Gabrielle Hendricks
Spending all my four years at the Mount working for “The Mountain Echo” has been a journey. Writing this article feels strange, and surreal. I cannot believe that it has been this long, as I still feel like a novice at times.
Retiring as a Managing Editor has made me reflect on how far I have come. I have learned so much over the years, starting out as a shy writer right after COVID, working with a completely online paper, then transforming into an editor and having to learn from scratch with my other co-editors how to work with In-Design and produce a physical paper.
Over the four years I have seen many people come and go and I have witnessed the ups and downs of being a journalist and manager. I have seen large staffs and depressingly small staffs, times of peace and times of controversy and much more. Working through all of those conditions has given me a sense of what it takes to maintain an organization and what real dedication looks like.
I have always had a passion for writing, but I never thought that journalism would be my niche. I joined The Echo as a first-year student, not thinking much about it, just to fill a requisite. I am glad it was the requisite I chose, as this paper has changed my life for the best. Working in positions of leadership and management for over two years has given me confidence and the ability to advocate for myself and others to keep a well-oiled machine running, which is something I never knew I was capable of.
I have interviewed countless people from all walks of life through The Echo and have attended notable events and conferences at Mount St. Mary’s that I would not have had the chance to if it were not for my journalist position. I made connections with both University Presidents I have been under, important clergy and professors and other journalists from the Frederick News Post. Through the paper I have been able to highlight things I care about, on and off campus, and give myself a voice that I would not use otherwise.
Working with my mentor and advisor of The Echo, Dr. Kumar, has been simultaneously frustrating and wonderful. She has challenged me throughout my years to be confident and a definite ‘girl boss’ which is something that is not natural to me as a timid and shy person. I am thankful to her and all of the other amazing peers I have met along the way through the paper. I will definitely take my experience on The Echo with me throughout life. I have already talked about it in length on my postgraduate and job applications, for political science of all things.
Talking in a bold and confident manner is just one of the skills I gained from The Echo that I can put on my resume. I have acquired many more assets from the experience. I can now write in multiple formats from working with all four sections of the paper for so long. I also can put proficiency with Adobe Suite and Microsoft Suite from having to work with the apps despite how tedious the work was. Pulling all-nighters, going out of my comfort zone and even having to be confrontational at times has all been worth it.
I would not trade my experience on the paper for anything else. Farewell to all of the readers and the University community. I hope that everyone continues to read all the upcoming editions and that every future writer, editor and manager has as just of a transformative experience as I have had.
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