JOINING THE ADVOCATE SAVED MY LIFE

In the fall of 2016, I walked into the Career Counseling Center in desperate need of help. I was at one of the lowest points in my life, and needed some guidance. Thankfully, a counselor pointed me to the Advocate, and I honestly believe it’s what saved my life in more ways than one. 

Living with depression is complicated. You can have some days filled with laughter, happiness, and love; most days can seem unending, bleak, and sorrowful. Looking back I was pretty despondent, but I’m thankful to have sought the help I needed in order to try something new and combat my poor mental habits. Being of a part of a team was just what I needed. Joining the Advocate led me to a group of talented, passionate, kind-hearted people I would come to know as life-long friends. 

With each passing year I became more fond of Mt. Hood Community College. During my time on staff I was able to talk with artists, instructors, staff, community members, and fellow students. The newspaper made me realize every person has a story to tell and at least one reason why they press on. 

I am thankful to have been given the opportunity to work for this paper. After three years I am leaving with a massive amount of experience and passion I didn’t have before. I would like to thank our advisers, Dan Ernst and Howard Buck, for their kind, patient, and extremely helpful guidance along the way. Without their assistance our paper would be lost. 

Additionally, I’d like to thank Cassie Wilson, associate editor and news editor. She is the most dedicated, hard-working person I know. She provides excellent work and a positive attitude that encourages those around her to be better personally and professionally. 

The same goes for our other associate editor, and photo editor, Fletcher Wold. He is an amazingly talented person, with a kind heart and a patient, fun-loving personality. Thank you for helping me when I panicked about camera settings (almost every time I went to cover something) and encouraging me to learn and develop my abilities behind the camera.

This year our paper started with just four people and grew to a staff of over 20 as the year went by. Some staff came and went but their contributions are still appreciated and admired. 

To be quite honest, I never thought I would be editor-in-chief. I never believed that I could be a leader to over 20 people, but my fellow staff and helpful advisers saw something inside of me that my depression didn’t allow me to see. I cannot thank them enough for their encouragement, dedication, and shared passion of informing the students and staff here at the college. Without their efforts, our paper would not have been possible. Additionally, to all those that passed along information for our reporting, I thank you for your contribution. 

That being said, I am extremely proud of what we have accomplished this year. We not only placed in two different student journalism contests, we also produced in-depth investigative stories. These required public records requests, extensive interviews, and a crap ton of hard work.  

If you have been an avid reader, you already know we produced extensive coverage of the decision regarding the college’s FM radio station, KMHD (89.1). We even hosted (partnering with the Associated Student Government) a community forum to inform the public of the pending decision, something our advisers noted the Advocate hasn’t done in more than a decade.

On top of that, we compiled results from multiple online surveys throughout the year, pertaining to different topics. This also had not been done before (at least not that I’m aware)! This allowed us to gain input from students, staff, and faculty about how they think the college could improve. And in the big picture, when we share our concerns and work towards improvement, we all win. 

If I were to tell you one thing, it’s to remind you that what you have to offer is valid, needed, and important to any progress moving forward. Our community and our country need to come together and work toward a brighter future. If you feel the need to speak up or ask for help, go for it. You never know where you might end up.