I’ve said goodbye to a lot of things in my life, the very first being my figure skating and dance career at the age of 10 to pursue my love for softball. At the age of 13 I said goodbye to band and my alto saxophone in order to follow different interests once I arrived in high school. At 16 I said goodbye to the sport I had loved for 10 years, and at 17 I said goodbye to my career as a sports announcer for the games I loved as I was entering a new chapter in my life. And just like that, four years have gone by and it is once again time to say goodbye to something I love.
When I arrived at Virginia Tech in the Fall of 2018, I was a wayward soul who had difficulty making friends and was a shell of the girl that I am now. I thought I knew what I wanted to do and who I wanted to be, but yet I still had a hard time feeling like I belonged in Blacksburg. That year I was faced with constant internal and external battles that showed me that I was stronger than I ever thought and that it was okay to open up to people and show them the real me. If it wasn’t for the events that transpired throughout my freshman year, I wouldn’t be here writing my 36th and final Her Campus article.
After all the self-discovery I endured throughout my first year, I knew that no matter what I did in life, I always had to find an outlet where I could write and express myself. When I discovered Virginia Tech’s Her Campus chapter, I immediately began to feel at home. Through one change of major, a global pandemic, losing two of my biggest cheerleaders in both of my grandfathers, discovering my new passion and career path, and getting in and deciding on a law school, Her Campus has been there for me through it all.
Her Campus at Virginia Tech has given me a voice. A voice to talk about the things I am most passionate about and believe that others should hear and a voice to discuss and share some of my favorite things in life. Throughout my time with Her Campus, I have discovered that having and using your voice is one of the most powerful tools anyone can possess. Because it is through one’s voice that the truth, change and justice can finally occur.
No matter who you are or what you want to do with your life, Her Campus is designed to help guide you through it all. The bonds I have made with the girls in this chapter I will forever be grateful for. Without them and the overwhelming support for one another that we all share, I would’ve never discovered my voice and realized my true passion was deep within it — the desire to help others and make sure that their own voice is heard.
After every one of my announcing gigs, I ended the night by saying “Goodnight Stone Bridge” which was the name of my high school. Saying “Goodnight” was a way of me letting the fans know that the night was over and it was time to go home as I would shut down the PA system, pack up all of my things, and turn the lights off to the booth. So it’s only fitting that I end my last article in the same fashion.
Just like I put away my skates and dance shoes at the age of 10, packed away my saxophone at the age of 13, hung up my cleats for the very last time at 16, and turned off the lights to the press booth of the softball field at my high school, it is finally time to say goodbye. Thank you to everyone who has read my articles and has supported me in my writing these past years. I will be forever grateful for the opportunities I have been given and the growth I have experienced as a result.
Signing off for the very last time, my name is Alexandra Brooks and
Goodnight HC.