Megan Reed, Campus Carrier Editor-in-Chief
When I first visited Berry in the summer of 2010, I immediately knew I wanted to be a student here. After that, I compared every other school I visited to Berry, but nothing was quite the same. While I knew that Berry was the best fit for me, I underestimated just how much I would grow here.
I arrived on campus as an extremely shy freshman. I was the “quiet one” in my BCC course, and I struggled to fit in at Berry. I began to think that perhaps Berry was not the right place for me. I was unsure if I was qualified to work for the Carrier, although as a journalism student I knew I couldn’t avoid getting involved in student media. My former adviser encouraged me to apply, and to my surprise, I was appointed news editor for my sophomore year.
That was the turning point for me. At the Carrier, I have found my family and my home at Berry. I have become more involved in my community and have had the opportunity to speak with student leaders, administrators and faculty members about what matters to them. I have also met some of my closest friends through my work with student media, and while the job was sometimes stressful, I feel blessed to have always had the support of my coworkers.
My work at the student newspaper has truly defined my college experience, and I will always remember the late production nights spent in the office eating Bella Roma takeout, editing pages, and talking with my coworkers and friends about topics both professional and personal. Leaving the Carrier will be the most difficult aspect of ending my time at Berry, but I am confident that the newspaper will thrive under new leadership. My coworkers know I will be keeping up with their coverage and editing from afar.
It is likely that I spent more of my college career in Laughlin than in any residence hall where I lived, and my fondest memories from Berry have taken place in that building. I met one of my closest friends in Reporting and Writing class my freshman year. I walked into my first Carrier meeting in Laughlin 116 at the beginning of my sophomore year and sat next to the girl who would later become another one of my best friends. My coworkers have customized the wall above my desk with a collage of inspirational notes and funny photos — a gesture that may seem strange but is actually one of the kindest things I have ever seen someone do. The vending machine in the hallway was my main form of sustenance on many evenings, and I am almost accustomed to the loud vent in room 113.
Of course, Laughlin is not just home to student media. The communication department faculty members are accomplished researchers and experts in their field, yet they are also humble and approachable. I am thankful that they saw the potential in me when I didn’t see it in myself. I have always been able to speak to them for advice on issues with the Carrier, my courses or even personal stressors in my life. Our student publications adviser Kevin Kleine has served as an excellent mentor, and I am grateful that Berry’s student journalists have the opportunity to learn from him and benefit from his sense of humor and kindness.
Two of my biggest supporters don’t live locally, but I wouldn’t have been able to attend Berry or thrive here without their support. Few people can honestly say that their parents are both their role models and their best friends. My family’s love and support have been a constant comfort during my stressful moments and an added joy during happier times. Calling home is always the highlight of my day. Moving away in the fall will be one of the most difficult steps I have ever had to take, but I know that my family will always be my best friends and biggest sources of happiness.
I heard it during my first campus visit six years ago, and then at SOAR, and then again at Viking Venture. It seemed like a cliché, but Berry really is about the people. I am grateful to have met some of the finest people during my time here, and I’ll continue to compare other places to here. Nothing will ever be quite the same.