It’s officially time to graduate and my time at The BG News is over.

But throughout all of the classes I’ve taken and late nights I’ve had with old and new friends the past four years, The Pulse section of the newspaper will be what I remember the most.

The section allowed me to highlight a lot of the local music scene in Bowling Green, something that was important for me, even when I was younger. I’m entirely grateful for that.

And I’ve found myself constantly thinking ‘Is this worth it?’ ‘It has to be worth it. Right?’

I had that same thought while covering the Of Mice & Men show last year in my McDonald’s uniform because I didn’t have any time to change after work. I had to have been the only guy in the Cla-Zel dressed in that attire but I didn’t care because I knew it was worth it.

I had that same thought while sprinting to my car after an in-person interview with the dudes from twenty | one | pilots at 11:30 p.m. in order to get back to the newsroom to beat our midnight deadline.

And I had that same thought while constantly comparing myself to people I knew going through college without having a part-time job or not being involved with any student group whatsoever. But I had to just accept my own situation I was dealt with, and I did.

All of it was worth it entirely because hard work pays off.

This isn’t me bragging about how the hard work I’ve accomplished has landed me a job, because that’s not what my main concern was while working for The BG News. It’s about putting hard work into something that you’re truly passionate and care about. It’s about learning what it’s like to put a publication out. It’s about working with other people who share the same passion as you.

Even if the stress forced me to rest my forehead on the steering wheel of my car and have a mini freakout several times after work. Even if the stress forced me to look at the sky and try to decide if this was the right career path to take.

I know that it definitely was and I’m so glad that I never gave up on The BG News. I’m so proud of everyone who didn’t quit and worked through all of the stress.

As I look back on my time at the University, I’m not sure what I would’ve done with my time as a college student if it weren’t spent on The BG News. Although my grades would probably be better, there is no way I would trade that from all of the things I have learned from the people I’ve worked with at the newspaper, not to mention the friendships I have made along the way.

I can’t allow myself to say goodbye to The BG News because that’s too overwhelming. This is me saying I’ll see everyone on staff soon and I wish the best for every single one of you. I will never forget you.