Sports made me who I am, CM Life gave me the courage to do it
From the moment I can remember, sports was always a part of who I was. When I was young, I played every sport imaginable, even flag football. And let’s just say I took it seriously.
As I grew up, sports never left my life. I dove into softball, putting all my energy into it. I played year 'round for travel and high school, and it was the place that I felt most like myself.
Sports is everything to me. It brings so much emotion out of me and has brought me so many of my friendships in life.
I always knew that I wanted sports to be a huge part of who I was, and Central Michigan Life gave me the confidence to pursue it.
CM Life has given me the opportunity to write about all the heartbreaking and triumphant moments from each team I have covered. It has further shown me the power of sports.
It has given me the chance to tell athletes’ stories that show who they are beyond the field or court. It has shown me how sports can develop the most beautiful relationships. And, most importantly, it has given me the confidence to write these people’s stories.
I am the third female sports editor in over 50 years for the paper. It is an accomplishment I will always remember, because I love being a woman in sports.
I have grown not only as a writer, but as a person because of CM Life. If I didn’t have this organization in my college journey, I wouldn't be the person I am today. The people at CM Life have become my second family and have accepted me for who I am.
I came to CM Life thinking that it would be a great opportunity to gain experience. And as cliche as it sounds, not only did I gain skills that will help me in my future career, but also friendships that will last a lifetime.
With all that being said, my time with CM Life is coming to an end. I have been dreading writing that sentence.
There are so many people that I want to thank, and I certainly can’t fit it all in one column, but I wanted to highlight a few individuals in my life without whom I couldn’t have gotten through college.
Michelle Staffen, Ashley Birkeness and Hadlee Peters, there aren’t many words that I can write to describe how much our friendship means to me. I don’t think I would’ve had the courage to find my true self if I didn’t have you three. Thank you for loving me as my authentic self, and for the countless late night talks, laughs and memories. I am truly grateful that all of us made the decision to come to CMU to find the greatest friendships I have ever experienced.
Hadlee, you are my sister away from home. No one has made me laugh as much as you. Thank you for making my college experience so memorable.
To Regan Foster, no one has instilled more confidence in me than you. When I feel like I am falling short, you are the first person to tell me I am doing a good job. You always say that the students of CM Life are your kids, and I feel that love and support every day that I walk into the office.
Thank you for being a safe place, and for listening to all my random facts about all kinds of sports, K-pop and Taylor Swift. Those couldn’t be easy to sit through.
To our Editor-in-Chief Lauren Rice, watching you emerge as a leader of this publication has been amazing. Becoming friends with you last semester has made my CM Life experience so much more fulfilling, even though you gaslight me all the time. I am so grateful for all the memories, especially me beating you in cards at the office.
Zipporah Abarca, you care so much about people and making sure their voices are heard. It has been incredible to watch. Thank you for always caring about me and being someone I can talk to about anything. When I talk with you, I feel heard and know that I have support.
Sydney Neal, you are the hardest worker I have ever met. You are going to do an incredible job running the sports desk. I can not wait to watch you become the third consecutive female sports editor, and see how the desk continues to grow under your leadership.
I wouldn’t have been able to get through this semester without you by my side -- not only as the assistant sports editor, but also as a friend. The support we have for each other makes me want to do my best every day. Thank you for always being there for me.
To Mom, thank you for loving me unconditionally. I am so grateful to have you as my mom. You give me the best advice that I will take with me forever, and have taught me so many life lessons that I will never forget. Even though you are far away, I felt so much support from you throughout my college journey.
And finally, the person who started my love for sports, my dad. Dad, you have been my coach, my trainer and my biggest supporter in my sports journey. When I played softball, you never missed a game. I remember one time you drove down to Indiana to watch me play, even though Mom was the one driving me. You spent countless hours taking me to tournaments, paying for camps and buying us Subway.
Before every game that I played in, my dad would say: "make the most of every opportunity." I say that to myself before I do anything to this day, and it is up on my desk at CM Life. Thank you, Dad, for always instilling confidence in me, and for always being there. Words can not express how much it means to me.
CM Life and Central Michigan University will always have a special place in my heart. I am so grateful for all the experiences and memories I have gained through my two and a half years here.
I know I will never forget it.
