I’ve always found it really difficult to start self-reflective pieces. Whether it be for college applications, creative writing classes or this farewell letter, I never know how to relay my innermost thoughts. How could I ever effectively sum up three formative years of my life in one 400-word article? I’ll take a stab at it, and we’ll see how I’ve done by the end. 

When I entered high school, I wasn’t sure of much but I was sure of one thing: I wanted to find my place and a group of people I felt at home with. As a freshman, I was under the impression that I was going to follow in the footsteps of two of my brothers who were both involved in theater. But, even though my prior experience with journalism was limited to that of Rory Gilmore’s, I found my own path within Bark. 

I remember being so enamored by the journalism program when Erin Schneider, our advisor, presented to my freshman English class. My English teacher at the time, Tom Sivertsen, was an avid proponent of Bark. His commentary was always littered with entertaining memories of being the prior Bark advisor, and I wanted to witness the publication’s organized chaos for myself. So, I did the obvious: I signed up for the prerequisite, Nonfiction, survived Richard Nixon’s assholery and the Clutter family murders and joined Bark my junior year. 

While I knew Bark was going to be fun based on my love for writing, I could never have anticipated how much Bark would change me as a person. It sounds corny, I know, but there really is no other way of describing it. I don’t remember much of middle or elementary school, but I do remember that I was constantly second-guessing myself and always self-critical. Those tendencies of mine were still intact going into high school, and I entered the journalism program as someone lacking confidence; yet, I’ve come out of it as a strong-willed, determined leader. 

Fast forward to today––I’m sitting on my couch with my fat Italian Greyhound in quarantine, and I can’t help but mourn the time lost being around my favorite people in the most meaningful program I’ve ever been a part of. I won’t sugarcoat it, I’ve cried quite a bit. But at the same time, quarantine and the loss of time with my peers can’t take away the abundance of memories I’ve made or the changes I’ve undergone through being a part of the Bark family.