It’s finally time for me to hang it up. It’s the end of my eighth and final semester at this paper, and of course, I’m sad to leave it. I’ve spent way too much time in this newsroom, but I’ve loved every second of it. Back in high school, though, I had zero clue what I was doing with myself.

I remember around my junior year of high school when I first decided to join my high school newspaper, The Tattler. I had been told by my parents that I had to choose a commitment and just stick to it. I was pretty convinced that I wasn’t going to get into a college at all, so I figured I should listen for once and join an organization, and it helped that my friends were all a part of it.

I tried applying for sports editor but got rejected, and for some reason was chosen as the online/podcast editor. I did enjoy it nonetheless, and so I decided to apply to most colleges for journalism. I wrote in my USC college essay about my experiences in journalism and the things I hoped to do at the University.

I was lucky enough to get into this school and joined the Daily Trojan the second I got to campus. Unfortunately for me, I had no idea I had to download the Slack app, and I was already late on my first article.

I’ve come a long way since then. I still remember coming into the newsroom for the first time for my first shift as an assistant editor for then-sports editor Patrick Warren my sophomore year.

I still remember the old newsroom vividly. There were so many people in the newsroom, and I didn’t even know where the sports desk was. I was so nervous that when Patrick mispronounced my name, I didn’t even bother correcting him. For some inexplicable reason, instead of just correcting people, I thought it would be easier to go by “Stef” instead of my full name.

It became part of who I was, along with the DT.

I still don’t know why Patrick asked me to apply as sports editor for the following semester. Was it because I was a good writer or a reliable assistant editor? More likely, it was that there were no other applicants, but it was still the most exciting thing that had ever happened to me. 

From there, I went from sports editor for two semesters to a brief stint abroad as a columnist, to then managing editor of the paper and now the editor in chief. So much has happened during my time here, and I’ve met so many different people from all parts of campus.

I’ve gotten the immense privilege to cover some of the coolest athletes, go to sporting events I had only dreamed of ever going to and get the chance to improve not only as a writer, but also as a person.

The last line of my USC college essay was “I don’t know where I’ll be come September, but if I’m lucky, I’ll be sitting in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum writing an article for the Daily Trojan.” Although I was a bit delayed in reaching this goal, I was able to achieve this and so much more at this paper.

Looking back at my time, I wish I could have done more. I wish I could have furthered the initiatives I’ve pushed forward. There’s still so much to be done, but I’m optimistic for the future.

I hope the paper builds a board of trustees-like system built of DT alumni and industry professionals to help make sure our initiatives are continued to be pushed long after we leave this campus.

Seeing all that has changed since I first started as a water polo beat writer, I know the paper is going in the right direction. I can’t express enough how proud I am of this semester’s masthead and all the amazing people who make it up.

I said in my campaign speech for editor in chief that I wanted to leave this paper better than how I found it. I hope I did that. I hope those late nights, those lengthy Slack messages, those arguments over how to handle a certain hyper-specific situation were all worth it. Looking back at all the memories I have here, I know that they were.

Call me a freak, but I have so much love for this paper. I’ve had some of my favorite memories at this paper. I met some of my best friends at this paper. I met the love of my life at this paper. 

I wouldn’t trade my experiences at the DT for the world.

I hope one day, whether it’s money — although probably not, thanks to my journalism degree — advice, or whatever it may be, I can somehow give back to the Daily Trojan as much as it has given to me. I’ll forever miss going into STU 402, and I’ll forever miss being a part of the Daily Trojan.

“Editors’ Epilogue” is a rotating column featuring a different Daily Trojan editor in each installment writing about their personal experiences. Stefano Fendrich is a senior majoring in journalism and is the editor in chief at the Daily Trojan.