If you told me after I graduated high school that I would be working with some of my best friends at a newspaper, I wouldn’t have believed you. If you told me that I also would’ve been doing what I love each and every week in my very own section of that newspaper, I probably wouldn’t have believed you either. Now, I can’t believe it’s all over and I didn’t start earlier.
My freshman year was the complete opposite of where I am now. I was a commuter student who didn’t really know exactly what I wanted to do as a career. I liked sports and I liked writing, so maybe my future was in sports journalism.
it me as Keith Strudler
Erika Jakubiszen | The Montclarion
I learned about The Montclarion and knew that commuting from Wayne, New Jersey wasn’t how I was going to grow and become the writer and reporter I am today. I moved into Sinatra Hall the next September and joined the newspaper. That was the best decision I have ever made.
This is the first of many. I can't express how happy I felt grabbing this and seeing my name and work in The Montclarion pic.twitter.com/fHvrC2cK65
— Gabbs (@AntGabbs) October 6, 2016
Interesting story: I was never a staff writer for The Montclarion. I wrote two articles before the former Sports Editor, Emma Cimo, asked me to be her assistant. I immediately told her “yes” and the rest was history.
In my junior year, I became the Sports Editor of The Montclarion, and a dream of mine came true. When that year’s staff took over, we were still in the basement of the Student Center, leaving the office at midnight with sore eyes and aching backs from being hunched over our desks.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Be8jNhTDQ7ahsyfQDOFyn6rCtWMsDsUYn3mGY80/
Now we have our new office in the School of Communication and Media with the best view of New York City, and I even had my own nameplate (thanks Mom!).
Since then, I have had the pleasure of interviewing a World Series Champion, an Olympian, an ultra-endurance athlete and everything in between. In my two years as Sports Editor, I laid out the sports section by myself twice, have written for every section of The Montclarion at least twice and I even helped shoot the first video for our website earlier this year.
I also got married, like, three times, so those will be interesting stories to tell after I graduate.
Two of my three husbands
Someone who was in the office at that time *shrugs shoulders*
Jen Losos | The Montclarion
If you told me after I graduated high school that this was going to be the next four years of my life, I still wouldn’t have believed you. Now, I wouldn’t want anything more.
I want to thank The Montclarion’s faculty advisor, and my academic advisor, Tara George. I still remember the day you interviewed me to enroll in the journalism major.
You have helped me so much along the way, and I could never thank you enough for helping me become the journalist I am today, along with introducing me to the wonderful people I’ve worked with for the last three years.
I want to also thank the entire city of Louisville, Kentucky for bringing me closer to my four coworkers, who I can now call some of my best friends at the newspaper.
Fiorella, Dominique, Haley and Rob, you four have helped me so much in ways I can’t begin to describe over the past years, and I can’t stand the fact that I will probably never work with you again. It was a thrill to work with you all and I’m more than excited to see what each of you do in the future. There’s a spot in my heart for the four of you and it’ll never go away.
The Fab Five
Photo courtesy of some woman in Kentucky
For the future of the sports section, I really don’t think there are better hands to give the section off to. Samantha, you are so truly talented and I can’t wait to see what you work on next year. I know you’ll be a better Sports Editor than me and I knew that as soon as we met for your first training session as my assistant.
Corey, it baffles me that you’re only a freshman and are this skilled of a writer. Your immigration profile was one of the best articles I’ve ever read while working for The Montclarion and I can’t wait to see you grow.
(From left to right) Assistant Sports Editor Corey Annan, graduating Sports Editor Anthony Gabbianelli, new Sports Editor Samantha Impaglia and Staff Writer Adam Grassani pose for a picture
Ben Caplan | The Montclarion
I also wouldn’t be here without my friends at the Video Production Club. I promised you all that I would shout you out in The Montclarion at some point in my time here, so this is it. Thank you for making me an honorary television and digital media major and being my best friends.
The Montclarion will always be the best part of my college career. Who else could say that every Wednesday they worked with their closest friends and wrote about what they loved?
My time is done here, and I will never forget all the memories I made. I’m ready to start the next chapter in my life, and I know wherever I go, it was with the help of The Montclarion.
