In high school, I hated group projects.
A chronic over-achiever, I only ever trusted myself to get the assigned work done to the high standards I wanted to reach, so I took the brunt of the work and often ended up frustrated with the other members in my group.
In college, I still hated group projects. But I learned, eventually, how to trust and work with other people in a way that
produces both high-quality and fulfilling results.
The reason I enjoyed my time at the University of Idaho so much more than my time in high school is because of the people I worked with. I had the privilege of working with some of the best and most talented people I know, and I wouldn’t be where I am without them.
Because of this, I’m going to take some time to acknowledge some of them.
Claire Whitley, the current Argonaut editor-in-chief, is one of the reasons I stayed so involved with Student Media. I met Claire when we were both sophomores and brand new editors for The Argonaut.
We were given desks right next to each other in the corner of the newsroom. Scared and overwhelmed by my new responsibilities, Claire befriended me and kept me from quitting. I knew I loved working at the paper, but my first semester as an editor at The Argonaut was a big adjustment. Talking to her every day made it worthwhile.
Kaitlyn Krasselt, the editor-in-chief of The Argonaut in 2015, inspired me like no one ever has before. She was the news editor when I joined as a freshman, and embodied everything I wanted to be in life. I was terrified of her.
Everything changed when she hired me as a copy editor the following year. To have someone I looked up to so much believe in me proved that I was capable of doing great things in Student Media. Though she graduated two years ago, she continues to inspire me to strive for greatness.
Shawn O’Neal, the former Student Media adviser, fueled me whenever I was ready to break down. Any student who knows Shawn understands the effect he has on people. The man has the gift of gab.
From the first day I started at Student Media, Shawn had complete confidence in me. I didn’t understand why, but it made me more passionate in my work. Even though I didn’t know this strange bald man, I found I just couldn’t let him down.
Shawn has an innate sense of when somebody needs words of encouragement, and his pep talks are legendary. To this day, every time I talk to him, I leave with renewed energy and enthusiasm toward my latest task at hand.
The women of Kappa Delta Sorority made each day a little bit brighter. I was hesitant to join Greek life, which is why I rushed my second year instead of my first. But going Greek is one of the best decisions I made at UI.
Instead of penalizing me due to my involvement in another organization, the women in my sorority encouraged it. Kappa Delta women are determined to build each other up — always — and that made a huge difference in my life.
The students I taught after I took up a leadership position in Student Media were my motivation to keep working harder every day. Some of these students I met three years ago, and now I work alongside them as editors. Some of them I just met this semester, and I am thrilled at the potential they display.
Either way, words cannot explain how proud of them I am. Watching students grow is easily one of my favorite parts of Student Media, and it’s even better when I can be one of the people who helped them grow.
Lyndsie Kiebert, the current opinion editor of The Argonaut, has no clue how much she’s taught me. Every person on this planet is unique, but Lyndsie is on a whole different level. I fondly refer to her as my lumberjack princess, because she would be perfectly OK spending the rest of her life hiking through the wilderness in search of Bigfoot and carving poetry onto tree trunks.
More importantly, she showed me that success is determined by how each person defines it. I don’t have to check off a list of criteria to prove that I’m successful. Happiness is relative. Lyndsie taught me to relax and be comfortable with where I go in life, even if it isn’t specifically how I planned.
Corrin Bond, the current Blot editor-in-chief, is one of the best people I know. I have never met someone who is so relentlessly positive, no matter how unpleasant the situation is.
Every person I’ve listed has changed me in some way, but Corrin probably had the biggest impact. I didn’t believe it was possible to be so kind all the time, but she proved me wrong, and that motivated me to be nicer to others as well. I am a more positive person today than I was when I started college, and that is because of Corrin.
So, what’s the moral of the story here?
As Lyndsie would say, success is all about how you define it. But one thing is certain — you can’t get there by yourself. Every person’s happy ending is influenced by the people in their life.
Erin Bamer can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @ErinBamer