Welcome back, Cyclones. You made it.

The last year and a half has been grueling for every human on this planet, but here you are, nearing the light at the end of the tunnel.

You made it through a global pandemic, an insane election, online classes, isolation, tragedies that students should never have to go through and a seemingly endless number of uncertainties.

For most of us, even though mask requirements are gone, a significant percentage of people are vaccinated and we can all gather together again, the world will never go back to normal. Someone you love may have died. You or someone you love may be suffering from long-term physical effects of COVID-19 or mental effects from isolation and stress.

Despite that, you made it. You’re here, and that’s something to be proud of. Even if you didn’t get the internship you wanted, failed classes or simply feel like you didn’t succeed in the ways you should have, you should still be proud of yourself for pushing through.

If you feel like you can’t be proud of yourself, just know that I’m proud of you.

As you enter this year, remember to give yourself and those around you grace. You’ve endured so much, and you came out on top.

I am beyond honored to serve the Iowa State and Ames communities as the editor-in-chief of the Iowa State Daily this year. Throughout the craziness, we have strived to keep students, staff, faculty and members of the Ames community informed and up-to-date on the good, the bad and the uncertain.

We will continue to serve our communities this year, making sure we are fair, timely and accurate in our reporting.

As we come out of what was likely the most difficult year in many of our lives, just know we are here for you, you are loved and you are supported.

Please feel free to reach out to me individually. My email is [email protected], and I would love to talk about our content and how we can better serve you.

Good luck, everyone, and remember to keep grace toward the forefront of your mind as you proceed into this school year.