I have always sucked at saying goodbye. 

I’ve talked about this in many, many, many editions of my column. I’m the kind of person to relish every little thing ending, even the things I didn’t care about that much.

So it’s safe to say that I’m getting emotional while writing this, because this program is something that I’ve actively cared about for all of high school.

I’ve always loved writing, and finding an outlet to display my passion has been beneficial to building my confidence and my place in this world.

I came into Journalism 1 during the pandemic year, completely online. I hadn’t even been on campus, and it was the hardest year of my life. In spite of my shortcomings and lack of experience, I was still invited and welcomed onto this staff with open arms.

While I was mostly introverted compared to a lot of the social butterflies on staff, with each year my external shell was broken down. I feel as though I’m coming out on the other side of a wilted chrysalis, and there’s this long road ahead of me that I’m completely prepared for.

There’s a lot of fear; there’s just as much excitement.

There’s so many traits that my core encompasses that I owe to this program—my passion for social activism and the coexistence of objective reporting and opinion that make up our world and journalism as we know it. My outspoken attitude and wit, and the ability to curate comfort in an unfamiliar space.

I would not be where I am, or rather, who I am without Wingspan. That’s a fact.

While I say goodbye to my podcast and my column, the pieces of myself that exist within those two mediums don’t die with my departure. I carry them with me, and I’m eternally grateful that I had the chance to create them.

Moving on is never easy, especially not when an integral part of your life comes to a close. My heart will always reside within the feathers of this program’s wings, even as I pave my own path towards college, a career, and performance art.

This was the busiest and hardest year of my life mentally and physically, and I can’t thank our editors and editors in chief enough for picking up the slack when I was down. To Maya Silberman, Rin Ryu, and Haley Ward, Sarayu Bongale, and Christine Han—I can’t even begin to express my gratitude.

I’d also like to thank staff like Sindhu Pannuri, Karina Grokhovskaya, and Sadie Johnson. Your energy, laughter and presence was essential to the environment.

Most of all, I have to give the greatest recognition to Mr. Higgins, the reason I decided to come back each year, even with a myriad of personal issues that gave me doubt. It’s been such a pleasure to be your student and learn from you, as well as have someone who believes in me the way that you have for the past four years. You have elevated me and my abilities to an entirely new level and this is the hardest goodbye of all.

These are the last traces of this version of myself, and I want my last words on this website to echo in the ears of the future staff: there is always a place for you in this program. Someway, somehow. 

Signing off (with tears in my eyes), goodbye Wingspan.