When I arrived in Alabama in February to start this job, I couldn’t have been more excited. As the months went on, with all the things I was able to do and people I was able to meet, I knew it was the right decision. I had other offers at the time, but I believed there was no better place to cover sports than Alabama.That certainly proved to be true. But, as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. It’s with a heavy heart that I tell you that this will be my last article for the News Courier as I have accepted a new job.

The people in this community have had a very positive impact on my life. I have never had more fun at a job or felt more comfortable in a position within in a community than I have here. I can confidently say almost everyone I spoke with was welcoming, friendly and helpful. In my experience, it’s rare to get this lucky and meet so many good people.

It didn’t matter what or who I was covering. From my sports stories to random community type articles, every source was wonderful, even if many of them originally thought I was a telemarketer calling from my Grand Rapids, Michigan based cell-phone number.

I covered a lot, but I also realize I didn’t cover enough. For that, I apologize. I wish I could cover everything, but that wasn’t possible. There are nine schools that I was able to cover here. I tried my best, but I wish I could have done more.

Everyone that I interacted with here, whether it be in my work capacity or personally, showed me southern hospitality at its finest. People treated me with respect, appreciated what I was doing, or trying to do, and always let me do my job. Most importantly, I believe many of you could tell how much I cared and how much this meant to be. I have gotten many kind messages here (you know who you are) and I’ll keep those the rest of my life.

Lastly, I want to thank my coworkers. Lora Scripps, J.R. Tidwell and Jessica Barnett taught me so much and I had a blast. They’re really good people and I couldn’t have asked for a more helpful, fun and kind group to come in and work with. They’re not just coworkers anymore, they’re friends. While I have only had a few days with him, the new editor, Tom Mayer, is pretty awesome, too.

This is a special place. Like I have said previously, it’s not my job to show favoritism in stories, but believe me when I say that I genuinely care about the success of the teams and people I cover. When teams win, I get excited just like the other fans. When a team I cover loses, I’m as bummed out as most of the fans in the stands. Am I supposed to be that emotionally invested? Maybe that’s not good journalism practice, but it’s what makes this job so difficult to leave. These connections matter to me.

I’m grateful to have worked and lived in such a wonderful community. I’m proud of what I have done. I’m proud of how I conducted myself in and outside of work. I’m passionate about sports and good journalism. But even more so, I want to be known as a good person and I believe I’m leaving here a better person, a better journalist and a better friend.