By Mary Mone
Online and Copy Editor

Photo by Chris Swann

“Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen,” Winston Churchill said. Sitting down to write this is a “shake me” moment. All the late nights, questions asked and answered, miles driven, laughs and a few tears, this is my goodbye to The Drumbeat.
When I stepped onto Tyler Junior College’s campus for the first time in the fall 2019, I didn’t know the name of any of the buildings, and on my first day of classes, I carried a printed version of my class schedule because I was nervous to get my classes wrong. I didn’t know about The Drumbeat my whole first semester because all I did was come to school, went to class and left. Around finals week my professor Kasi Dickerson sent out an invitation to join the student media, and I was overjoyed at an opportunity to be a part of something. Little did I know I was about to be in for a period of learning and growth.
When asking some of my family and close friends, they say my experience in The Drumbeat has been enlightening, challenging, pioneering, and my personal favorite, edifying. According to merriam-webster.com, edifying can be defined as, “instructive or informative in a way that improves the mind or character.” There is no word that describes my experience better.
Being around some of the most consistent and determined people I have ever met, encouraged me to be better myself. In my time at The Drumbeat, I didn’t just learn about journalism, writing, photography, graphic design, or even layout. I learned how to sit in front of people who have different opinions than me and listen. I learned to ask questions and to never take information for face value. My professor Adrienne Hampton taught me to believe in my ability to create effective graphics, and how to write with curiosity.
The Drumbeat was no mistake in the story of my life, and although this is the last issue I will be involved with, I will never forget the lessons I learned here.