Dearest Readers,

I started at The Beacon as an intern over the summer before my senior year of college in 2022, excitedly following the editors around and praying for a chance to write a story. I worked part time at the paper through my senior year, and I moved to full time the second I graduated.

I’ve written about the local foodie scene, interviewed politicians during local elections, covered post-hurricane cleanup efforts, and written features highlighting local artists and interesting citizens. I have loved each and every second of it, but now, I must bid the paper farewell and move on.

I have taken a position at my alma mater, Stetson University, as the associate director of communications. There, I will assist with the mission of promoting diversity, inclusion, global citizenship, and a hunger for learning within the world of higher education. That said, I wanted to reflect on my time here before I transition out.

Local journalism has always been a passion of mine. I’ve always believed in the mission of sharing honest-to-goodness facts that affect your average Joe with the public, or, as Al Everson always says, “No fake news.”

In my view, The Beacon does a great job of delivering truth.

We focus on finding the truth about things that our readers care about, and we strive to foster a positive relationship based on trust with our community. That has been far and away my favorite part about working here.

I loved getting to connect with all of you. I loved meeting folks at the Friday-night farmers markets and chatting about local affairs, discussing food scenes and how to not kill a plant. I loved talking with patrons who walked into the office for a Where’s Waldo stop or with questions about the paper. I’ve loved hearing people’s story ideas, questions about community happenings or hot takes about something random. And I’ve loved having the chance to highlight and uplift deserving community members.

I have seen folks overcome countless hardships, outlive pandemic-induced crises, de-stigmatize end-of-life care, create safe spaces for LGBTQ youth and distribute banned books. I’ve seen some amazing drag performances, waited alongside politicians as they sweated by the polls on election night and eaten some truly delicious dishes. I’ve been privileged enough to dig deep into this community and cover the most amazing stories, and people.

Working a job like this teaches you quite a few things. You learn that some of the greatest stories can be found in the most unlikely of places. You learn to listen to everyone, and realize that not only do people really appreciate being heard, most have quite a bit of wisdom to share if you give them a chance.

You learn to be community-minded, because it’s such a vital part of any balanced life. You learn that there is, in fact, quite a bit of good to be found in the world; you just have to be intentional about seeking it out. You learn that you don’t know half as much as you think you do, and that there’s always a path to learn more, and, boy, is that exciting!

While I am greatly looking forward to the next phase in my journey, I am also grateful for all the lessons I learned while in this one. Engaging with this community has made me a better professional, and person, and for that I am truly grateful.

I hope that my engagement will not cease, but rather evolve as I do. Thank you for indulging me and for enjoying the hard-earned stories that I unearthed. And thank you for supporting local journalism.