As I walked out of the office of The Daily Collegian for the last time as business manager on April 27, I realized I left behind memories and experiences I will take with me for the rest of my life.

Four score and 10 semesters ago (as a freshman) I joined the Collegian's Business Division. During that time, I held the positions of account executive, advertising manager and business manager. It was over those four years that the Collegian impacted my life in two major ways: first and foremost through the people I met and, second, through the projects and challenges I encountered.

I attribute my success at the Collegian to all those people I had the opportunity to work with."

Through the Collegian I have met some of my closest friends. They taught me how much fun Collegian formals, cake and secret snowflakes, and trips can be. With these people, work and play merged like the classifieds do every day.

The relationships I learned to balance were ones of manager, colleague and friend. I attribute my success at the Collegian to all those people I had the opportunity to work with.

During my term as business manager I was able to accomplish guaranteed placement for ads, a marketing-promotions team, improvement in the Customer Service Department, Board of Managers leadership training, a database using Bizworks, and a ban on tobacco advertising in the Collegian. I also reached my morale-building goal by incorporating a leadership training retreat to the Nittany Winery and an exciting all-staff meeting in February at Players Night Club.

In March, 12 Collegian students, including myself, represented Penn State and the Collegian at the College Newspaper Business and Advertising Manager convention in Baltimore. We all learned a great deal. We gathered helpful information and formulated ideas and put them into action.

Amy Hibbard, the business manager for 2001-2002, has the excitement and energy to make the Collegian even better.

I have full confidence in her ability to inspire the Collegian business staff, and I know she will lead the Collegian in the right direction.