I didn’t plan on saying goodbye to The Alligator. Not because I planned on working in our office of dust bunnies and back-breaking chairs forever, but because I didn’t think I earned it.
When I first joined the paper, I wanted to fly under the radar as much as possible. I avoided newsroom socials and never lingered at Sunday meetings, allowing myself to be intimidated by the paper’s accolades and talented staff.
Four semesters later, I still recognize how daunting our paper can be. Reporters are expected to cover anything from student government spats and campus protests to hurricanes and elections, often with no experience and high-speed deadlines.
Even the physical newsroom has a reputation of being less than welcoming: Our building is three stories of dimly lit dungeonesque rooms, where the thermostat is permanently locked at frosty temperatures.
At the end of every semester, I often weighed leaving The Alligator with an Irish goodbye and a (borrowed) newsbox in my trunk. I was always sure I’d reached my full potential and that I didn’t possess the ambition or the grit or the talent to go any further. But each time, I found myself lingering, lured back by the same things that have drawn in hundreds of Alligator staffers.
It’s the buzzing in your ears when you’re rushing to file a breaking news brief, and the weight of talking to a source and knowing they’re trusting you to tell their story. It’s the warmth of finishing an article you’re truly proud of. It's the constant, inescapable, all-consuming passion that makes journalism feel like a calling, not a choice.
Our staff was tied together by this passion, and by the ferocious love for an industry that doesn’t always love us back. Whether it was riding out Winter Storm Enzo, chasing down student voters at the polls or braving the insanity of University Avenue after the national championship, our staff tackled this semester with grit, empathy and dogged determination.
I owe so much gratitude to those who weathered the past four semesters alongside me. While it’s the passion that made our paper, it’s these people that kept me coming back.
Thank you to my first desk editor, Amanda Friedman, who made my first disastrous drafts something readable, and my second editor, Valentina Sandoval, who scared me into meeting deadlines with her “Dance Moms” pyramid. You both pushed me to my limit, and I owe you everything for that.
To Siena Duncan and Alissa Gary, our Fall 2024 Big Three, for giving me the confidence and guidance to follow in their footsteps and being willing to listen to angry tirades about this semester.
I could write an entire column alone on this semester’s team of editors, who stepped up in every possible way. Between writing last-minute briefs, driving reporters across the state and being big three’s therapists, they had their hands full. I’m so thankful The Alligator brought us together.
Thank you to Bailey Diem, whose quiet strength, constant reliability and enthusiasm made our metro desk a machine. To our avenue editor Tanya Fedak for her on-the-fly monologues, and opinions editor Kairi Lowery for her infectious laughter: You two brought whimsy to the office. To Megan Howard, our senior news director and resident social media stalker, who was
willing to double up on being the El Caiman editor despite not speaking Spanish. I can’t wait to watch Lucy take over next semester.
To enterprise editor Sophia Bailly, whose passion and unbridled love for journalism shines through in everything — you give me hope for the future of this paper and the industry. I’m so glad we met and that you vibe with me now. Thank you to our multimedia editors: Madilyn Gemme, whose endless positivity, sense of humor and talent lit up our office, and Sydney Johnson, who had an endless well of creativity and the best Grammys takes.
Thank you to university editor Garrett Shanley, who edited stories about wizard dance battles and administrative scandals with equal passion and dedication. I’ll truly miss editing your writing, despite our squabbles over zesty word choice. To our sports editors Hailey Hurst, Noah White and Jack Meyer: This semester was a beast of sports coverage, and the three of you grabbed it by the horns. To Zoey Thomas, our data editor, who pioneered a new desk and impressed us with every story she worked on.
This semester would have been impossible without the other two members of Big Three, Ella Thompson and Nicole Beltran. My sisters in arms, I don’t think there’s anyone else I could’ve survived 120 interviews, 12-hour office days, a 24-page special edition and many, many crashouts with but the two of you. Ella, thank you for leading with empathy, shouldering the brunt of difficult situations and always keeping me grounded. You were the best CEO. Nicole, who has been through three straight semesters with me — thank you for seeing us through this spring with kindness, a dedicated work ethic and hilarious sense of humor. Dinner’s on me after this. I am so glad to know you both. I couldn’t ask for a better All-Female Big Three.
Despite previous grand plans for a French exit, the allotted inches of this column aren’t nearly enough to express how much I love this paper and its people. I will miss our raucous print nights, our imposing office building and the incredible work that comes out of it.
A semester at The Alligator promises sleepless nights, an over-reliance on caffeine and the most fulfilling work you’ve ever done. It promises days that are exhausting, but never lonely — and certainly never dull. It promises to push you to your limit and make you better in every possible way. It promises to fuel your passion and bring you people who make you want to stick around.
It’s worth dedicating your time to. It’s worth coming back to, again and again. It’s worth saying goodbye to.
Kylie Williams was the Spring 2025 Digital Managing Editor.
Kylie Williams is the Spring 2025 Digital Managing Editor and a third-year journalism major. She has also worked as the enterprise editor and the environmental enterprise reporter. In her free time, she can be found reading, baking or watching reality TV with her cat.
