Our very first day!

Well, it happened.

With one last submission, I’ve officially completed my master’s degree.

To be honest, I truly never thought that this day would come.

When I applied to Columbia almost two years ago, I never could have imagined what lie ahead.

I got to cover both city and state news; travel to Iowa, South Carolina and Wisconsin to cover the election and finally explore my interest and love of broadcasting.

I had the opportunity to realize my dream of working in a broadcast newsroom by interning at NBC News.

I met some of the best and brightest that this country has to offer in my classmates.

But, most of all, I found myself.

As cliché as it sounds, I spent the better part of 25 years trying to learn what I wanted to do and where I wanted to go in life.

Through all the work that I did and the experiences I had, I finally figured it out.

Shadowing at NBC, one of many amazing experiences while I was here.

Now, with my degree under my belt, I can finally explore my options, ready and prepared to work in this amazing field.

You might ask, “What’s next?”

Well, right now, that’s a great question.

I’m currently knee-deep in working on my broadcast reel in order to submit it to television stations around the country, in hopes of getting a reporting job.

I’m continuing my writing, having discovered a love for investigative journalism that I hope to pursue.

But, more than anything, I’m really looking forward to finally starting a career that I love.

For those about to embark on this journey, I wish you the best of luck.

Anyone will tell you that this is a hard business, but if it’s something you truly love, anything is possible.

Thanks for reading my blogs these past 18 months, it means a lot.

Knowing that my experience was helpful for even one person made it all worth it.

To the incredible graduate office staff, thank you for choosing me as an ambassador.

Each one of you was incredibly supportive and definitely responsible for making this experience wonderful.

To my fellow ambassadors, past and present, thank you for being you. I wish you the best of luck in all you do in the future and I hope you keep in touch!

Now, in the immortal words of YouTube sensation Louis Cole, I only have one thing to say.

“Peace out, enjoy life, live the adventure, boom.”

I made it!