I might be breaking tradition by writing this, as normally newspapers take letters to the editor. But considering this is my last Herald ever, I figured it would be OK to break tradition just this once.

Working at The Herald for the past three years has been one of the most rewarding experiences I could ever ask for. I have learned and gained so much experience I couldn’t have gotten anywhere else. 

Despite all the stress, sleepless nights, crazy deadlines and wanting to pull my hair out on more than one occasion, I wouldn’t trade any of it for the world. Looking back on previous Herald memories, I remember all the fun I had covering stories, the wacky late-night production talks, and all the inside jokes more than the stress.

I cannot thank the previous staff enough, all of you taught me so much about journalism and reporting, and were willing to teach me all your tips and tricks. 

It was so scary at first and I was terrified I would fail. You showed me it was OK to mess up, and when I did, you made sure I learned from my mistakes.

I want to give a shoutout to former Herald editor-in-chief Rebecca Robinson, who taught me everything from reporting, interviewing, page design and more. You molded me into the journalist I am today, and I can’t thank you enough. 

To the current staff, thank you so much for learning and growing with me as we tackled this crazy year together. Between the multimedia journalism program deletion, a small staff and more, you guys rose to the challenge and made sure your pages and stories were the best they could be.

I know this year has been hard on you, but I looked to you guys for strength and inspiration more than you know. Whether it was finding a way to make light of any situation like Elijah, being easygoing Jerry, having something unhinged (but also really funny) to say like Laila, having good writing advice like Caroline, or anything else, all of you inspired me so much in your own ways and kept me going when I thought I couldn’t go any further.

To Ms. Combs, thank you for always being my rock. Even though you were tough on me, it came from a place of genuinely wanting to see me get better. You always knew exactly what to say when I was in a tough spot, and your dry wit and sass were such a light during difficult times. 

To the upcoming staff, I have so much faith in you. You are going to take what’s been done this year and make it even better. I’ll be rooting for you, wherever I end up. 

And to the readers, thank you so much for reading our stories, reposting us on social media, looking at our photos, and so much more. We do all of this to keep you informed, so thank you for continuing to grab our paper week after week. 

Thank you all so much for an incredible three years. It’s been an honor to be your editor-in-chief, and I can’t wait to see what’s on The Herald’s horizon. 

-Rachel Rudd 

Categories: Opinion

Tags: Opinion