Four years ago, I started my journey at the University of Hartford with the soul intent that I wanted to be a sports broadcaster.

For the majority of my freshman year, I participated in STN2 where I worked with the sports and news departments and gained valuable experience on-air and behind the camera.

However, I decided also at the time that I wanted to gain experience as a sports writer, therefore I joined The Informer to cover the Hawks along with the news station.

Upon the end of my freshman year, I applied for the position of Copy Chief, but the Entertainment Editor for the 2012–13 year quit, so I was given the position with no experience covering that particular subject.

At the end of the year in which I held the position, I applied my junior year for the position of Managing Editor, which for people who aren’t aware, is pretty much second-in-command to the Editor-in-Chief.

However, the Editor-in-Chief at the time, Charlie Paullin, encouraged me to apply for his position although I was still young. It’s very rare that a junior holds that position, as it is normally given to someone going into his/her senior year with a lot of experience.

Although wary, I applied just to gain experience interviewing for a position that is in high regard.

Well, I ended up getting the position.

For the past two years, I have held this position, working with my E-Board to deliver the University of Hartford news to the community here on campus.

Every semester, we spend 12 Wednesdays out of the year from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. working in the office putting the paper together. To put it in perspective, there are only 15 Wednesdays a semester in which we have class.

Therefore, these past three years of my life, I have spent a total of 72 Wednesdays in The Informer office.

Now most people must be thinking, “It’s only a Wednesday, it’s a school night so why is it such a big deal?”

Well, first off, this doesn’t include the time we spend in the office just working in general before Wednesday.

Second, imagine having an exam on Wednesday, and not being able to study right before because you have a paper to work on. Sure, you have all the days before to study, but most students try to get that extra cram study session in right before the exam. I never had that luxury for the past three years.

And finally, this past semester, the first warm day after our horrible winter was on a Wednesday. Imagine seeing on Snapchat, all your friends outside enjoying the weather and you’re stuck inside, literally all day, working on the newspaper.

With that being said, I wouldn’t trade this experience for a million dollars. This position has taught me how to work with a team, even if certain people grind your gears.

It also has helped me meet and network with upper administration on campus.

I would like to personally thank Marcia Suess, who I’ve worked with the past two years coordinating logistics for The Informer. I would also like to thank Lee Peters and Walter Harrison for taking the time to meet with me when I needed information or advice. Although I can sometimes be a jokester or a “knucklehead,” they put up with me and I can’t be more appreciative.

However, I can personally say that I am glad to be handing over the reins of Editor-in-Chief to Angela Francisco, and I’m sure she will continue to uphold the legacy of The Informer for next year.

As for me, the first thing I have planned in mind is being able to relax next Wednesday for the first time since 2012.

Goodbye, Hartford, it has been a pleasure serving you for the past two years.