Well, the end is here.

Alright, let me stop with the serious stuff. However, the end is somewhat near. As a sophomore at Northern Essex, I am set to graduate in May,  meaning this will be my last story for the
Observer.

The only thing that I can think about right now is my journey to here, whether that be writing for the Observer, making new connections in my Journalism classes, arriving at Northern Essex for the first time, and more. I’ve done so much to benefit my future Journalism career in only a year, and I can only thank NECC for that.

Let me give you some background on where I come from (if I have not already in my previous stories).

Prior to Northern Essex, I attended Clark University in Worcester, Mass. It was a great first semester, but that money was tight, so I chose to make a decision: come home and attend community college. It was definitely shaky for me to do, especially since I had made fun of my older sister numerous times for attending Northern Essex.

However, when I was first applying to NECC, I knew that when I chose the Journalism major that I would have the opportunity to write and speak my mind on certain topics, namely sports. I
knew that I would have the outlet and the community to write what I believed was content for my future.

And, after a year of writing, from being just a Correspondent to a Sports Editor, from writing about the shuttle to the basketball teams here, I can confidently say that coming to Northern Essex was the right decision for me.

I have to give my flowers primarily to Professor Mary Jo Shafer. I have had Mary Jo as my professor at least once for every semester that I have been here, and she has been insurmountable in helping me with my journalistic endeavors. I have to also give my props to Daniela Valdivia-Torres, who has been a great mentor in my writing and has given me unconditional support.

Lastly, I have to give my thanks to the faculty and peers that I met over the past year, ranging from Professor David Rattigan to classmates like Edwin SamMbaka and Rowan Rockwell. They truly made my experience a great one.

You can catch me over at UMass Lowell, where I’ll be studying English with a concentration in Journalism.

After all, it’s not a goodbye. It’s a see you later.