“Saying goodbye isn’t the hard part, it’s what we leave behind that’s tough.”
As hard as this is for me to say this, I’d like to let you all know that I am leaving the Beloit Daily News, effective Tuesday, Aug. 11.
It was a very hard decision for me to make, but after much thought, I have decided to attend graduate school this fall. I’ll be attending the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater (my alma mater) to pursue a master’s degree in Mass Communication.
Choosing to take a different path in life is never easy, just as my decision to leave the Beloit Daily News was not an easy one to make. However, I’ve known since I entered college five years ago that I would want to pursue my education to the highest level I could. That means obtaining my master’s degree and then (hopefully) my Ph.D.
I have the goal of teaching college-level communication courses, which requires at least a master’s degree to teach at community/technical colleges. A Ph.D will allow me to teach at the four-year colleges and obtain tenure-track positions. I have a passion for the field of communication and want to pass that passion on to my students. If it hadn’t been for my communication professors, I wouldn’t have had the confidence to pursue degrees in journalism and speech or to run for the title of Miss Beloit. That’s the kind of professor I hope to be – the kind that inspires her students to pursue careers in the communication field.
While at UW-Whitewater, I’ll be working as a Graduate Instructional Assistant, which means I’ll be teaching three sections of the Speech 110 (Introduction to Human Communication) course. This is the basic speech course required of all students and focuses mainly on public speaking (everyone’s favorite thing, I know). I’ve never taught before, but I’m looking forward to my new job and all that it will teach me.
It will be hard to leave my job at the Beloit Daily News. Although I was officially hired as a reporter in the summer of 2008, I’ve actually been working for the Daily News since the summer of 2007. I began as a correspondent and then was lucky enough to get an internship here in the spring of 2008.
Without further ado, here come the very many thank yous I owe:
I cannot thank Editor Bill Barth enough for believing in me and giving me a chance at this paper. I would not be half the reporter I am if it weren’t for his guidance and wisdom. I also have to give my heartfelt thanks to News Editor Clint Wolf and Features Editor Debra Jensen-De Hart for all of the guidance and wisdom they too have given me. I’ve learned so much from my supervisors and for that I will always be grateful.
I also must thank my fellow reporters: Ashley Rhodebeck, Hillary Gavan, Holly Johns, Sam Johnson and Cheryl Scott (who left just a few weeks ago). I can honestly say that these girls are more than just my co-workers. They are my friends, and I can’t express how much I’ll miss seeing them everyday. I came into this newsroom scared to death, wondering if the other reporters would like me. Now I know my fears were completely unwarranted. They are some of the best people I’ve ever met, and I am so lucky to have had the opportunity to work with them.
As the city reporter, much of my job could not be done without the help of everyone at the City of Beloit. When I found out I’d be covering the city, I was very worried that I would not be up to the job. I had never covered city government before. But the city employees were quick to help me out whenever I needed, and that has continued through my time here. Everyone at the city has been very supportive and easy to work with. I will always appreciate their kindness and willingness to help. Thank you, all!
Last but not least I must thank everyone across the Stateline Area. My time here at the BDN has allowed me to meet hundreds of incredible people, many of whom will have a lasting impact on my life. Some of those people I will never forget. Another worry of mine when coming here was that people might be mean to me when I’m out reporting and searching for people to talk to. Although there’s always some people who don’t care for reporters, the majority of the people I’ve met have been incredibly nice and great to work with. I can’t tell you how much a reporter appreciates that kindness and generosity. Thank you!
Beloit has always been and will always be my home, no matter how far away I might go. I consider myself so lucky to have been given the chance to work for my hometown newspaper. As I said in my very first blog, I thought I knew Beloit before, but after working here, I’ve truly realized what a special community this is. And that goes for all of the communities in the Stateline Area.
Whitewater isn’t too far away, so you can expect to still see a lot of me around here. Thank you again to everyone who made my job so enjoyable!
Sara Siekierski
Good luck, Sara. It’s been fun to watch you work these past few years. (Say, “Hi” to Adric at the bookstore for me.)