I like to tell people that I’ve based my entire college experience on Pitch Perfect, just replacing acapella with Ultimate Frisbee.

While I’m (mostly) joking when I say this, what is definitely true is that I applied to the Daily Bruin because of Gilmore Girls. Don’t worry, I lied and said something else in my interview.

Now, this doesn’t entirely make sense – considering Rory Gilmore is a writer – and as a member of Design, this -30- column will be the first and last piece I ever write for the paper. But thankfully, freshman-year me decided that detail was irrelevant.

The Daily Bruin has probably been the most consistent space I’ve been involved in throughout college. I’ve had so many opportunities through The Bruin, and speaking to so many alumni specifically has been one of the most special parts. In fact, I took Communication 195DB: UCLA Daily Bruin and Student Media Internship three times. Honestly, this obsession with hearing about what DB alumni have done probably speaks more to me desperately trying to figure out what to do post-grad, but let’s not worry about that for now!

It wouldn’t be my -30- column if I didn’t mention PRIME.

This has been by far my favorite project to work on. During high school, I had to design a magazine for my A-Level Media Studies Exam. This project was where I first found my love for design. So, when I found out about PRIME, I knew it was something I wanted to be a part of.

I loved working on a magazine that prioritized both creative storytelling and design. While slightly terrifying, it was also thrilling as a designer to have so much creative freedom over the appearance of a story and how it was communicated to readers.

I can only hope I did these wonderful stories justice.

My absolute favorite PRIME design was one I did this winter quarter for the story “Taking a Stand From the Stacks.” I feel like this was a true culmination of the skills I’ve learnt at the Bruin through the years and the (many) hours I spent agonizing over shades of yellow or where on earth to place the pull quotes. Though it might be cheesy, it really does feel so special seeing my work in print.

Being in The Bruin didn’t come without its challenges. After joining in my freshman year, the Daily Bruin was incredibly intimidating to me. I’ve often heard that in the Daily Bruin, you get out what you put in. Looking back on my freshman year, I wish I’d been more involved. But, of course, there’s no point in dwelling on the past.

Now, I find myself feeling so much more confident walking into the office.

Honestly, when designing the Opinion page each week, I probably do more chatting than actual work. Every time I try something new within the paper or go to a new event, I leave glad that I went.

This is one of the most valuable things I’ve learnt in my time here – you have to put yourself out there, and you will be rewarded.

To sum up, Gilmore Girls got a lot of things about college news wrong – there are definitely more than 12 people in the news section at my paper. Nonetheless, I am so glad that it encouraged me to join the Daily Bruin.

I have learned so much about myself – about trying new things, meeting new people and, of course, about design. Thank you to everyone I have met in my time at The Bruin and all the Design editors who have taught me so much.

Finally, a shout-out to the annual Daily Bruin hoodie for being a staple in my wardrobe and the tote bag, which my mum rocks.

Walker was a Design contributor and PRIME designer.