Wow! What a year it has been!

From writing nearly 800 stories ranging from the top stories of the year, to telling the stories of area cancer survivors or bringing justice to the unfairly treated, my time with the Selma Times-Journal has been quite an interesting and rewarding whirlwind experience.

I’ve met so many people — dignitaries, local leaders, celebrities, foot soldiers of the civil rights movement and my favorite, the “unsung heroes,” or those who make major contributions to their communities but remain faceless or nameless. From the investigative “60 Minutes”-type stories, to the more lighthearted features, many of my assignments have made me perturbed, happy or have pulled on my heartstrings. I am grateful and thankful to the persons who have allowed me to bombard their private lives to bring their personal stories to light. Most of all, I’m thankful to God for allowing me the opportunity to learn, grow and be a better person because of these stories.

I’ll admit that I’ve always been a little nosey. I always wanted to know the “who, what, when, where and why” of things, probably making my job as a reporter a no-brainer. Through my job as a general assignment reporter, I’ve had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of meeting people I don’t think I would’ve met otherwise. I’m doing what most journalists desire: to be the first to know something and bring it to the public’s attention. Being a vehicle of information is an exhilarating, indescribable feeling. Not bad for someone who’s lifelong dream was to be a teacher.

In one year I have seen changes spring up across Selma. From new businesses opening, to downtown experiencing a makeover, to the community — black, white and Latino, coming together for a common goal: to see Selma progress. It has been awesome.

Thanks to Dennis Palmer and Tim Reeves for giving me a chance to be myself and to grow as a reporter. Thanks to Leesha Faulkner for seeing my potential and taking me under her wings and guiding me through the interesting world of print journalism, challenging me at every turn and helping me to re-evaluate my writing skills.

And finally, thanks to all my fans, who’ve always given me words of wisdom, encouragement and inspiration. Thanks for your confidence in me and your comments, good and bad. I will never forget you. It is because of you, that I am proud to have been a part of Selma’s history and growth. I am proud of what Selma has become and will continue to be.