Diego Burciaga

I can’t even imagine the number of hours I have spent in room 105 Union East throughout the past two-and-a-half years. Oh the stories I could tell. There’s a lot, but I’ll stick to the very first one.

I was all dressed up—slacks, buttoned-up shirt and shined shoes. I had just made the decision to bail on an engineering degree a semester and a half before graduating to pursue journalism. My first move after switching majors was applying to The Prospector.

The application went without response for months. I was losing hope when I got the call. That’s why I was all dressed up–I had an interview with Mr. Cortez.

I was nervous as hell.

I showed up to the meeting with my palms sweating, legs shaking and feeling like my whole future depended on this interview, only to realize Mr. Cortez—to whom I had only spoken to on the phone—was this short, skinny student five years younger than me.

I was still nervous.

So nervous I don’t remember meeting the two girls who were in the office the day of my interview–two girls who apparently vetoed my hire when Mr. Cortez told them he was thinking about it.

In the two years after that meeting, Mr. Cortez became Javi, the guy I would spend countless hours with covering, arguing and geeking-out about sports. Not to mention pranking each other, continuously beating him at beer pong and making up games like paper dodge ball.

I also got to know the two girls I don’t recall meeting. The ones that didn’t want me to get hired. One became my wing-woman, drinking buddy and one of my best friends, the other I fell in love with.

I was scared, nervous, a little excited, but during that first visit to The Prospector, I could have never imagined the things I would learn, the people I’d meet, the places I’d visit and the experiences I would live.

I turned to The Prospector with the hope of finding out if I had any shot of becoming a journalist. I am leaving with more than a handful of friends, life-changing experiences, a world of knowledge, and the confidence that I have a shot at making it out there.

Thanks Kathy, Vero, Isabel, Marcie, Michaela (my wing-woman), Jacobo (my other wingman), Diego, Andrea, Loraine, Jasmine, Jose, Anna, Adrian, Eric, Jason, Javi, Andres, Chris, Maria, Rene and everybody else that made room 105 Union East my second home.

Amanda, if I would’ve known this was going to happen I would’ve joined The Prospector a lot sooner. I love you.

Luis Gonzalez may NOT be reached at [email protected].