It has come time for me to say goodbye to The Pacer as my time at UTM comes to an end.
Many regular readers of The Pacer may not even recognize my name, and that’s okay. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Madison, and you’ve talked to me through comments, replies, direct messages and shares through our social media. I am the one behind the screen making sure you knew about recent stories and campus events before they became stories. Your emails got forwarded to me, and I eloquently rephrased them so they became easier to share. You’re welcome.
I am not a writer, and that’s abundantly clear in my lack of writing for The Pacer, so I wasn’t around The Pacer much my first two years of being a student here at UTM. A friend actually recommended me for this position when I was going through a tough time, and I’m so glad that Ms. Tomi either truly thought I was qualified or just needed someone so badly that she gave me the job. Probably the latter, but it’s okay because truth be told, I desperately needed this, too. Thank you, Ms. Tomi.
I’ve met a lot of interesting people and been given many opportunities because of my role here, and I am so grateful for that.
I knew what I wanted to do long before I started applying for colleges, so I’m one of the few who never even considered changing my major. So, to the Department of Mass Media and Strategic Communication, my home for these few years, thank you for welcoming me with open arms, believing in me and seeing me through my struggles. I can’t begin to thank anyone enough for all the ways they have supported me. Dr. Rutledge, I have you to thank for staying on track and having the confidence in myself that I certainly didn’t have when I first met you. Mr. Freed, if you are reading this, thank you for knowing when NOT to ask if I’m okay. You might not even remember the event referenced here, but it has stuck with me since then. Thank you for making me feel seen but not called out. Dr. Collard, thank you for showing me that I can be kind but firm and reiterating the importance of healthy relationships and boundaries. I’m going to thank Ms. Tomi again because I can. Thank you, Ms. Tomi. Dr. Anderson, you were always my favorite class, and being in your classes helped change the way that I view the world, but also I reference The Second Shift and my notes from DV more frequently than I’d like to.
The common theme here is that I’ve had some tough times, so of course I have to thank Student Health and Counseling Services. Karen, you’re the best, and I’m so happy I haven’t needed to check in with you all semester. I’m sure you miss me.
To my friends, thank you for movie nights, study sessions, impromptu photo shoots, walks in the park and many other adventures we shared together. I was so afraid of not being able to find a place here, but I somehow stumbled right into the arms of lifelong friends, and I couldn’t be more grateful for all of you.
It truly takes a village, and that has never been more clear to me than right now as I reflect on my time here. Though some days are worse than others, it’s always a great day to be a Skyhawk (in the Comm. department!).
