Eager, determined, and fresh of out university, I landed my first real job as a writer at the Interrobang in 2005. Not as a wide-eyed student anymore, but as a full-time writer earning actual money. Spoiler alert: I had no idea what I was doing. Fast-forward two decades, and I now realize my time at the Interrobang didn’t just shape my career—it rewired my entire approach to work, life, and learning.

Let’s be real: the job had perks. I sharpened my flag football skills, roamed the halls in pursuit of coffee, and fueled afternoons with wraps from the Oasis and drinks at the Shack. My “extended student life” came with backstage passes, too—interviewing headlining musicians, comedians, and entertainers who graced Forwell Hall. It was a playground of opportunities wrapped up as work.

A one-year contract turned into three more as Editor, and that’s where my true education began. Managing people, juggling deadlines, tweaking content, and wrestling with page counts—it became my boot camp for the professional world. I learned everything Fanshawe College and the college system, inside and out, mastered the art of negotiation, and honed my problem-solving and project management skills.

I was lucky to learn from some of the best mentors, colleagues and friends, who gave me the grace to stumble while holding me accountable every step of the way. They were instrumental in transforming my missteps into milestones.

Of course, the lessons weren’t all easy. I’ll never forget the day I had to call a grieving mother about her son’s passing in a car accident—a sobering moment that taught me journalism might not be my calling. Or the time John and I were hit with a lawsuit over a satirical piece in The Distorter. Tough? Yes. But each challenge revealed something new about myself and my limits.

The greatest learning curve came from managing students. A constant rotation of characters. There were backpacks, moody musicians, unreliable artists, medical issues, tears, missed deadlines, and constant ghosting. My cubicle stayed open despite Allen “The Bodyguard” Gaynor’s valiant efforts. Empathy, patience, and finesse became my toolkit for navigating this ever-revolving cast of characters.

And those lessons? They stuck.

In 2009, I graduated from the Interrobang myself, heading off for a post-grad. The transition led me into the world of Communications at another Ontario college. I discovered a passion for that unmistakable September energy—always a student, always learning. Over the next 14 years, I climbed the ranks of marketing, communications, and brand management, carrying my Interrobang lessons every step of the way. By the time I became a Senior Director, I had refined the leadership skills I first stumbled upon in that cubicle.

When I left the college system in 2024, my metaphorical backpack was bursting with even more lessons. Post-secondary education has changed drastically, and not always for the better. For me, the dissolution of The Interrobang and its rich legacy is a profound loss. Independent journalism, real-world student engagement, and hands-on, applied learning opportunities are irreplaceable pillars of the Ontario college experience—or at least, they should be.

In the end, despite my degrees and five years of formal education, it’s those four whirlwind years at The Interrobang that taught me the most. Problem-solving. Creativity. Critical thinking. These are the tools that shaped my career and life—lessons learned not in a lecture hall, but in the chaotic, electrifying heartbeat of a student newsroom.

The best education doesn’t live in textbooks. It’s out there in the world, waiting to be discovered, one glorious mistake at a time.

Thank you, John, Darby, Allen, Sara and the entire FSU team!