How do you say goodbye to something that has been an integral part of your life for almost four years? I have been wracking my brain trying to come up with the best way to express how much the Winonan has meant to me and what sounded the most genuine was thank you.

Thank you to all our writers and photographers who work their ass off every week to produce the amazing articles and pictures that we print, thank you to our advisors who provide invaluable help behind the scenes and thank you to the editors who helped make my time with the Winonan as amazing as it was.

Maddie, Mitchell, Sydney, Morgan and Zach…I don’t really know what to say because every one of you gave me my best years at Winona State. Though I won’t miss the slog that is layout night I will miss the conversations (hilarious and serious) that we had which made Monday nights much more bearable and enjoyable. I never thought I was a good pick for photo editor, and you all pushed me to be better for my staff, the paper and myself.

Shannon, Morgan and Natalie, you three were my first hires for the paper and it has been so, so incredible to watch all of you grow over the years and tackle some increasingly hard assignments. Lydia and Kristen, you both have a ton of talent and I can’t wait to see what you do going forward. Mo, thank you for the dedication you’ve shown the Winonan, I know you will be incredible as the next photo editor and you will always have my support.

Thank you for allowing me to grow as a person and as a photographer, this job has forced me out of my comfort zone more times than I can count, and I will always be grateful for that. Thank you for the lessons taught and friendships gained. And thank you for the best three and a half years of my college career.