This Thanksgiving, my grandma sent me into an early life crisis without even knowing it. “I would have never guessed you would go into sports,” she said to me. I sat there and thought to myself, how did I even end up here? Purposefully finding a way to fit Texas football into any conversation, being able to recite how many home runs a junior outfielder has, actually raising my voice at the TV during March Madness … I had officially become emotionally attached.
When I applied for the Daily Texan, literally as soon as I stepped onto the Forty Acres, I initially thought that my writing would be put to good use in the opinion department. But I found myself also submitting a tryout piece for the sports department, just to give myself any sort of leverage to get hired. I ended up being accepted into opinion, meanwhile, the sports editor at the time, Nathan Han (shoutout to my king), sent my piece back, as he could tell I was on the right track but just needed a bit more direction.
Perhaps it was the fact that Nathan saw enough potential in me to give me a second chance, or the fact that I was determined to prove myself, but that entire hiring process sparked something inside of me. To see myself as a sports reporter for one of the best athletics programs in the nation — I knew I couldn’t pass it up, and it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
They say that people often get way too emotional about sports when it’s just a game, but my experiences at the Texan beg you to believe that it is so much more. Standing on the football field with a team that has dug itself from a 5–7 start my freshman year to a Southeastern Conference Championship berth in my senior year, seeing the bear hugs, the goofy smiles, hearing the cheers of the crowd echoing through the stadium, is truly beautiful. I’ve quickly come to realize that there’s little in this world that unites people quite like sports do, and how lucky am I to be a part of that process.
To everyone I’ve had the pleasure of knowing at the Texan, but especially those within the sports department, I’m forever grateful for the unmatched dedication and contagious enthusiasm that you’ve brought to this paper. You are leaving a legacy that will undoubtedly be cherished for years beyond the moment you walk out of that basement for the last time.
To Evan, thank you for making these last couple semesters at the Texan the most enjoyable, it’s been nothing short of amazing to see you take on the role of sports editor with such diligence while keeping things lighthearted.
Katie, Lindsey, Isa, Lauren and Meaghan, all of my lovely ladies on p-staff, words cannot describe how ecstatic I am to see a sports department full of the most hardworking women in the industry that I’ve ever met. The overwhelming amount of support for one another that you all provide gives me so much hope.
To my family, Mom, Dad, Graham and everyone in between, none of my accomplishments would be possible without you all. Thank you for always being my number one fans through everything that I do. Not a day goes by where I take for granted the opportunities that you have allowed me to pursue.
While it may not be exactly clear what lies ahead for this sports journalist, all I know is that I want to preserve those game-day feelings that make us human, and I believe that’s a victory that everyone can celebrate.
