Well, the time has come. All that hard work has finally paid off. An overwhelming excitement consumes my body as I walk the graduation stage hoping not to fall over because of my nervousness. Well, at least I imagine it like that.

I joined Legacy’s newspaper as a staff writer this year. I was so thrilled to be working with Mr. Mallett and Mrs. Dearinger because I had heard great things about them. One of the first things Mr. Mallett told me was that “I know this is your first year but once you jump right into it, you will get the hang of it.” Those words further reassured me that I was going to have a great year in my fifth period newspaper class.

I remember the first time I saw my name on the top stories when Ben Townsend showed the Google analytics in class. I was so surprised and happy to see that my story had lots of views and people took time out of their day to read what I had wrote.

I also remembered the time that I won honorable mention for one of my features that I wrote from UIL State. It felt awesome knowing that the judges thought I deserved recognition for one of my stories.

I was on the Newspaper’s Facebook one day and I came across my feature that was posted about divorced parents. A gentlemen had commented on the page saying that he was glad that The Rider Online posted a story like that because people normally do not post stories of that sort. I started smiling when I read this.

It seems almost bittersweet leaving Legacy because I am saying goodbye to a lot of my friends but at the same time I am welcoming a new chapter in my life. I have also stuck with a confined schedule of 5 a.m. to 3 p.m. for five days a week since 2012. I am glad to say that after June 5 I will not have to deal with that anymore.

I can not wait for the adventures and experiences that life will take me. Being in journalism this year prepared me for life in so many ways from learning how to have great speaking skills and learning how to write a good story in just a little under a week.

I thank Mr. Mallett and Ms. Dearinger for letting me join such a wonderful staff this year. I thank the editors for helping me write and finish up my stories. Last but certainly not least, I’d like to thank the staff writers. Even though some of us are leaving, we will add new people to our family next year and the year after that. I look forward to reading more fantastic stories on The Rider Online. #GOTEAM