Wow. This year is really over. A year of stressing, slaving and dealing with craziness is over. For three years, The Flor-Ala has been my life, and the staff has served as my family.

It’s hard to believe that most of my staff and eerily enough me will be walking across the stage in Flowers Hall soon. It seems like yesterday we were all young and eager to be staff members for the paper.

This year, I have tried my best as executive editor to build The Flor-Ala into a newspaper that students care about and a paper that holds people accountable for their actions. I feel like we have done that. My staff and I have served the campus community through countless hours of work, writing and reporting.

As I look back on the year, we have won awards and been recognized by our peers and professional organizations. To me, that sounds like a good year. I was chosen for this position for my love of journalism, my vision and what I wanted the paper to become this year — I feel I have accomplished all of those things for the campus community.

This job was definitely harder than I thought. But, one thing’s for sure, it’s been worth every angry phone call, nights without sleep and skipped class.

As a paper, we have stuck to our guns. I haven’t always been the most liked person on campus, and I am sure some people are happy for me to leave. I have always tried to stand by my principles — to hold the powerful accountable, to be the attorney for the most defenseless among the UNA community and to cover the news that students care about.

For the most part, my experience at UNA has been a positive one, and I hope the administration, faculty and staff will continue in the positive direction the university is moving in. I hope the community will build on what has happened this year and learn from the successes and mistakes that have happened, too.

Although I may not always agree with what all our administration, Board of Trustees and other leaders do, I know one thing is for sure — this is a great university. I am so happy and proud to be getting a degree from this awesome institution.

I would like to thank my staff who have all worked hard this year to produce an award-winning newspaper. You guys are the best friends I could ever ask for.

Additionally, I would like to thank the Student Media Board for the opportunity to work as editor this year and for their mentorship.

The person who deserves the most thanks is my adviser, Ms. Rebecca Walker. Thank you for your endless advice, care, concern and friendship. It’s been three years of highs and lows, but it’s been a blast. I cannot thank you enough for teaching me everything I know and making college the experience it has been. The friendship and advice you offer is unmatched. There is no way I can repay you for everything you have done for me.

To my mentors in the entertainment department (they know who they are), thank you so much for being my biggest fans and allowing me to be the weird journalist in the room. I will miss my “parents” in the department and cannot wait to share my successes with you.

I wish the best to my successors, Corinne Beckinger and Blythe Steelman, as they take over as editor-in-chief and managing editor. They are tough jobs but come with lots of benefits, so hang in there and remember one thing: your readers.

I would like finally to thank the readers of our paper. Without you, we would have nothing to work for.

With that being said, good luck to all of the graduating seniors this semester and thanks for four amazing years, UNA.