Ohio State School of Communication Undergraduate Awards Ceremony 2017

The Kappa Tau Alpha Top Scholar Award is given by the national journalism and mass communication honorary to the graduating senior from each chapter with the highest grade point average and class ranking.

Last Friday, I was honored to receive two awards from the Ohio State University School of Communication — the Robert F. Wolfe Journalism Honor Medal and the Kappa Tau Alpha Top Scholar Award. As a graduating senior, this experience was one of the last I will have as an undergraduate in the journalism program at Ohio State. I could not think of a better way to end an inspiring four years surrounded by outstanding faculty, coworkers and peers.

My involvement with The Lantern, Ohio State's student newspaper, started with a single article about the creation of a massive, hand-painted soccer banner, published in the fall of 2013. Seeing my byline on The Lantern's website was a dream come true and a feat I did not think I could pull off within my freshman year, let alone my first month on campus. The experience of seeing my story — the quotes I painstakingly transcribed, the words I specifically chose to describe the triumphant moment when the tifo was hoisted above the crowd — elicited a smile as I emailed the link to my family and friends.

Seven semesters and almost 100 stories later, I still get excited at the thought of picking up a copy of any publication that contains one of my articles. Since my first semester at Ohio State, I have had many experiences as a student journalist, all of which have taught me skills I might not have learned by just sitting in the classroom taking notes. From covering breaking news events well into the early hours of the morning to watching as thousands of my cap-and-gown-clad peers walk through the 'Shoe, I am proud to identify myself as a journalist, a title that inspires me to document the stories that are most important to those who read the words I write.

Writing and working for publications such as The Lantern, The Arizona Republic, CityScene Magazine and BroadwayWorld.com Columbus has shaped my undergraduate experience in ways that I could not have predicted, and for that I am forever grateful.

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As I look ahead to my future as a soon-to-be graduate of Ohio State, I am equally nervous and excited for what is to come. But I also know that I have an amazing network of support that will accompany me every step of the way. I would not be where I am today without the help of friends, family and those who have, over the years, become as close as family. 

I have been blessed to have had unforgettable experiences over the past four years. From spending a summer in Arizona writing for The Republic and USA TODAY to representing OSU on a journalism trip to Japan, I am forever grateful to everyone who has believed in me and my talents. 

As I look to the next steps in my life, I’m excited to put the skills I have learned at this university to the test. 

The Robert F. Wolfe Journalism Honor Medal is the Ohio State School of Communication's oldest award for graduating seniors who are chosen by the faculty for academic excellence and professional promise.