The time has finally come when I must depart from Lake Land College (LLC). It never felt like this day would come when I would be writing my departure article. I have had many people cry on my shoulder over this saddening news of me leaving The Navigator. That is a joke. Anyssa Margaret, the Editor in Chief for The Navigator, is upset that I am leaving. That is also a joke.
Okay, now we do not have to be all serious and heartbroken over me leaving, it is a natural part of continuing life. Throughout my entire time at The Navigator, I had been the Copy Editor. Although I probably should not tell you this, I had no idea what AP style was when becoming Copy Editor, but in the two weeks before the first articles I had to edit were due I learned the ins and outs of the writing style.
My first article was about Drag Queen Bingo for Valentine’s Day, where I interviewed the host who was also my friend, Viv Ard. I remember even though Ard was obviously my friend, interviewing them was so scary. To be honest, interviewing is still very scary, but it starts to become easier and continued practice.
Looking back, it seems that most of my life has me choosing very odd paths. By that I mean committing to things non-traditionally as well as not at all being prepared. I did not even know I would be going to college until one month before the semester started. The reason behind that was I had just got my General Equivalency Diploma (GED) and LLC offered me a free class for getting my GED through their program. Now, I am transferring to Illinois State University to get my bachelor’s degree in journalism and a minor in sociology.
Before coming to LLC, I did not have much hope for continuing my education. Dropping out of high school at 16 years old due to my health made the idea of returning to such an environment much scarier. It took many days, months, and lots of stress, but it seems that I have succeeded in facing my fears. Along with my education, LLC has made me a lot more comfortable with being myself. I can thank the many different people I have met and become friends with for this. Before coming to college, I was very isolated from the world and my peers. However, now I am much more comfortable with sharing my hobbies and embracing my identity.
I want to send my personal thanks to my friends, instructors, Student Life and all the wonderful people in the tutoring center for helping me not only find my passion in writing again, but to help me be more comfortable with myself. I came from a very small town in Indiana, where most people thought the exact same way. Now, I can embrace who I really am without the worry of others.
