It’s been an adventure

It feels surreal to say, but my time at the News-Bulletin has come to a close, as I will soon be setting sail on to new adventures.

Change and the idea of the unknown has never been easy for me. Though, looking around admiring the awakening of greenery, hearing the excitement of the chirping birds and taking in deep breaths of fresh spring air remind me that like the shift in seasons, change is a natural, constant part of life.

At the same time, we all know change is hard. My decision was not an easy one, and there will be lots to miss, but also lots of amazing memories for me to forever cherish, especially because Valencia County is home.

I’ve lived here my whole life and have family roots going back generations, yet there was so much I didn’t know and fully appreciate until I got the opportunity to report on my community and get a much more in-depth look at it.

For example, through this job is how I learned of and attended for the first time so many awesome events I did not know about before, like the St. Patrick’s Day Balloon Rallye and the World’s Largest Matanza. Being able to photograph a wide variety of community events while getting to mingle with community members and event organizers was one of my favorite parts of this job.

I also enjoyed covering the ever-evolving landscape of education and all the wonderful things educators and youth are doing to better their community. I am especially thankful for the times I got to take part in celebrating their success, like when graduation season comes along. It’s a long day of taking photos of each Los Lunas Schools graduation at the Pit, but I actually always enjoyed this day.

It’s so fun photographing people on such a happy, momentous occasion, and I’ll always treasure the time I got to photograph my cousin walking the stage while being there with her in the Pit.

I am also grateful for the opportunity I had to bring more attention to causes that are important to me, like animal welfare and wildlife conservation. I’ll never forget my awe in getting to photograph and spend some time with New Mexico Raptors founder Laura McCann and her rescued birds of prey for a story I wrote on the organization. I never thought I would be face-to-face with such magnificent creatures I had only seen in pictures and videos.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, I will always remember and treasure all the wonderful people I met along the way. This county, like any other, has its challenges and difficult people, but I did not know until this job how many people there were working so selflessly to make it a better place.

I could go on and on about each of them, but there’s one group in particular that have made an everlasting impact on me, and that’s of course the News-Bulletin team.

Clara, our editor, is an absolute gem. I learned a lot from her about what it means to be a good leader and reporter, and her resilient and kind-hearted spirit will always be an inspiration to me.

The zest assistant editor Julia brings to the lives of those around her is unmatched, and she is one of the most knowledgeable and compassionate people I know.

Mike, our sports reporter is a hoot; I’m pretty sure he has more wit in his pinky than I do in my whole being. I’ll be forever thankful for all the times he’s cracked me up, especially when he and Julia go at it — that alone is something I’ve been privileged to witness!

Apart from being amazing journalists, seeing how deeply they care for this community and their passion for the truth inspires me in many ways, and to have had the honor of learning from them is priceless.

Being a reporter is one of the hardest, yet most riveting things I’ve done. I learned so much, and experienced the full range of human emotion while at it, so I’m thankful I got to experience it all alongside such great mentors and friends.

Finally, to have the opportunity to connect with my community on such a deep and meaningful level is an honor I’ll cherish for the rest of my life. Thank you for reading, and for putting your trust in me these past couple of years to not only bring you the news, but to tell your stories.

I sincerely appreciate all the times you all have sent me nice messages or said kind words regarding my work; it meant more to me than you think, and I urge you to continue supporting local journalism.

Here at the VCNB, I can confirm you have an excellent team working hard day-in and day-out to keep you informed and inspired, and I can’t wait to see what’s in store for Valencia County now as a fellow reader. Thank you again for your support; it’s been an adventure!