A Content Creator’s Farewell
I have dreaded writing these words for a while, but it’s time: this is my last blog post for HU before I graduate on Saturday. Graduating means moving on to a career, further education, and a bright future, but it also means leaving behind close friends, memories, and my favorite campus job. Working for Content Developer Nicole Manges in HU’s Office of University Relations changed my relationship with writing and opened my eyes to the endless possibilities I have as an English major. As I reflect on my four years at HU, I have a lot of advice I could give. But, in the spirit of an English major, I decided to relate my three pieces of advice with aspects of my job as a content creator.
1. Embrace the editing process
The sentence you are reading was retyped five times. I started the sentence, changed how I wanted to begin it, and then changed it again! Just as I edit, change, and reword my writing, we all must realize that God is constantly editing our lives. As the ultimate Creator, God has an amazing, adventure-packed story that He is writing for each of us. Often, edits happen in our story because we have tried to write it ourselves, and God wants us to live in the story He has. So, as you go throughout your life, embrace the changes and edits because it means that you are getting closer to the story and will that God has written for you!
2. Reach out
Part of my job as a content creator is to tell other people’s stories. Whether I'm interviewing a professor, staff member, or student at HU, I know that to get the story, I must reach out. People aren’t going to step into my office — I have to put in effort to get to know people and listen to their stories. Life is the same way! We work best in community, but community doesn’t happen all on its own. We must commit to communicating with those around us and then actually listen.
3. Appreciate God’s timing and placement
The story of how I became a content creator for the Office of University Relations is similar to a lot of other stories in my life: it only happened because of God’s timing and placement. As an Alpha Group leader in 2022, I was randomly placed in one of the faculty sessions to monitor new students and pass out a QR code. The session I was assigned? Lynette Fager’s presentation on the Spirit of a Forester. Through interacting with her, I connected with Nicole Manges, and two years later, I am blessed to have worked under an amazing staff of creators who have pushed me to develop into the writer I am today. Two years ago, I had no idea what my future held, but I am thankful that I trusted God’s timing and placement.
HU will always hold a special place in my heart. Here, God has shaped me into a better writer, creator, and friend. Maybe your story at HU has just started, or maybe you are in the final chapters. Either way, God is the Author of your story, and He decides when every page will turn. So, embrace the editing process, reach out, and appreciate the Author’s timing and placement as you continue at HU.
