Column | Hard to say goodbye

For as long as I can remember, I’ve dreamed of becoming a sports writer. 

From writing for fan blogs with my friends throughout elementary and middle school to attending sports journalism camps and working for my high school’s newspaper, I’ve never had second thoughts about my intended career path. 

That’s why, when I learned that The Pitt News had an opening on the sports desk in the summer of 2021, I jumped at the opportunity without any hesitation. 

The beginning wasn’t always smooth sailing on my end, however, as drumming up the confidence to take stories was a slow-moving process during my first year on the desk. Once I started receiving assignments, my writing was littered with instances of passive voice and incessant errors. 

I’ll always appreciate my editors Stephen Thompson, whom I’ve had the pleasure of interning with this school year, and Dalton Coppola for providing me guidance as a newcomer within that time period. I certainly didn’t make it easy on them, but they truly helped me grow as a writer in such a short stretch, and I can’t thank them enough. 

One of the highlights of my tenure at The Pitt News was covering Pitt men’s basketball alongside one of my current editors, Jermaine Sykes, as the team made a run to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in seven years. Witnessing the entire Pitt community come together as that group invoked the same sort of passion and fight that the program was known for during its glory days was truly special, and it instilled a newfound love of the sport in me. 

I’m forever grateful that Richie Smiechowski and Brian Sherry entrusted me with that opportunity as my editors that spring. Both of them helped foster such an enjoyable environment on the desk that helped elevate my work and further expanded my passion for sports writing as a whole. 

I’d also like to shout out Brian and Jermaine for their incredible work and effort as the editors this year. They should feel proud of what they accomplished and the ways in which they elevated the desk even further. 

Working at The Pitt News has opened up doors for me that I never could have imagined. I’ve grown both personally and professionally during my time on the desk, which I owe to all of the talented writers and individuals I’ve worked and crossed paths with over the last three years. My time here predates me stepping on campus, which makes saying goodbye all the more bittersweet. I know it’s time to finally move into the next stage of my life and my career, but The Pitt News will always reside within a special place in my heart.

Finally, I can’t thank my mom, dad and sister enough for always supporting and believing in me during this journey. To the rest of my family, friends and anyone who has read any of my work — I eternally cherish all of you for your role in motivating, boosting and inspiring me. It means more than you will ever know. 

Writing these final words hasn’t come easy as I continue to try and figure out where the time has gone. But alas, as I sign off, all I can say is that I had a blast and that my time here in Pittsburgh materialized into the greatest three years of my life.