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My four years at Florida State have provided me with experiences, relationships and memories that will stick with me for the rest of my life. During my time, I have worn a multitude of hats, none of which are quite like the other. 

As a freshman in the Summer C semester, I applied and interviewed to write for the FSView’s sports section with former deputy sports editor Michael Hudak. I was put on hold as there weren’t any open positions for the fall, but Hudak mentioned that WVFS Tallahassee’s sports department had an open door policy and was a great way to start covering FSU athletics. That was the first hat I wore: a nervous sports anchor for the campus radio station. There, I learned how to get comfortable in front of a live microphone while reading off a script during a five-minute sports update or speaking off the cuff on the weekly sports talk show Tomahawk Talk. I developed a love and greater understanding for radio and what really goes into it.

At the end of that summer, I was told by a friend to apply for a job at a sorority house on campus to work as a kitchen guy. I had no idea what I was getting into when I ended up taking the job, but it turned out to be a great decision mainly because of the free food that came with it. While there, I met so many wonderful people who taught me a lot about how to navigate college and other facets of life. One in particular was one chef named Tinny. He came from Leicester, England and always put a smile on my face every time I walked in the door, and with all of his stories from back home, it always made for an interesting shift. 

I put on my next hat when I got to the spring of my freshman year, when I was finally able to join the FSView’s sports staff. I knew if I wanted to write articles early, it wasn’t going to be by covering basketball, baseball or any other of the “big” sports at FSU. So, in my first pitch meeting I asked if I could go cover FSU women’s golf in their home tournament that weekend. No one else showed interest, so the article was mine. Covering that tournament helped rekindle my love for the game of golf and pushed me to continue to cover the men’s and women’s game throughout the rest of my time at FSU. It even provided me with the chance to go to The Players Championship as a credentialed member of the media.

All the way now to my junior year, I stepped into leadership roles at both WVFS and at the FSView. As the sports editor for the paper and chief reporter for WVFS, I had to learn how to adapt, teach and figure out how to manage a much greater and important workload. I really never saw myself as a teacher, especially as just a junior in college, but I had to learn how to help those who were just entering a new and different part of their life. 

As chief reporter with the radio station, that meant I was stepping into the role of co-host of Tomahawk Talk. With the help of those who came before me like Hudak, Nick Carlisle, Chris Camacho and then-host Luke Fay, it made the transition much easier. Even with the paper, Blake Devine was a person who helped me realize my potential in terms of writing and how to correct errors, which I had a few. 

Some of my favorite memories came from that year when those from the radio station and newspaper went on trips to go cover FSU football games. In Clemson, I was able to see one of the great stadiums in the college game, talk with friends and with blissful ignorance hope for a win for the ’Noles. For the other trip, we shipped up to Boston and got to see a city that I had been to a few times, but never for a sporting event. It was a ball covering FSU’s win over Boston College and seeing my family from the area who I hadn’t been able to see for quite a while. 

The last few hats I wore were as the sports director for WVFS and managing editor for the FSView, these were two pinnacles I wanted to reach during my time at FSU. Being able to help lead those organizations alongside Jensen Kervern at the FSView, Austin Reynolds, Olivia Rhodes and Sebastian Angel-Riano at WVFS was amazing. They were all consummate professionals and were always there to help. I wouldn’t have been able to get the job done at those positions if it wasn’t for them. 

As I move on from Florida State, I will continue to pursue a career in sports journalism whether it be writing or on radio. Wearing a multitude of hats over my time here has prepared me for what the real world will throw at me, and I’m truly grateful for all experiences that I’ve had and all the people I met.

I know that the past year has been tough, but in the words of Gerry and the Peacemakers, “at the end of the storm, there's a golden sky.” There will be an end to all the pain from the past year, and we will all be better from it.

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