It is with great honor, relief, and sadness that I bid my farewell to the Crier. 

As my senior year comes to a close, so do my great responsibilities as the News Editor of the Saint Anselm Crier. 

First and foremost, I would like to reflect on the time when I started writing for the Crier as a staff member, which was during the fall semester of my freshman year. 

As a scared freshman taking Conversatio with Fr. Jerome, I was nervous and insecure about my skills as a student, until I received an excellent score on my first Conversatio essay. Along with this high grade was a comment from F.r. Jerome, urging me to write for the Crier. 

Until my junior year of highschool, writing was not something I would consider a strength or something I even thought I liked. At that point, journalism was undoubtedly out of the question. 

It was that day in Conversatio that sparked a change in me-I decided I was going to give this student journalism a try, and I was going to write an article for the Crier.

It was by chance that I met the then Editor-in-Chief, who took down my name and gave me a chance. 

My first article, titled “Holiday Happenings on the Hilltop” focused on the Christmas/holiday  season, and the events that occurred on campus during that season. 

Looking back, I would probably consider this to be a dinky little article, and definitely not hard-hitting, but it gave me my start. 

Now, because of that article, I have been given the greatest opportunity in my college career, of being the News Editor of this newspaper. 

This newspaper has given me immeasurable opportunities of growing connections with members of this college community, gaining insight and intel on the happenings on the campus and in the world, and gaining skills that I will be able to take with me when I graduate and move on from Saint Anselm. 

I am unbelievably grateful for what the Crier has given me, and I am unbelievably grateful to have been given the chance to contribute. 

As a final farewell to the Crier, my fellow editors, the staff writers, our advisor, and all who read, I want to give a huge thank you. Everyone makes the work that is put into this all worth it. 

The Crier is the only club and leadership program at Saint Anselm that I have been a part of all four years here. It has been a huge and quite important part of my life, and I can’t believe it is actually over. If I’m being honest, I never thought it would end. A lot of work goes into each issue, and I’m grateful for the editorial board and all of the writers for doing their part and helping me do mine. 

After four years, I have gained so many skills after being a part of this newspaper. My writing has improved immensely since I was a freshman, and I’ve grown to be more eloquent and articulate in the way I communicate through my writing. 

I’ve gained technical skills regarding my section layout and the tools used to put the newspaper together, and these are things I never thought I would learn when I started. 

I’ve learned to become more confident in my writing, and more confident in the way I speak to and question people when I do interviews for an article,

There are so many life skills I have gained after my time with the Crier, and I can’t begin to describe what it means to me. I can’t recommend writing for the Crier enough, if it’s something you have considered doing! 

I want to thank the student body for being readers and suggesting story ideas this year. This was the best year for circulation, and you have all made me feel that I have actually made a difference at this college. Thank you all. 

Though I’m relieved to no longer want to rip my hair out after hours in the newsroom, I’m sad to say goodbye to something that has meant the most to me these last four years.