With the end of another year at Oswego State, The Oswegonian must say goodbye to another group of seniors as they graduate and transition from the classroom to the workforce.

The Oswegonian is losing 12 seniors on its staff to graduation.

 Samantha Flavell, the editor-in-chief from Berne, New York, is graduating with a degree in journalism and graphic design and hopes to work in the magazine industry.  

Cole Parzych, co-social media director at The Oswegonian and a former editor-in-chief from Syracuse, is graduating with a broadcasting degree. Parzych said he is interested in working in the sports industry, especially focusing on his passion, hockey. 

News editor Kassadee Paulo is from Saratoga, New York, and is graduating with degrees in journalism and French. 

Dominic Rizzi, the Laker Review editor at The Oswegonian, is a Wappingers Falls, New York, native completing his degrees in cinema and screen studies and broadcasting. He is looking to follow his passion in the film industry after graduation.

Maria Pericozzi, photo director at The Oswegonian, is from Lancaster, New York, and is finishing her degrees in journalism and creative writing. She is looking to either stay in print journalism or work in marketing. 

Jessica Wickham is a Syracuse native and chief copy editor at The Oswegonian. She will be graduating this spring with a degree in journalism and would like to stay in the journalism industry in New York state. 

Evelyn Sokolowski is a copy editor at The Oswegonian and a psychology and public justice major from Massapequa, New York. She is finishing her degree this spring. Sokolowski said she will be pursuing a Masters degree in mental health counseling in the fall.

Alexandra Candela, a Holbrook, New York, native, is the business manager at the Oswegonian and graduating this spring with a degrees in business administration and public relations.

Alexis Acevedo, from Monroe, New York, is the advertising manager at The Oswegonian and finishing her degree in marketing this spring. She is interested in working in the fashion industry after graduation.

Beatriz Pascual Fernandez joined The Oswegonian as the Event Coordinator and is from Madrid, Spain. She is graduating this spring with a degree in business administration, advertising and public relations. She is looking to study for a Masters  degree in California after graduation.

Other staff graduating as seniors include Dominic Lioto, co-social media coordinator.

The common sentiment from the senior staff is the connections and friendships they made.

“My core group of friends are from here … and they’re from different majors too,” Flavell said. “I think it’s just a really cool opportunity, where we have a shared interest, but it’s still very different.”

With the opportunity to work so closely with a wide range of students, some of this year’s seniors formed bonds across majors and class standing through their time in the office.

“My sophomore year, when I was the news editor, I really connected with the seniors that year. I remember being here [late] with a couple of them and we would literally just start laughing,” Pericozzi said. “I met my best friend here, Sam. She’s great.”

Despite the late nights and extra time spent on writing articles for the paper, some seniors reflected on how The Oswegonian helped them in their classes.

“Learning in class wasn’t enough for me. I needed to step out of my comfort zone and be a part of this organization because I would not have gotten the experience I needed,” Paulo said. “Becoming a journalist and being in this position has helped me become more confident as a person.”

The leadership positions took a lot of responsibility, but the staff reminisced on the lessons they learned.

“I didn’t really realize how much responsibility the job would entail or how much I would love it, but The Oswegonian really is the place to be,” Rizzi said. “A message to my younger self: never stop because there’s going to be a lot of people that doubt you along the way. Just keep true to it and you’ll eventually come up with something. [It] might not necessarily be good, but it’ll be something.”

They shared how rewarding their positions were at the paper. For many, this was the first time they had to lead a team.

“It was the best feeling ever to be chief copy editor,” Wickham said. “This is the biggest leadership role I’ve ever had, and I really like working with other copy-editors and being able to educate people.”

Even if their time at The Oswegonian was only one part of their hectic college schedule, some talked about how their experience helped get them through the semester.

“I’ve been having a pretty rocky semester. Schoolwork, graduating so soon, figuring out my life … I realized coming to The Oswegonian was a big stress-relief,” Sokolowski said. “I love listening to everyone interacting with each other.”

While each had a different take on what the transition from student to graduate would feel like, they all agreed their time at The Oswegonian was a big part of their Oswego State experience, a time they said they will remember fondly.

“My best memory was just the freedom that was allowed within the media organizations to fine-tune my skills how I wanted to,” Parzych said. “I don’t think I have any regrets.”

Photo by Nicole Hube | The Oswegonian