The day has come that I’ve been dreading since I had to make the decision to let go of journalism and pursue other dreams.

The day that I say goodbye to the one thing that made my high school experience worth the stress, the thing that has helped shape me into the girl I am today and the one group of people that I will forever call not only my friends but also my family.

It’s hard to believe that after five semesters on the staff I call my home, I have to say “See you soon” and know that it indeed does mean “I’ll always be here.”

The hardest thing I’ve ever had to do is choose which direction my heart was taking me because trust me, it wanted to go in both.

The Prowl staff has been the biggest honor and has opened up so many doors for me. It has taught me things I never could have imagined learning: my opinion matters, I have a voice, people do care and life is too short to not be thankful.

See, The Prowl staff isn’t just a group of people in a class that write.

We are a family, bound together by the passion of putting a pencil to paper or fingers to a keyboard.

We care about one another. No, we don’t always agree. We are a class full of opinionated people, so there is no way we always feel the same way.

We help each other. This isn’t a day that goes by that we don’t grow as a family.

We cheer on each other and support one another not because we necessarily agree but because that’s what family does.

Most importantly, though, we love and accept each other for who we are, flaws and all.

If I said there weren’t times when I wanted to scream because I was so irritated or roll my eyes because I was so annoyed, I would be lying.

At the end of the day, though, the people I’ve came to know over these five semesters on the staff will forever hold a special place in my heart.

I couldn’t be more thankful to be the editor of such an amazing group of people and writers. You are the reason writing will always be my passion.

To the future editor of The Prowl:

I know that whoever you are, you are meant to be there.

Never take the honor and opportunities for granted because I promise you, they are life-changing.

Getting to be editor isn’t something you should take lightly.

It changed my life in so many ways.

Being editor will be something you remember forever.

It will open so many doors and it will be an amazing experience.

Be willing to grow with your writers and understand that writing for a newspaper is a learning experience.

I’m proud of you for everything you’ve done to get to this point.

I know you won’t let the staff down!

To The Prowl Staff members:

I cannot thank you all enough for the memories we’ve made, laughs we’ve shared and words of encouragement you’ve given me each and everyday.

From stressing about calculus to worrying about tests, you all were the first to say, “You can do it,” or “There is always next time.”

To say goodbye to all of you truly breaks my heart.

You will never fully understand the impact you’ve made on my life.

To say I am beyond proud of each and every one of you would be an understatement.

You amaze me daily and continue to reach my expectations.

All I want you to know is that you all mean the world and more to me.

You all made my high school years so much fun and absolutely worth it.

Each day, good or bad, I knew I could step into the classroom and see you all and my day would get better.

Each one of you have such bright futures ahead, and I cannot wait to see where your paths go.

Continue to inspire others like you’ve inspired me and your future will be far greater than anything you’ve ever envisioned.

As I say goodbye, remember that, that isn’t what it means.

Rather, it means “I love you all and I’ll always be your family.”

I promise you all that I will always be here whenever anything is needed.

Once family, always family right?

Continue to grow as writers and The Prowl will continue to grow as well.

I love you all more than you could ever imagine.

Thank you for being such amazing people and for being the reason I smiled everyday.

My heart will forever hold a special space for each and everyone of you.

Lane said, “It’s like a cheeseburger without cheese. Our class is a hamburger without you.”

As cheesy as it sounds, my life is a hamburger without all of you and I will miss each one of you beyond measures.

I love you!

To my adviser, Mr. Timmons:

I cannot put into words how much you’ve impacted my life; it’s impossible.

You’ve taught me so much about not only journalism but also life in general.

You’re the reason I one day aspire to teach and make my dreams a reality.  

Goodness do I have huge shoes to fill, but I feel as if you’ve prepared me.

My passion for not only writing and education, but teaching as well has grown beyond measures because of the passion that shines through you each and every day.

You’re the one person I can look back on in ten years and say believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself.

You pushed me to do my best in everything and to always set my standards high.

You taught me what it’s like to be okay with not always being right, to work harder instead of being sad whenever things don’t go my way and to better myself instead of tear myself down when I don’t do as well as I could have done.

The list could go on and on when it comes to the things you’ve taught me.

I never knew that one teacher could inspire me so much, but I stand corrected today because you did exactly that.

The bottom line is I’ll never be able to repay you for the impact you’ve had on my life.

I never knew that five semesters ago when I was recruited for the staff that my life would be changed for the better.

Thank you for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to prove myself worthy of the honor of being editor.

Thank you for giving me opportunities to be who I am and not who society expects me to be.

Thank you for allowing me to express myself through words each and every week by publishing my work through The Prowl and believing that my voice does matter.

Most of all, thank you for being the teacher who truly has a passion and calling for what he does.

I hope that one day I will inspire students like you’ve inspired me.

Leaving the staff was never my intention, but I hope you know that the things you’ve taught me will never be forgotten and your passion for journalism never went unnoticed.

Thank you so much for everything because without your advice, willingness to care, patience and passion, I wouldn’t be the writer or girl I am today.

To say that this was easy would be a complete lie.

This opportunity means more to me than anything and I never intended to let you down.

If I have made a difference in someone’s life, then my goal has been reached.

If I have touched someone’s heart, then writing this right now is worth it.

I will never forget the memories I’ve made throughout my five semesters on the staff and I hold each one of them so close to my heart.

Thank you for the opportunity to be who I am, to grow and learn and prove to others that I am capable of having such a responsibility.

It’s crazy to think that after five semesters, 90 weeks, I am writing my last piece that will be published on The Prowl.

As I walk out of the classroom for the last time as editor, please know that part of my heart remains there.

I love you all!

Kinzie Sellars – Editor (Fall 2015 – Fall 2016)