I have survived. I made it. Now it’s my time to walk that grand stage, with Freedom soaring overhead. I couldn’t be more proud of how far I have come as an individual. I have grown into a man who is comfortable with himself and knows who he wants to be. Let me tell you, it feels amazing. It was a long journey, and I took the road less traveled. I owe a lot to those individuals I have interacted with over the years, for no part of me is original. I am but a collection of everyone I’ve ever met.

Part of my farewell column I wanted to share what I think is the key to my success and what will make me stand out amongst the vast horde that will be walking across that stage May 10, 2014. Are you ready? Here it is. Get involved! Ladies and gentleman, the best piece of advice I can give is to go out, find what interests you, and get involved in it. Experience is the most valuable thing you will gain from becoming a part of GSU. Once you stop simply attending, essentially just going through the motions, and get involved in some sort of organization, the world will begin to open up.

I truly believe, deep in my heart that I owe and extreme amount of gratitude to the ladies and gentleman of the Student Media organization. Being surrounded by such brilliant and motivated individuals pushed me to raise my game and be equally part of making something greater than myself. Pushing ourselves each day so that when our time comes, we leave a legacy in which others can follow. The ultimate goal being to leave the organization in better condition than when we arrived. In my humble opinion, we succeeded in doing this.

It’s hard for me to be anything but excited to be graduating and begin the path to a career of my choosing. I owe the experience to Student Media. I have seen great success in interviews because I have real world experience and examples of my leadership ability to speak to. None of which I would have unless I got my butt out of my comfy chair and joined Student Media, driven by a constant urge to learn and do more. The university gives all of its students the opportunity to seek out added value from their education by having so many different organizations. But it is up to you, the student, to reach out and take it. Take the added value with two hands and run. No one will do it for you. When you make the leap, you will find something great hidden inside of you.

In the end I wish the best for all of my fellow Student Media coworkers. I thank every single one of you for the honor of working in your presence. I leave with an amazing network of friends and a vast spanning reach across many different industries. The lessons I’ve learned, I will carry with me forever.

Forever Soar! Hail Southern! GATA Eagles!