After serving four semesters at the Daily Texan and two as video editor, it is time for me to say goodbye to the Texan and to UT. As a filmmaker, I have never been very good with words, but this may be the last college essay I write so I better make it good. 

When I transferred to UT from Texas Tech (ugh, I know…), I had no idea what was in store for me. I had managed to transfer into the radio-television-film program but didn’t have a clue what I was going to use it for. One thing I did know, though, is that I wanted to tell stories. After one semester at UT, I knew it was time for me to find something where I could combine my love for filmmaking with my desire to tell stories on campus. 

I had never heard of a video team at the Texan but when I saw the application on Instagram, I figured it couldn’t hurt to apply. From there, my love for this student newspaper grew. I didn’t know it at the time, but the Texan would become the most memorable part of my college career, along with the opportunity to be a part of an amazing group of people who would help transform the video department at the Texan. In my first semester at the Texan, the video team was comprised of 10-15 people. Within the past two semesters, that number has doubled with more and more people discovering our department and falling in love with videojournalism. In the past year, we have attended incredible events including South By Southwest, Austin Film Festival, The Country Music Awards and more. Not only this, but we have collaborated with our social media department to create more engaging reels and have grown our viewership by thousands. 

None of this would have been possible without the incredible people I have had the honor to meet and work with at the Texan. Garrett Bohannan has served as my associate video editor for the past two semesters. He is an incredible videographer, storyteller, and above all, my friend. He has taught me so much and supported me in every endeavor both inside and outside of the Texan. Claire Gallagher is one of the most talented filmmakers I have ever met, as well as one of my closest friends. She is an amazing teacher and one of the most inspiring people in my life. Hopefully, she will remember me when she’s famous. Joseph Sweeney is the most passionate and motivated individual I have met, not to mention the incredible work he has done. He is so generous and always willing to help, and his dedication to this team is admirable. Ava Smith always has a good attitude and a fun-loving spirit, she is not only talented with a camera but also has an amazing heart and is a great leader. Chloe Moore and Trinity Flaten have both trusted me and supported me in my endeavors to improve the video team and have left a profound impact on me during my time at the Texan. Every single one of my staffers these past two semesters has left an incredible impact on me. They have shown such passion for building this team. They have supported each other through long nights of editing, interviews and late-night meetings. All of these staffers have supported me and trusted me as their leader, and for that I am so grateful. While I can’t name you all individually, I hope you all know how inspired I am by you, and I encourage you all to continue working to further this department. 

Thank you to all the amazing people I have met through this organization, thank you to the Daily Texan. Until next time. Roll Credits!