I never actually intended to become the design editor for this publication, but then I went and did it for two years. What an incredible experience it’s been, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

To think that this journey started when my dear friend Samuel Griffin (our at-the-time Features Editor) asked me to re-write the album reviews I had been doing at WKNC and publish them in Technician to bolster Features (now Arts & Entertainment) content. At the end of that year, Sam would casually mention to me, “Hey, you like graphic design, right? Technician needs designers, maybe you could pitch in?”

My immediate response was, “what’s the pay?”

I would go on to work on several papers as a meager layout designer/contributor. At the time, I hadn’t even completed my correspondency for design, but that didn’t stop Sam from asking if I wouldn’t mind interviewing for the position of Design Editor for volume 98. After all, it would be better if more people interviewed, even if I didn’t end up taking the job.

I ended up taking the job. Of course I took the job. Spend two nights in a newsroom full of this many wonderful people and you’ll want to stick around too. The laughs we’ve shared, the papers we’ve published, the trips we’ve gone on; these aren’t just wonderful memories, they’re experiences that have fundamentally shaped who I am over the past two years. I have Technician to thank for allowing me to discover my passion for graphic design, and putting me in a position where I had no other choice but to improve my skills. I have Roundabout to thank for allowing me the chance to realize not only how much I enjoy layout design, but also that I have some level of skill with it.

I wish I could personally thank everyone I’ve worked with in this column, but after two years, the list has grown just a tad too long. First and foremost, I’d like to thank Sam.

Sam, you’ve been so much more than just a wonderful friend. You’ve been an incredibly positive influence in my life and a fantastic person for all four years that I’ve known you. You are single-handedly responsible for me joining Technician, and therefore, you’re also responsible for all the good that has come of it. You’ve made these last four years an adventure and pulled me out of some of my darkest places. You are a fantastic writer, fantastic editor and a fantastic friend, and I am honored to have you in my life.

I’d like to also thank Jonathan Carter, who has been the editor-in-chief I’ve worked under for the past two years. We’ve butted heads a few times, but at the end of the day, I’ve always respected your passion not just for journalism and responsibility in media, but for leading this organization. I cannot think of a single individual who could have steered this ship as valiantly and as smoothly as you have these past two years. The closeness of our team, the growth of our publication, and all of the best reporting that has occurred here under your lead, serving as testaments to your ability as a leader and an editor. Your vision for Technician and your insane ability to plan and organize are unparalleled, and anyone would be rightly intimidated to have to fill those shoes in your place. Thank you for having not only the strength, but the sheer determination to make this publication what it is.

I’d like to thank Alicia Thomas, for being absolutely the sweetest person I’ve ever met, with an iron will that cannot be matched. I’d like to thank Rachel Davis for laughing at my dumb jokes and always greeting me with a smile. I’d like to thank Minh Pham for cutting up with me and being super chill all the time. I’d like to thank Solynna Crownson for lighting up every room she walks into. I’d like to thank Connor Bolinder, for allowing me to talk at him until the errors in my designs became clear to me. I’d like to thank Dan Gilliam and Boz Kaloyanov for being a dynamite duo and a couple of really chill dudes. I’d like to thank Noah Jabusch and David Tracey for being deceptively hilarious and always going along with a good joke. I’d like to thank so, so many more people, but I’ll start to wrap it up here.

I’d like to thank my design staff. Every single one of them has been absolutely fantastic, and the pride I’ve felt at watching them grow in skill-level and ability is immeasurable. Not only are they all great designers, but they’re great people. Production nights would never have been as fun without my crew to crack up with sitting to the left and right of me for every paper. I couldn’t have asked for a better staff.

Lastly, I’d like to thank Marissa Jerden. You are an endless repository of kindness and patience. Thank you for putting up with me for these past 3 and a half years. I can’t imagine having anyone else as my co-host for Eye On the Triangle, and frankly I don’t want to. You weren’t just the friend I wanted, you were the friend I needed, on so many occasions. I can count up the list of reasons why I didn’t leave NC State after freshman year on one hand, and you’re right there at the top. I know you think I’m jaded, but if I could do it all over again, I wouldn’t change a thing.

And so comes to an end my tenure here. I hope they leave my drawings up on the wall, but I suppose that’s up to Rafael now. Good luck and Godspeed, Rafael. I hope working here brings you every ounce of joy it has to me. The future is uncertain and terrifying, but working here has made me less afraid to face it. Technician wasn’t just a job for me, it was a passion. Goodbye everyone, and don’t forget to have fun.