By Taylor Nigrelli
Digital Media Strategist
I never intended to be in this position. I didn’t know I’d end up contemplating for days what to say in my farewell editorial while frantically searching for scarce journalism jobs.
When I saw a flyer for a BV interest meeting back in the opening weeks of the first semester of my freshman year, I didn’t know I’d spend four years here. But I’m so glad I did.
Attending that first meeting with my friend, Harrison Leone, was as important a decision as I’ve made in college. After that, I was assigned my first story: a hard-hitting preview of club field hockey. Things somehow got more interesting from there.
I wrote every week my freshman year, changed my major from history to journalism and mass communication and decided I’d write about sports for a living.
After four semesters of being a sports editor, one as opinion editor, two seasons covering men’s basketball, a summer spent in The Buffalo News sports department, countless sleepless nights and more than one rage fit, I’m so glad I made those decisions my freshman year.
Working for The BV was simultaneously infuriating and invigorating. The stress of relying on freshmen staff writers, Adobe InDesign and the sports information office to make my section whole each week was offset by just one person telling me they liked something I wrote.
Of course, The BV allowed me to spend hundreds of hours with some of Earth’s finest people, many of whom I’m privileged to call friends. Which leads me to some well-deserved thank you’s.
To Kyle Zamiara, who assigned me my first story and ranks among the coolest people I’ll ever meet. To Kevin Rogers, for being as hilarious and fun as you were intelligent. To Alexandra Salerno, for being a great friend and always demanding the best out of me. To Kerri Linsenbigler, for making sure I knew I wasn’t as cool as I thought I was. To Matt Laurrie, for bringing life to the newsroom through the power of song and sass. To Sam Berkhead, for always being unforgivingly herself. To Elizabeth Grady and Marge Seitz, for providing wisdom and insight. To Heather Monahan, for being absurdly fun to spend time with.
To Emma Zaremba, for being the kindest and most caring friend I’ve ever had. To Nate West, the only one who’s been here longer than me, for always being a friend. To Pat Tintle, for stepping up into a big role early and putting out great work every week. To Kiara Catanzaro, for her unique ability to put a smile on everyone’s face. To Zach Waltz, for carrying on the Zamiara legacy of chill sports editors. To Amelia Kibbe, for making the hilarious transformation from shy freshman to ruthless leader. To Harrison Leone, for being an incredible friend these past four years.
To everyone else I’ve worked with here, you’re awesome and thanks for putting up with me.
To those who will be returning, try your best to enjoy every moment spent down here. Don’t rush to get out early, you might find the memories you make down here are some of the best you’ll ever have.
I’ll finish by addressing the younger crowd, freshmen and those who haven’t entered college yet. Find something you love doing and immerse yourself in it. It doesn’t matter what it is, if you do it well enough, you can make a living. Don’t buy into the “what job can you do with that major?” crowd. College isn’t job training. College is a time to learn how to learn and think, to discover yourself and what you want to do.
You don’t have to write for a newspaper, in fact that probably won’t be what you want to do. Play a sport, write stories, critique movies, start a YouTube channel, join the money management club, do whatever you want.
Work so hard on what you love that it ceases to be work. You won’t regret it.
Taylor Nigrelli is the
Digital Media Strategist at
The Bona Venture. His email is
nigreltn11@bonaventure.edu
