I walked through the doors of The Clarkston News on Oct. 26 as a girl fresh out of college.
The mentality I carried in the beginning of my career was typical ? I assumed I could handle everything and that I knew it all. Well, that thinking only got me so far.
If I didn’t know how to swim back then, I was forced to learn after encountering 40-feet of water. I began to struggle, hoping the water would not go over my head, and after some time, was performing the back stroke.
The experience I gained is priceless. It was The Clarkston News and Sherman Publications that gave me my first chance. I like to think that I proved to these individuals they did the right thing in hiring me.
To me, Clarkston isn’t just another city within Michigan. Clarkston is the base of my journalistic skills and the friendships that I will so deeply miss.
We have been through a lot together. Thinking back, I remember the board meetings, the redistricting, reconfiguring of the schools, budgets and Sasha.
Myself and the Clarkston community experienced these things together. Throughout these issues, I saw who was on my side and didn’t necessarily agree with me at the time.
In the end, it was all for the good of Clarkston.
Now I say good-bye. I am excited to be taking the next step in my career as I move to another local paper. The skills I have managed to ingest and display did not come easily. I thank my editor, Jenny Matteson, for being tough on me, and handing me stories upon stories as they came.
Though busy at the time, I accepted each challenge she brought forth because each challenge left me more knowledgable at the end of the day.
Sadly, I pack up my desk and close the book on Clarkston. The events I covered and the individuals I met will forever reside in my heart.
So I close this chapter of my life with a good-bye to Clarkston and to my coworkers. If I could pack them up and take them with me I would.
Thank you Clarkston for allowing me to be a part of your accomplishments, joys and lives.