You Get What You Give

Published: April 27, 2026

It’s a universal experience that expectations do not always match up with our realities. I started this academic year wide-eyed and ambitious. I rambled on to everyone who would listen to my plans on how I would improve our paper. Full of passion and naive idealism, I was quick to swallow my words. With the entitlement that comes with being twenty-two, I wondered why the previous year at our paper seemed so much more tranquil than the one that was placed into my lap. Surely, this position was supposed to be a walk in the park. Perhaps I would even get praise and recognition.

What once started as grand ideas became doubts, questions, and challenges. It seemed never-ending and I quickly became burned out. My preconceived notions of what being an Editor-in-Chief slowly slipped through my fingers, and I was left feeling frustrated and embarrassed. It was unlike anything I had hoped for, but everything I needed. 

I believe everything happens for a reason. I’m also a firm believer that there is a lesson hidden everywhere if you pay attention enough. People often entertain the question, “if you could change your circumstances or past, would you?” My answer to that used to be a hesitant and vain no. I’ve come to recognize now that I would never want to change anything about my life leading up to this point at all. Without those mishaps, accidents, bad experiences, and poor circumstances, I would never be the person I am today. My time this year as the Co-Editor-in-Chief is not excluded from this belief. 

Every person goes through hardship, whether you believe yours is greater or lesser than others. The real importance is who you transform into after and the lessons you take away from the experience. Kindness and understanding are the strongest forms of resilience and bravery. The way we affect others in our day-to-day interactions may seem small, but in actuality, you are planting seeds every day. As one wise artist I know says, your impact extends past your main interaction and ripples into everyone in their lives and the people after in waves. What started as a small seed can quickly become a sturdy oak. 

There were many times I wanted to quit, wanted to lash out, wanted to give up, and make it someone else’s problem. I felt it was becoming harder to stay kind. Unfortunately, I have never been the person to give up without a fight. Sometimes it harms me, other times it shows me something so beautifully raw.

For every night I stayed up until 4 AM finishing off the file before sending it to our printer, I would be reminded of the small impact I made around me. My staff members enthusiastically showed up to more meetings, and they built friendships and communities. Every time I doubted myself and thought I wasn’t doing enough, someone would say that they looked forward to working and that they wanted to stay working for the paper in the future.

Our paper became more community-driven, more passionate, more critical, and more involved. I would hear that more departments, communities, and students on campus would read. Suddenly, everything felt worth it. I look to the staff I helped build this year, and I could never be prouder of what we accomplished together.

My professor helped me realize that I’ve done the difficult work of running the diagnostics, finding our weaknesses and strengths, and navigating through a difficult position with little knowledge and institutional support. What made The Free Press so great and strong this year was our dedicated and passionate staff, who rolled with the punches. After each blow, they still showed up to meetings with a vigor that I can only commend. I appreciate every one of them for putting in the work to make sure our paper still exists. That is the definition of student excellence and journalism. Even if my expectations didn’t line up with my reality, I came out of everything wiser.

I want to acknowledge all of my staff. My roommates for putting up with my complaining. My service learning collaborator, Peter Bruun, for his artistic and wise words. My professor, Dennis Gilbert, for being my greatest support in this. My Promise Scholar Advisor, Daniel Barton, for lending an ear to my worries. Last but not least, I want to thank every USM community member who worked with me to submit work on behalf of your departments. 

“You’ve got the music in you

Don’t let go

You’ve got the music in you

One dance left

This world is gonna pull through

Don’t give up

You’ve got a reason to live

Can’t forget

We only get what we give”

-New Radicals, “You Get What You Give”