I joined The Parthenon because someone said I should try writing for the paper. I didn’t think it would stick. I was quiet, unsure of my voice, more comfortable editing than being seen, but I wrote a story about the place I loved: my home. Then another. Then I stayed.

Reporting terrified me at first. I fumbled through the interviews with shaking hands and with the fear of getting something wrong. But it also taught me how to listen, how to chase a story even when it tried to run and how to write when I didn’t feel brave but did it anyway.

Copy editing came later, and it felt quieter — more my speed. I didn’t know AP style when I started. I was Googling rules mid-edit, second-guessing every capitalization, making edits and then changing them back again depending on which page of the style guide I was reading. But over time, it started to feel natural. All the small rules started to feel like second nature. I started editing not to fix, but to support, to make someone else’s words a little clearer without changing their voice.

I’m leaving with more than a copy of the AP Stylebook. I’m leaving with gratitude, with clarity, with weirdly strong opinions about AP style, and with so much affection for the people who made this place feel like something worth staying for.

Thank you for trusting me with your words.

Maggie Gibbs can be contacted at [email protected].