Thorpe: Thank you, Collegian, for showing me what I love

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Kadyn Thorpe, Arts and Culture Reporter

Editor’s Note: Traditionally, graduating seniors working at The Collegian are given the chance to write a farewell note at the end of their tenure at CSU.

Before I started writing for The Collegian, I had no idea what I was doing with my life. 

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After my sophomore year, I had a breakdown. I realized I didn’t want to go into business, and I switched my marketing major to journalism. With zero experience or knowledge of journalism, I jumped right in. I got a position as a reporter for the arts and culture desk, and that’s where my Collegian journey began. 

I didn’t expect The Collegian to give me the experience it did. I not only learned a lot about the life of a writer but also the life as a Fort Collins local. I didn’t notice how much I was missing out on before I started focusing on Fort Collins arts and culture. 

“The Collegian was where it all started for me. It showed me that I love to write, and it gave me the opportunity to grow both as a writer and as a person. The Collegian brought me out of my shell.”

Working for The Collegian, I was able to get out of my shell and see Fort Collins for the first time. Before I started writing articles on the things happening around Fort Collins, I knew nothing about the town. I spent my days doing homework in my room or the library on campus. My favorite parts of Fort Collins were the Target off Harmony and Dutch Bros. I never went to Old Town; I never branched out to see what else this city had to offer. 

As a reporter for the arts and culture desk, I have a wide range of topics I can focus on. I have covered many events like film festivals, concerts and galleries along with reviewing new shows and movies released on streaming services. Over the last two years, I have been able to write about things that interest me, like the latest true-crime docuseries on Netflix or the local band playing the Aggie Theatre this weekend. 

However, my work with the Rocky Mountain Student Media Corporation didn’t stop at The Collegian. I am a reporter for CSU Life, the staff and faculty newspaper, and I wrote and edited the winter 2021 graduation publication as well as the 2022 Best of CSU. The Collegian opened me up to more opportunities within Rocky Mountain Student Media. 

The Collegian was where it all started for me. It showed me that I love to write, and it gave me the opportunity to grow both as a writer and as a person. The Collegian brought me out of my shell. It showed me what I enjoy doing and helped me realize that journalism was the right fit for me. 

I learned and grew throughout the last two years working for The Collegian, and I wouldn’t trade that experience for anything. When I started, I had no experience with AP Style writing or interviewing. Now I have built a portfolio that shows my range and everything I have learned. 

Rocky Mountain Student Media is filled with students who are dedicated to what they are doing. There are amazing editors, photographers, writers and designers that put in work to make The Collegian by students, for students. 

I will look back on my experience at The Collegian as the changing point in my life where I realized what I want to do with my life. Thank you to everyone who makes this newspaper possible, and thank you to The Collegian for showing me what I love.

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Kadyn Thorpe can no longer be reached at entertainment@collegian.com but can be reached on Twitter @ThorpeKadyn.