I was in an introduction to journalism class when an old man who only identified himself as “Spoon” told me about the importance of journalism. While I had never thought about writing for a newspaper, especially a college one, I will never regret the decision I made to give it a try.

The next day, I emailed Spoon and asked for a tour of the workplace. I was welcomed to the office and given the very scripted tour Spoon has. I must have arrived on a good day because throughout the tour I saw Spoon pointing at the previous day’s paper and congratulating people with a saying he has: “This is the good sh*t.”

By the time I started at the Daily, I was not ready to get this commendation. In fact, I was worried. My worst subjects in high school had been English, writing and reading, and I had originally come to Iowa State for physics.

Even though I pivoted toward my interests in political communications to later pick a public relations major, I was not confident in my abilities as a journalist.

Between multiple corrections, missed angles and angry sources, my first few stories could have used some work, but constant self review, meetings with my editor and critiques from Spoon gave me enough experience to grow.

I was finally allowed to write larger stories starting my second month at the Daily.

The most impactful of these larger stories was protest coverage of the March for our Lives rally for gun control in the wake of the Parkland shooting.

The rally, which happened on a Saturday in front of the State Capitol during the middle of a blizzard, gave me an opportunity to convey the feelings of people brought together after a national tragedy.

From a man who had lost a son due to gun violence to a recent graduate of the school affected in Parkland, I attempted to impart the raw feelings and emotions in that moment of normal-people-turned-activists.

These moments are why I will never regret working at the Daily. It has given me a chance to grow as a writer, human and communicator. By the time I got back to the Daily later that week, I talked to Spoon and asked him to critique my article: He told me “this is the good sh*t,” and that is what I live for.