If there’s any way I could describe the past four years, I’d say it was like reading a really good book.

Full of plot twists, unexpected characters and valuable lessons, my time in college feels like a beautifully crafted story that I’m finally reaching the end of. When I came into my freshman year, I had no idea what I wanted to do or who I wanted to be, and the possibilities seemed overwhelmingly endless. I still remember walking across Bruin Walk toward my first class and being handed a flyer to apply for the Daily Bruin – the start to one of the most precious chapters of my life.

My journey at The Bruin was certainly not the smoothest, but I was met with so much grace along the way. The first time I submitted a draft, I remember the way my heart sank when I saw it drowning in a sea of bold edits. On top of that, I was a rather awkward interviewer and a slow writer lacking confidence in my voice, yet my desire to write another article only grew. And story after story, everything started to come a little more naturally to me. Before I knew it I was the Theater | Film | Television editor interviewing Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya on Zoom from my living room.

Editorship afforded me so many opportunities I had never imagined for myself, whether it was interviewing big-name actors or getting to attend pre-screenings for the year’s most anticipated films.

But the greatest opportunity by far was simply having the privilege to tell people’s stories.

From Emmy-nominated production designers to independent student-filmmakers, I’ve realized that no story is too small, or more or less important than another. The feeling of editing a story where the writer is able to capture an artist source’s passion for their craft, or when someone I’m interviewing willingly shares vulnerable parts of their stories, was undeniably my favorite part of the job.

So as cheesy as it is, I’m going to jump into a sappy list of thank-you’s, because I truly owe these experiences and memories I hold so dear to the following people.

Firstly, thank you to every artist – the filmmakers, musicians, designers and authors – who trusted me to tell their precious stories. Through you I’ve learned that being an artist is genuinely one of the scariest things to be, requiring so much honesty and conviction in your work. Thank you for allowing me to join you in sharing your art with others.

And of course, thank you to my dear friends Isabella, Vivian and Zinnia, who made quite possibly the busiest and most stressful job I’ve had so far a joyful one. I couldn’t have asked for a kinder, more talented or more compassionate Arts team. I’ll forever cherish the memories of eating our Whole Foods hot bar dinners and having watch parties as we tag teamed edits at ungodly hours.

Last of all, thank you God, for being the awesome and perfect author of my life.

As with any other compelling story, I’ve grown quite attached to the characters and plotlines of these past few years, and part of me really doesn’t want to turn to the last page. But the thing about finishing a good story is that more often than not, it leaves you imagining what’s going to happen afterward. What other adventures will the characters experience? In what ways will they keep growing? What new challenges and characters will they encounter along the way?

I’m not sure what my next season entails, and frankly the uncertainty of post-grad life sometimes feels like a dark, scary void I don’t want to step into. But what overshadows the fear is an excitement over the simple fact that there are more chapters to my story that I have yet to read. New people, new places, new experiences – all of which will hopefully mold me into a wiser, stronger person.

So I’ve resolved to turn this last page with nothing but a smile, and something tells me this next chapter is going to be even better than the last.

Yun was an Arts reporter 2019-2021, Theater | Film | Television editor 2021-2022 and Arts senior staff 2022-2023.