Editor's note: A 30 column is a chance for departing permanent staff to say farewell and reflect on their time spent in The Daily Texan’s basement office. The term comes from the old typesetting mark (-30-) to denote the end of a line.

I started at the Texan awkwardly halfway through the 2011 fall semester, my first at UT. As an issue staffer working just one night a week, I felt like I was only able to marvel at the incredible amount of hard work that went into making the paper and the talented people who were a part of the process. While I had massive amounts of respect for them, I didn’t really see myself ever getting to make the remarkable kinds of contributions to the paper that they did.

My design editor, Chris Benavides, definitely took a chance on me when he asked me to apply to be a senior staffer the following spring. Or maybe he was just desperate. I didn’t even know if I was ready to take on that kind of responsibility.

Either way, I am so grateful. As a senior designer, I learned all of the nuances of the newspaper and developed the design techniques and aesthetics that I continue to use in my work today. And one night a week, I was in charge. That was definitely a learning experience.

I grew as a designer and as a person that semester. I owe him and Bobby for teaching me basically everything I know.

As design editor this semester, I have continued to grow and learn so much, and I am so thankful for that opportunity. I feel like I took some chances on people too, and it couldn’t have turned out any better.

To my senior staff: you guys work so hard, and you have made me so proud. Thank you.

To my issue staff: I’m glad you all came on this semester. I have enjoyed getting to know each of you, and I’m so proud of you guys, too.

To my other half, Natasha: thanks for being a wonderful friend, coworker and teacher. I don’t really know what I’d do with out you. You, Lauren and I are going to have some crazy fun times in our apartment next year though, I know that.

To Aleks, the Life & Arts girls, the sports guys and the rest of the staff: you are all wonderful. It has been a privilege working with such passionate, talented and crazy people. It’s been quite an experience. I’ll miss y’all.

-30-

Nicole Collins started at The Daily Texan in fall 2011 as an issue designer. She has been a senior designer and is now the design editor.