The last day of class! BACK L-R: Wanda, Jeremy, Lauren, Jess, Alice, Joe, Assya, Ken, and Lenny. FRONT L-R: Beth, feature development professor/producer of Donnie Darko Casey LaScala, Javi, Conor, and KG. Missing from the photo is producer Christian, who was too busy interning at the Cannes Film Festival.

It’s hard to believe that it’s only been two years since the fourteen of us producers first met on the third floor of Columbia’s 1104 South Wabash building. It feels like we’ve known each other a lifetime. Two years later we’ve been through the mill together; grueling film shoots that tested our endurance in the depths of Chicago’s cruel winters, endless assignments, booze, tears, sometimes harmonic sometimes tumultuous working relationships, film festivals and screenings, and somehow one overachieving producer even managed to squeeze her wedding into the mix! Now, here we are in Los Angeles, forging our way into the industry as the class of 2016 prepares to kick off their first semester back in Chicago.

As Columbia’s producing ambassador I’ve had the pleasure of documenting my two-year journey, but now as I close the chapter of my life that was grad school, I must say farewell and pass the baton to a new ambassador. It’s been a hell of a ride, and I leave you in the hugely capable hands of Katie Sponseller. From the Class of 2015, Katie and I collaborated on many projects and became good friends this last year, and I genuinely couldn’t think of anybody better to take the reigns.

The best email to receive.

I’m estimating I’ve written somewhere in the realm of thirty to forty thousand words for Marginalia these last two years, so I’m going to keep this outro short and sweet; thank you to my editors Caitlynn and Sarah, and to Kara and David and the rest of the graduate admissions team for guiding me through this ambassadorship; I can’t overstate how rewarding an experience it has been. Thank you to the staff and faculty at Columbia for shaping the filmmaker I am today. Thank you to my fellow producers for taking this two-year journey with me, for being my friends, and always inspiring me. This chapter wouldn’t have been possible without my parents; Clare & Frank I owe you everything. But finally, and most importantly, thank you to any and all of you who have read even one of my blogs; it was all for you, and my only hope is that it gave you even a sliver of insight. And thank you George Glass.