grace and have always been the leaders we all needed you to be, so thank you for your devotion and leadership.

My friend and favorite photographer, Annie MacKeigan, thank you for always believing in me and lifting me up when I feel less confident journalistically. And a special thank-you for coming with me to events and encouraging me to approach people to ask them for interviews, because there were times when I would’ve never done it without you.

Thank you to Frankie DiCalogero and Makenzie Hurt for making me laugh and for being good friends both inside and outside of the newsroom.

To all the people who were so warm when I first entered the office and who warmed up as time went on, and to every single person I have worked with on this paper over this short amount of time, thank you for impacting me greatly.

My only regret is not joining the Chronicle sooner. I encourage everyone to take chances in college while you still have time. Do everything you want to as soon as the opportunity presents itself to you because you never know what could happen.