College: a chance to grow as a person

Four years ago I got a phone call from my sister, Sarah Hutto, who was the Arts and Entertainment editor at the time. She offered me a position on the staff as a copy editor and the first opportunity for me to get involved at Troy.

I agreed happily because I was ready to do something else besides go to class and study. What I didn’t know is how much of an impact that job would have on me.

The job was intimidat-ing because it required me to be able to read and edit other people’s work, which meant I had to brush up on my grammar and learn something com-pletely new: AP style.

Working for the Tropol-itan not only taught me AP style and better grammar, but it also allowed me to meet and work with some great individuals.

Not many people know what goes on behind the scenes of the newspaper or who puts it together, but I can tell you that it is the most diverse group of people you will probably find on campus.

From science to music, we have writers and editors from many departments, but we all come together week after week to bring stories to the people of Troy University.

With such a diverse group of people comes hard times. We definitely had our issues and there have been many argu-ments, but we always got past it and moved forward.

During my time I have seen a website go up, a new publication created and a podcast started. I am proud of all of these accomplishments

I can now say that I know from experience how beneficial it can be to get involved with an organization on campus even if that organization isn’t specific to a student’s major.

As a biomedical sciences major, it may not make a lot of sense for me to be working in journalism, but it has greatly expanded my horizons and allowed me to network because of all of the people I have met.

Some of my closest friends in college I found working on this newspa-per. Thinking back on my time here, I do not know how I would have survived without that crazy group of people.

I am going to miss each and every one of the current members of the Tropolitan staff just as I have missed past members, and I wish all of them luck on their future careers and endeavors.

There is a common saying that many people hear before entering college referring to the time there as “the best years of your life.” I cannot say whether that is true or not, but I can say that they have been four stressful, wild, fun and unforgettable years. Classes and work played their part, but the Trop stands out amid the chaos.

I really encourage students to find a “home” away from home. That is what I found in the Trop office. I guarantee that this will make any college experience better.

College is not only a place to learn material and get a diploma; it is a chance to grow as a person by getting yourself out there, meeting new people and trying new things.

It has been a pleasure being chief copy editor, and I hope students didn’t find too many mistakes in the paper during my time in this position. I am confident that future copy editors will keep the paper clean.

Thank you to all of the students and professors who have supported me and helped me get here, and congratulations to everyone graduating. Look for me on May 8; I will be the girl in the black cap and gown.