Position(s): Business Manager (2022-2023), Senior Account Executive (2021)
Section(s): Business
Semesters at The Daily: 7
“The Daily will change your life if you let it.”
One of the first things I heard in a Zoom mass meeting for The Michigan Daily freshman year. Little did I know that phrase would be the start of four years of mostly joy, but also blood, sweat and tears for this place.
First, I want to thank many of the incredible people who have made 420 Maynard St. so special.
Tara, you changed my life. I’m not so sure that you know that, but you did. You encouraged me to apply to SI and mentored me through the first months of this role. My degree and the time where I spent the majority of my college experience are thanks to you. Finding a role model to look up to was something I was desperately in need of as a little Sophomore trying to find his way through college, so your guidance means more than you will ever know.
Brennan, what a year we had! Thank you for everything, particularly the early morning paper handouts in freezing weather at the Big House. You kept my head on straight and supported me both at The Daily and in general. Stand tall, my friend!
Kathy, for your wisdom, your support and knowledge of this place, I give my utmost thanks. This place really couldn’t run without you and no thanks will ever do that justice. You challenge me to be a better leader and for that, I will be forever grateful.
Paige, thank you for stepping up when you did. Not only did you keep this place running smoothly, but you also made a dedicated effort to bridge the gap between Edit and Business.
Katie! We stepped up into our roles as wide-eyed sophomores with no clue what we were doing. On top of that, with the departure of James, we really just had to figure it out. From late night calls about an ad issue to planning sales strategy to bringing the department closer together, we really did it all. Remember Baby Ads freshman year? Wouldn’t have wanted to do this side by side with anybody else.
Riley, you stepped up when nobody else would. The leadership you have shown with your team was above and beyond. Long live the pyramid!!
Marina and Anna, the two best marketing managers I could have ever asked for. Thank you for being such organized and dedicated team leads. Thank you so much for doing baby ads every year; saved my life.
Shannon and Kate, thank you so much for the leadership you two have shown over the last year. You two kicked some serious ass all while being the most empathetic, intelligent and caring leaders. You two welcomed me with open arms and kept up the momentum Paige started to bridge the Business-Edit gap. Although I am glad we will all have a lot more free time, I’m gonna miss laughing in meetings together, going to touch football practice and going to bonding events with you two.
Ella, Annika and Taylor, You guys got this!! So excited to see the direction that you three will take Business in. Remember, you are all so capable and talented.
Ella, I am beyond excited to see what you do as the business manager over the next year. You’re up next kid!
Kate, Tess, Grace, and Lila, thank you all for being the best photogs, neighbors, and IM soccer teammates!
To my friends and my lovely girlfriend, thank you all for your unwavering support despite The Daily being the only thing I ever talk about. You guys are my family up here and that support means so much to me.
To Ryan, Ben, Stephen, Mom and Dad, Thank you for being my biggest fans during this journey. I couldn’t have done it without all of your constant love and support.
That was a weird experience! One of the nice things about being on the Business team is that I never have to write. This will be my first piece of published content for The Daily, which I find to be quite funny. Turns out writing is difficult!
There’s far too much to say about this place and it really did change my life, but I’d rather tell a couple of stories about meaningful moments in my Daily journey.
I joined the aforementioned Zoom meeting set on checking out the Sports and Business sections. Well, I checked out Business first and quickly found my home there. I still remember the Business breakout room with Tara, Analise and Schuyler and how I was able to instantly connect with them. As soon as I left that breakout, I left the meeting — there was nothing else that I needed to see.
That leads me to the next story, where I was seven minutes late to my Daily Business interview because I couldn’t read a GCal correctly! Fortunately, Schuyler, Tara and Sam didn’t give up on me and let me interview despite my tardiness. This could have been over before it started!
Katie and I worked on summer staff between our freshman and sophomore year and did all kinds of random projects and seminars. One of these was an inventory calendar that we had no clue how to set up. After hours of working it out, we came up with a working product. That’s when I realized my passion for this incredible place and gained a hunger to take on more.
I’m up against the word count, So I am gonna wrap this up. I firmly believe that The Daily is the most unique, excellent and talented group of college students anywhere in the country. There is nothing I want more than to see this paper thrive and continue to provide such an incredible learning experience for students. This is more than just a resume line — this was my family and my passion. The Daily will change your life if you let it.
All of my love to all of you and 420 Maynard St.,
Aaron