To Whoever is Reading This,
Three-and-a-half years ago in August of 2021, I left my hometown of Sandy Hook, Connecticut, and stepped onto the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) campus for the first time as a student. I was just an 18-year-old fresh out of Nonnewaug High School with big dreams and high hopes for what was to come in the future. Now three-and-a-half years later, I will be a member of the December 2024 graduating class of MCLA, finishing with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communications, with a triple concentration in Broadcast Media, Digital Media Innovation, and Journalism. It’s hard to believe that my college experience is coming to a close in only a few short days, and summing up exactly what these last few years have meant to me being a student and a member of the MCLA community is going to be tough, but I will certainly give it a go.
First things first, to The Beacon. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to grow as a writer, as an interviewer, as a designer, and as a leader, while becoming my second family. I began my tenure with The Beacon in January 2022 unexpectedly, when it replaced a class that I was initially supposed to take. I still remember being so nervous when I covered my very first event, an MCLA Women’s Basketball game, and shaking as I walked up to do interviews. Little did I know then, how much the organization and the experience would mean to me during my time here. All I ever wanted to do was use the platform to show off all of the accomplishments student-athletes and coaches here at MCLA have done in their careers, and it became so much more than I could have ever asked for. To all of the people I have interviewed during my time here, it truly was an honor to be able to learn more about your craft and experiences in your sports and life both on and off the field. I hope that I was able to create stories that you can look back on fondly and carry with you years down the line. These last few days especially made me realize how crazy this time has quickly gone by, but also how much growth I was able to make, working my way up from a Staff Writer, to Sports Editor, and a year-and-a-half serving as President and Editor-in-Chief. I had the privilege to work with four talented staff groups in my time in the organization, and being able to learn from you and spread that information is something I don’t take lightly. We’ve had a lot of ups and downs during the process, but I wouldn’t trade any of it for the world, and I am so grateful to have worked with every single member, both past and present. To the current staff and future Beacon members, I hope that I was able to leave you in a place to continue being successful and that you continue to grow The Beacon to new heights. It has, and will always be, the number one place for members of our community to learn about all things MCLA. “Do You Even Read The Beacon?”
To Dr. Michael Birch and Professor Darren Johnson. Thank you for helping me grow as a student, as a Communications major, and most importantly, as a person. Right from the start when I walked into my Media Writing and Production class as a freshman for the first time, you both saw so much potential in me, potential which I didn’t even know that I had, and made sure you did everything in your powers to help me realize it. I still remember when you, Professor Johnson, told me something that I will never forget:
“The people who make it far in the sports industry never say no to any opportunities.”
When I heard that for the first time, it was as if a light bulb went off in my head on what I needed to do. Ever since then, your support and guidance have helped me in so many different ways. From the important knowledge I have been able to take away from each of your classes, to all of the times you pushed me out of my comfort zone when things got tough, to involving me with extracurricular activities such as WJJW North Adams, The Beacon, and Beacon Web News. Even outside of the classroom, you’ve guided me in earning different scholarships and awards and played major roles in creating internship opportunities for me with OLLI Podcast, The Newtown Bee, and the North Adams SteepleCats. You took a chance, something not a lot of people would have been willing to do for me, and helped me prosper in my time here. I hope that I was able to leave a footprint in the Communications department by demonstrating a true love and passion for the subject and know that whatever comes next for me, you both played a major role in helping me get there.
To the rest of my professors. Thank you for allowing me the privilege to take each of your classes. Some of you I have taken multiple classes with, while others I have only taken one class. No matter how long the duration was with every one of you, I am so appreciative of learning important knowledge and life lessons from you, even if the material had nothing to do with my major in particular. The little things, such as asking me how my day was or going to attend your office hours when I needed help with an assignment, truly went a long way for me, and I am beyond grateful for you all taking the time out of your day to help me learn and grow as a student.
To my friends, especially in Townhouse 68, The Attic, and Pines. Thank you for accepting me with open arms and calling me one of your friends. As important as learning in the classroom is, it is just as important to have fun outside of it, and boy did we ever. All of the time, whether we were going out in town or on a trip somewhere fun, to even just the simpler times playing NBA 2K or MLB The Show and listening to all kinds of music in the townhouses, every minute I spent with you all will forever be core memories that I will always look back on fondly. We’ve all gone through a lot in our lives, both the good and the bad. But, despite this, we’ve all stuck by each other through it all, and I cannot thank you all enough for that. Without you guys, my MCLA experience would never have been what it became, and I am so grateful to each and every one of you for making my time here so memorable. Blood makes you related, but loyalty makes you family, and I know I have plenty of it. I hope that as our journeys start to take different directions, we continue to stay in contact with one another and maybe even get together from time to time. Regardless, we’re going places, and I’m excited to see all that we’re going to accomplish and where we all end up in this game called life. “Roll Pines,” and “Welcome to the Attic” forever.
Last, but certainly not least, to my family, especially my mom and grandma. Thank you for not only continuing to love and support me through all of my highest of highs and lowest of lows but for also allowing me to attend college and more specifically, MCLA. Going to college is a privilege and not a right, and I am so appreciative of all of you for putting in both a financial and personal investment in me to go to school here. Since the day I was born, you’ve sacrificed so much along the way, both financially and personally, to give me the best life possible, and that’s something that I’ve never taken for granted, not even for a second. Things haven’t always been easy for us, at times we even questioned if we were able to make stuff happen. Despite this, you showed me the sheer strength and will through your actions and words to push through all of those hard times, and above all, to never give up when the going gets tough. It truly motivated me to be the best I could be, whether it was with school, baseball, playing the drums, or just representing myself in public. None of the things I have been able to do in my life happen without you guys, and I hope that you can look at all of my accomplishments in my time here and be proud of our family. Know that whatever comes next in this next chapter of life, I’ll always do everything with you all in the back of my mind and continue working hard to be the best son, grandson, and nephew I can be. I love you all to the moon and back.
With that, it’s the end of the road for me, and I can honestly say that I am going to miss MCLA and the community we created so badly. But, as Dr. Seuss once said, “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened,” and I can smile about all the friends I’ve made, memories created, and lessons learned. If there’s one piece of advice I can leave for current and future MCLA students, is the famous Ferris Bueller’s Day Off quote:
“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”
Three-and-a-half years flew by for me in the blink of an eye. MCLA is a place where the fun isn’t just going to be given to you, you’re going to have to find it. Go take that class or join the club you always wanted to do. Go out and meet new people, maybe some of them are your lifelong friends and you just don’t know it yet. Go and turn all of your wildest dreams into a reality. Go out and make your time here at MCLA a good one.
It truly has been one heck of a ride, and while I don’t know what’s going to happen in next my life, I’ll never forget about my roots and how I got there. With that, all I can say now, is thank you, MCLA.
‘Till we meet again,
– Owen “OwBro” Brown
