Oh, blog.

When I came to Penn State as a freshman from North Carolina, I initially planned to be a physical therapist, declaring my first major: kinesiology. However, when I discovered kinesiology wasn’t for me (intro to chemistry class), I thought hard to determine my next path.

A daunting thought it was, I looked high and low for worthy majors and studies that interested me. Eventually, I continued to land on my first true passion through grade school: writing. With that, I decided to become a journalism major, eventually applying for and becoming a staff writer for Onward State. After being a fan for a handful of years, it was here that I discovered beat writing, for Penn State wrestling in particular.

This revelation brings me to my first of many gratitudes, Gary Steen. After joining the wrestling beat and being trained by my good friend Mara McKeon, I began to attend and cover all Penn State wrestling duals, witnessing firsthand the highs and lows of the sport, silently rooting for the success of the blue and white wrestlers. One wrestler in particular, Steen, stood out to me during this time.

To be blunt, Steen did not win many matches. However, without fail, he would walk out on every single dual meet, prepared to wrestle his best. I immediately found myself invested in the beat, watching Steen’s matches on the edge of my seat in Rec Hall, hoping he would turn the tide and beat his opponent.

Through Steen’s trials and tribulations, I found myself doing something I had only ever dreamed of: attending my favorite school, watching a national championship-caliber team, and writing about every second of it. My passion for writing grew every single day, combining my love for the art form with my love for sports, closely examining every bout, writing down the second-by-second events occurring in front of my very eyes.

In that moment, I believe I had finally found the career I wanted to pursue. The idea that others around State College, the country, and even beyond read my words, experienced the wrestler’s bouts through my eyes, was truly a surreal feeling. For this, I have the utmost gratitude for my beat partners, Mara and Cooper Cazares.

Both of you, with or without knowing, allowed me to learn so much about myself. You taught me how to refine my work, how to dedicate myself to a craft, how to work as a team, and how to support those around me. Without you, I am not sure if I would be writing this column, and I know that I would not be pursuing a career in this field. For that, I can not find the proper words to thank you enough — you both have played a crucial role in my college career, and I will never forget that.

Beyond those on the wrestling beat, Onward State has brought many others into my life that I will always be grateful for. While there are many people that I could mention in this post — you know who you are — there is one person in particular that the blog placed into my life, Sophie Yadzinski.

To Sophie, thank you for being my rock, my girlfriend, my shoulder to lean on, and above all, my best friend. You have taught me more than you know, and I could not imagine my time here at Penn State, and my life, without you in it.

So, in all, thank you blog for believing in me, for pushing me into pursuing a lifelong passion, for exposing me to some of the best people I have ever met, and for allowing me to contribute for all of these years.

To Gary Steen, keep on truckin’.

Go Steelers.