Graduating from high school feels incredibly surreal and amazing. When I moved to Austin in 2020, amid a global pandemic, it was undoubtedly one of the most challenging periods of my life. Being in a new city, not knowing anyone, and feeling lost about which path to take was nothing less than scary.

During my freshman year, I initially enrolled in the Principles of Multimedia and Design course, which I completed online. After discovering my passion for multimedia through this course, I eagerly wanted to pursue it further in a commercial photography class. However, I was disappointed to learn that this class was being discontinued. Presented with the choice of joining either the newspaper or the yearbook, Mr. Reeves, my advisor, persuaded me to join the newspaper. Looking back, it turned out to be one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I met so many amazing people throughout my time in the Dispatch and will forever be grateful for all the truly amazing people I was able to work with.

To Mr. Reeves

Thank you for everything you have done to push me out of my comfort zone and to truly grow and prevail in my passion. Being in this program sparked a lifelong passion for me that I hope to carry throughout my life, and I can never thank you enough for convincing me to join the program. I have never been more happy to help elevate this program to its truest potential with your guidance. Being on the staff has been a huge part of my high school journey. I’ve learned a ton about journalism, staying organized, sticking with things even when they get tough, and what I’m truly passionate about. So, thank you for giving me the chance to do what I love and for believing in me all the way.

To Natalie

Ever since I joined Dispatch, you were always the person I looked up to. I joined the staff as a decent photographer and barely knew how to write a story. You always inspired me to write about things I felt passionate about, and just love what I do. When you first invited me to film a football game, I was super excited and felt thrilled to help continue the ‘hype’ video legacy that you started. Little did I know that shooting sports videos would be something I grew to absolutely love doing. I enjoyed every single game I came out to and tried my best to elevate those videos this past year by making a video for every single sports team, which we did complete this year. Overall, thank you so much for pushing me to shoot video and ultimately making me fall in love with it just like you did.

To Mars

Thanks for being an awesome friend and classmate. You’ve been there for me all along, and I really appreciate having you in my life. Remember when you invited me to join you for lunch during my sophomore and junior years? That meant a lot to me, and introducing me to your friends was so cool. I felt welcomed and valued because of you. Working on video projects with you was a blast, and you were always there to help with the dispatch. We had some great experiences, like teaming up with companies like the House of Torment. Together, we made a real difference in the program, and I’m proud of what we accomplished.

To Alex

Thank you for being such a great friend and someone I could be true to. I remember the first time I picked you up to shoot the first ‘Mars joins’ videos. We instantly clicked, starting with music taste, which we still talk about too much to this day. I feel like we joined forces when both of us were very good at what we did and made a great team with Mars. I had a blast filming videos, managing the website, and helping the new staffers bring out the best in them in order to continue the excellent multimedia improvements we have made recently. Super proud of you and can’t wait to see what you do as you study film at UT!

To Will, Gabby, Ryan, and returning staff members

It’s been so amazing seeing y’all grow into incredible journalists throughout this year. From the moment yall asked to come help film a hype video to you all stepping into leadership positions next year, it has never made me more accomplished and happy for yall. Working on the dispatch with you guys was so much fun, and helping you all strengthen your skills throughout this year was very fulfilling for me. I’m super proud of you guys and hope to see the program flourish even more and grow into an even better program in the next few years.

Next year, I’ll be attending Texas State University with a major in communications. I plan to keep working in the multimedia field and continue to work towards my goals. I’m not exactly sure what I want to completely end up doing with my life, like no one is my age, but I can’t thank the dispatch program enough for helping me find something I love to do.