If you told me in 2011 that writing fake Rick Santorum love letters helped me figure out what I wanted to do with my life, I wouldn’t believe you.

But that’s the way my slide toward political journalism started—with a few steps in between, of course.

I came to Northwestern because I wanted to learn a lot of stuff and be a sports reporter in a cool city. I also really, really liked politics and talking about them. So as my initial dip into student journalism ended with me almost fainting in an information session (Don’t wear a North Face fleece in 70 degree weather, folks), I joined NBN in February 2012 because I could cover both.

That eventually turned into me writing sports for another website and editing politics for NBN. And while some of my fondest memories at NBN are writing about the House of Republican Horrors or why vice presidential debates are like WWE matches, even more of them are when one of our writers helped explain or illuminate politics in an engaging way.

And it all started because it was Valentine’s Day and Rick Santorum likes sweater vests.

Now I’m covering Congress for a newspaper—which I love—and can’t write quite the same way as I did—which I’ll always miss. But it was those first articles in NBN that brought me here in the first place.

Northwestern, like any university, can have a major impact on you for obvious reasons, and for better or worse. You’re young, impressionable and there’s a lot going on here. It can build you up or break you down, and sometimes it will do one right after the other. And while I probably stressed too much and slept too little, it’s been an awesome ride, even if it didn’t start out that way.

I already did my pour-my-heart out, drown-you-in-my-feels article, so long story short: Freshman year sucked for lots of reasons but NBN and a bunch of great friends made every day after that better. Four years later, the stress from countless essays, anxious moments, exams and articles can't beat the fun of every late night newsroom, pick-up basketball game, Madden spree or ridiculous weekend that started with a few friends getting together and ended with a Kermit figurine in the shower and defrosted chicken cutlet on the floor.

Between all of that, I started to figure out what and who I wanted to be, how I wanted to do that and when I could jump to each step of the way. It’s also helped me learn how to remember the good and forget about the bad, and see challenges as opportunities, not obstacles. I came to Northwestern to learn a lot of stuff, and damn did I ever do that.

Of course, Northwestern also taught me to appreciate every opportunity to write and how to tell when you’ve written enough. With that in mind, thank you, Northwestern. I’ll remember you like a warm scratchy sweater vest on a cold Chicago day.