I joined the Herald as a lifestyle staff writer, a copy writer and moved into the sales team.

I was able to be apart of many teams on the Herald and learned valuable skills from each role that has led to my youthful success.

While student publications opened up several journalism doors for my peers, I was able to experience a different side.

Having the experience as an advertising executive and turning that into a promotional spot as Sales Manager – I entered the competitive professional business world with one foot ahead. I was equipped with the knowledge, confidence and skill set to enter an aggressively fast paced sales profession with stride.

Without experiencing the failures and breaking negative habits I would be years set back in my field. I am approaching three years from my graduation date and my peers are approaching their 10-15 year anniversaries from graduation. I would not be near as successful as I am today without having the experience that student publication sales was able to provide.

What I learned from working at the Herald is beyond anything I could have learned in a classroom. I will forever be grateful for the learning experience and contribute my success to what I obtained while working there.

If there is anything I could impress to someone who thinks this program isn’t building future leaders – it’s that student publications is an internship, a class room, a learning environment, a safe place to fail – it is everything beyond “just a newspaper”.

The College Heights Herald is a family full of successful alumni because of the invaluable lessons that you learn.

This letter is part of the #SaveStudentNewsrooms movement. A student-led campaign designed to bring attention to the challenges student newsrooms face.