As we near the end of the school year, inching closer to the day our senior class walks the stage, I have begun to reminisce on the memories I have made these past four years. Though I am more than ready to begin my next chapter at the University of Texas at Austin, saying goodbye to the people and things that have grounded me through my journey in high school will not be easy.

I still remember the first email I got from my freshman year broadcast adviser, Margie Raper, asking me if I would like to be a part of the broadcast or film program. I didn’t truly know what I was getting into when I chose broadcast, but I am forever grateful that I did. Journalism was never meant to play a significant role in my life, but I fell in love with every aspect of it. Whether it was spending hours having conversations with members of our community under the guise of an interview, or being live on-air reporting about our students, for our students, each part of being a journalist captivated me.

I started out on the broadcast staff, but since then, I have been a part of both the yearbook and newspaper as well. Each experience I had in the different classes taught me something new. I could effortlessly write a thesis paper about what I have learned from my time in each sector, but if I had to choose the biggest takeaway, it’s that everyone has a story to share. I have learned so much from the process of interviewing people. I’ve learned how important it is to truly have a conversation and not simply read off questions. I’ve learned how to connect with the person across from me. But most importantly, I have learned to listen. To ask follow-up questions that dig deeper into a story and find the heart of it.

I have spent the past two years with our yearbook and newspaper adviser, Taylor Mersmann. Though I had planned on always being a broadcast student, I am so glad I got to explore different forms of media with her. My advisers have been my biggest supporters, from convincing my parents to keep journalism in my schedule freshman year to helping me with my Journalist of the Year application senior year. I can’t put into words how grateful I am for everything these advisers have done for me, and it is needless to say I will miss them a ton.

Throughout my time, I have also been on staff with many different people. Each year, as I entered the room full of people who were already bonded with each other, it was daunting thinking about being the new student on staff. However, each member was welcoming and willing to help and teach me what I needed to know to be successful in the class. I was excited to join the newspaper staff at the start of my senior year. I was friends with most of the people on staff prior to being in a class together and was happy to have the opportunity to work on creating stories together. Our team has bonded in so many ways, from the class parties we throw to the get-togethers we have outside of school. Our trips to Austin for ILPC, and especially our visits to Amy’s Ice Cream, are something I have come to cherish. We have all gotten a lot closer with each other, and this group is one that I will miss a lot.

I am so excited to start the next chapter of my life at UT Austin. I will be double-majoring in Neuroscience and Plan II Honors, and cannot wait for the experiences and opportunities that I will come across during my time there. As I wrap this up, I would like to emphasize the importance of trying new things. Journalism, for me, was an experiment. I always knew I wasn’t going to spend my career in media, but that doesn’t invalidate the time I have dedicated to it. I hope to continue exploring new things the way I did in these classes, and my hope is that the Plan II Honors program will allow me to do just that. I sincerely am so grateful for everyone I have met through these programs and will miss everyone dearly. To make this a full circle moment–

For Wildcats Wired,

Shaarika Kaul, Media Editor