Senior Farewells: Nittany Vega

If Barbie truly can be anything, I guess I am living it. I started my college career at Troy as soccer Barbie, complete with cleats, gloves and my emotional-support water bottle. Then, I became nursing student Barbie, pink stethoscope and caffeine in hand.

When I entered the Tropolitan Dreamhouse, I wasn’t sure where I fit in. My roommate encouraged me to join the Trop, but I still couldn’t picture myself writing news. Could I really be journalist Barbie?

I remember my first time going to get an interview. I felt like I had no idea what to do. It was nerve-racking trying to break the ice and ask someone questions. Once I did that first interview, I felt great. Being out in the field was so much fun; suddenly, I really was adding journalist Barbie to my resume. Going through the full process of crafting questions, collecting interviews and putting it all together into a final article captured my attention. 

Although this Barbie still isn’t a fan of email interviews, I have grown so much through my role as a staff writer. I’ve gone from thinking AP style was just a typo of APA to now remembering to write “source said,” not “said source.” I do miss using Oxford commas occasionally, but I won’t miss sending 10 emails a week to sources.

What I will miss are the people in the Dreamhouse. Up until I joined the Trop, my friend group consisted mostly of my teammates and a few classmates. Then I met a group of funny, smart and kind people who shaped my experience for the better. 

The most important thing about any Dreamhouse is the people who live in it. Working for a student-led publication highlighted the need for student voices I didn’t fully appreciate before. 

Each article I wrote was important to me. I loved looking at the story list and choosing an article I connected with. Yes, most of them were about nursing, but even the ones that weren’t taught me new things and opened my eyes to all that this university and community have to offer. 

Ultimately, I’m not only leaving this publication, but sadly this university as I enter the next chapter of my life. Most people in my hometown, just one state away, have never even heard of Troy, but it has changed my whole life, and I truly believe it is the most beautiful school in Alabama.

I’ve made lifelong friends, met the Ken to my Barbie, and achieved milestones I dreamed of my whole life. I completed my collegiate athletic career while earning my Bachelor of Science in Nursing and served as the president of my nursing class. I am so grateful to the Tropolitan for adding to that list of accomplishments and allowing me to create a small legacy within our publication. 

Now, leaving Troy, I aim to embody Barbie’s mindset to be anything. An athlete, a student, a writer --- and hopefully soon, a registered nurse.