Imagine working from 5 p.m. to 4 a.m. and thinking, “I’m going to miss this.” Imagine sending eight emails only to have two people reply to you and being excited about those two replies. Imagine spending three hours creating a design only to decide it needs to go in a completely different direction, but that’s okay because the end product is worth it.
While these might be difficult for some people to imagine, I don’t have to because these are all my experiences working at The Index. I owe an incredible debt to this organization, but more importantly, I owe an incredible debt of gratitude to the people with whom I’ve had the privilege of working. The people I’ve worked with don’t have to imagine these experiences either. I’ve had the most amazing editors, coworkers and staff I could have ever asked for.
Ryan, you are the best damn journalist I’ve ever met, and I’m so grateful for the friendship we have and for the experience of being your coworker and managing editor. I can’t imagine anyone more suited to journalism than you. It’s been my honor to work with you and learn from you. I’m not sure anyone understands The Index experience more than you, and that’s something we will always share. I look forward to seeing where you and your byline go.
Don, thank you for all of the long talks and great advice. Every time I design or write something, I wonder, “What would Don say about this?” and what I create is always better for it. You gave me the support I needed to learn that I am smart, skilled and capable of taking on whatever lies ahead.
Erica, Julie, Francesca, Sami, Brooke and Genna, you all will never know how much it’s meant to me to work with all of you. I’ve loved watching you all grow and become even more amazing people and professionals. No matter how far apart we all are, I’ll always be cheering you on!
Rachel and Anakin, you both have an inspirational passion for the work you do. I know The Index is in good hands with you two, and I’ll be eagerly anticipating future publications. I hope you will go confidently into the future, knowing Ryan and I fully support and believe in you.
Words have now escaped me in trying to sum up my time at The Index, so I’m going to end this column with some numbers. I’ve spent seven semesters working at The Index. In the beginning, I worked about four hours per week as a staff writer, and now, I work approximately 20 hours a week as an editor. Even if I estimate low, over 1,000 hours of my college experience has been dedicated to The Index. Imagine dedicating over 1,000 hours of your life to something and wishing you had just a little more time.