While interviewing for a senior sports reporting position in my second semester with the Texan, I made a grave error in taking the phone call on speaker from my childhood bedroom. 

When then-sports editor Hannah Williford asked me what beat I would want to write for, my mom busted into my room and proclaimed that I wanted the baseball beat “because my little brother plays” and that I thought “baseball boys were cute.” 

While I didn’t appreciate Mom eavesdropping on our conversation (or *completely* ratting me out!), she must have known what she was doing because I was assigned the baseball beat a few days later. 

Since then, sports reporting has been a wild ride. I have been publicly flamed by Danny Davis on Twitter for not knowing ‘90s R&B references, have accidentally flashed a group of fans in a Texas Tech parking garage while changing into my reporting clothes, baked cookies for RGIII and the press box (with the help of my mom), been stranded in Waco after a volleyball game and nearly fell to my death while trying to walk down the DKR bleachers (shoutout to Anwar for saving my life!). I’ve watched Ivan Melendez hit bombs over the batter’s eye and Bijan Robinson break tackles left and right. Unfortunately, I can’t say that I watched Hunter Dworaczyk get escorted in a police car after nearly getting robbed over a Texas baseball parking pass and a couple of press credentials. 

While I don’t plan on slumming it in Smalltown, USA to jumpstart a career in sports journalism, I couldn’t be more grateful for my time at the Texan. I have not only become a better sports fan and a better writer but a better person: I feel that sports reporting forced me to look past both my own implicit biases and a student-athlete’s public facade to tell a story that is authentic and human rather than larger-than-life and dull. It’s a skill that has made me more inquisitive and compassionate and is something that I will carry with me through grad school and beyond.

While I’ll miss stuffing my backpack to the brim with Zero Sugar Fruit Punch Gatorades (I swear they taste like gummy bears!), I’ll miss the people in this industry the most.

Nathan, Hannah and Matthew B-something, thank you for never kicking me off staff for crying over the sports I covered or deep frying the student-athletes on Twitter. Y’all molded me into the writer I am today.

Christina, thanks for teaching me how to have fun with sports writing and being one of three female writers in the football press box with me. I’ll miss your three-minute voice messages!

Hunter, my beat reporting partner-in-crime, sorry I had no idea that we had previously met at orientation during our first basement pitch meeting, but I am so grateful I know you now! It has been the best 18 months of road trips, Twitter shenanigans, podcast episodes and of course, football and baseball games. You better answer my future text messages complaining about Texas sports.

Evan, Emma, Tori, Lindsey, Emmanuel, JT, Isa and Frankie, y’all’s futures in this industry are so bright. Thanks for bringing your best to the basement every day!

Matthew C-something and Payne, thanks for being stud editors and stud basketball beat reporters. Whoever covers the men’s basketball beat next semester has some big shoes to fill!

To everyone in the sports department, sorry my edits are so chaotic, I appreciate the patience! It has been a pleasure watching y’all grow into more confident writers!

To anyone that I met on Twitter that might be reading this, thank you for welcoming me into the Longhorn community. I hope that I’m your favorite student reporter and that y’all might let me crash athletic events with you. I can guarantee I will be making future appearances in Left Field!

Danny, Kirk, Cedric and Kevin Robbins, I’ll be real: I came into college without any father figures in my life, but I’m leaving with four. Thanks for always making me feel like I can do hard things. Y’all light up every room that y’all walk into, and I couldn’t be more grateful to consider y’all as my mentors.

With that, I’m betraying UT to attend SMU’s higher education master’s program where I plan on researching the student-athlete experience in higher education and will strive to make them as seen in the classroom and by support staff as they are under the stadium lights. All gas, no brakes, Hook ‘Em and onward!