Kimberly Swetland signs off for graduation

If we look back to beginning of the year, in the back to school issue of the Ledger we attempted to record the goals of the student leaders on campus. My goal was to entertain, inform, help, and inspire the UWT community this year, and to leave the Ledger a lasting legacy. In hindsight, I think trying to create a lasting legacy was a pretty lofty goal.

I joined the paper the fall prior to becoming head editor, as a reporter with the goal of simply wanting to write more and improve my writing. I wasn’t very involved on campus before that, as I’m a single parent who commutes 40 minutes to get here. I just wanted to be a good student in my classes. I wasn’t concerned about being involved.

Something in me shifted in the fall, and I realized I wanted to go beyond that. I approached Olivia, a reporter from last year, at Husky Hangout and that’s where my journey with the Ledger began.  My parents really showed me a lot of support in making this decision and have been very helpful with watching my son, August (Gus), while I had to work late evenings and weekends with the Ledger team to get the issue sent to the printers in time.

 It was the combined effort of this staff and our ability to work as a team and to support one another that has made this experience successful. There were a lot of times that plans didn’t go accordingly, but I think I’ve learned more in those moments about how to be patient, versatile, and open to learning from my mistakes than if things would have always been perfect. 
Prior to being editor-in-chief of the paper I had never taken a news writing course. It was a significant challenge to learn this position and the Adobe software while leading the rest of the staff.

I have Niki Reading to thank for offering a clear perspective, her support, knowledge, and her constructive criticism along the way have truly helped me in this process.  She has been a tremendous resource to me for media ethics, news writing, organization, and leadership. Her guidance has been highly valued by me every step of the way. 
I also have the rest of the Student Involvement staff to thank for their strong support and encouragement throughout the year. It has really helped me and the rest of the team to persevere.

All of the trainings, meetings, and advice has expanded our thinking and given us the tools necessary to continue serving the students, and I think the collaboration that has initiated this year among organizations will continue to grow well into the future. At least that is my hope.

I am always blown away by how helpful students on this campus are, especially towards our organization, and I’d like to thank all of the ones who have helped us this year by participating in interviews, helping us with projects, and simply lending a hand. And a very special thanks to all of the security staff for keeping us safe late at night and on the weekends.

I want to thank the Ledger staff for an amazing year.  You guys are like my second family and I will miss all of you terribly upon graduation. I know that you’ve all made incredible sacrifices to be a part of this team and I thank you for choosing this and for bringing your ideas and creativity into this with you. I’ve always loved working hard with you, and enjoying our time away from the office to go on staff outings. I will not only leave this job with a new set of knowledge and skills, but I will leave with memories and enough inside jokes to keep me smiling well beyond our time together.

I also want to thank our readers who have given us continued feedback and support. Without the students, staff, and faculty on campus that read our paper online or in print, we wouldn’t have jobs. Thanks for being our audience. With the transition nearly completed for next year, I know that I’m leaving the paper in the best possible hands, and I will look forward to hearing about the growth of the Ledger.

The thing I will miss most about this job are all the acquaintances I’ve made, and it will be hard to leave knowing that I can’t take you all with me to grad school next fall. I will miss you all very much, and thank you for each being a part of my time here at UWT. Congrats to my fellow grads.

 There will be one more issue following this one, releasing on June 5.