I was ecstatic when I talked to The Vicksburg Post publisher Tim Reeves for the first time back in April.

This was my first opportunity for an internship at a professional newspaper.

However, when he first told me that he wanted me to work for him at The Post, my brain was clouded with many thoughts.

I knew very little about Vicksburg.

Actually, that’s a lie. I didn’t know anything about Vicksburg.

In fact, I’m still in college at Ole Miss. I’m about to enter my fifth and hopefully, my last year in Oxford.

When I first told my friends I would be interning in Vicksburg for the summer, my friend Ethan told me if you aren’t into history, scary haunted houses or the civil war, Vicksburg doesn’t have much to do.

After just one week working in Vicksburg, I found that to be false.

That is simply not the case.

My first day working here, I was very nervous. My first story was about the Donna Wynn “Play 2 Wynn” basketball camp. Just seeing the joy and laughter on the faces of all the young kids brought a wide smile to mine.

At that moment, I realized the city of Vicksburg has so much to offer.

If I had to guess the future of my journalism career, I would’ve never put a thought on the fact I would be writing about a beauty pageant.

The Miss Mississippi Pageant was an eye-opening experience for me. As an aspiring sports journalist, being told to write stories about a beauty pageant didn’t exactly spark my interest and I wasn’t too thrilled about it.

Being around the pageant, I quickly learned how much the pageant meant to the Vicksburg community and how much the people cared and rallied around the pageant for one week. It was a beautiful thing to see, no pun intended.

I’ve broadened my palate when it comes to stories I’ve covered in journalism just from my eight weeks here. From national donut day to competitive league softball, I’ve covered topics I couldn’t have even imagined I would be writing stories on.

Out of all the stories I have written in my time here, they all have one thing in common.

The people I have talked with have all told me “Thank you.”

The people of Vicksburg are so caring and appreciative of what the people here at The Vicksburg Post do. They welcome you with open arms and always have time to help you write a story and talk to you.

The people here always pick up a copy of The Post. Everywhere I go, someone is always sitting on a bench or in a restaurant reading The Vicksburg Post. They care about their community and are loyal to the local newspaper in town.

No matter where my journalism career takes me, I’ll always thank The Vicksburg Post for helping me become a better writer and journalist.

I’m sure most of the people won’t remember who I am, but I’ll remember what Vicksburg did for me, and I’ll always be thankful for that.

I’ll miss it here, and I’ll be sure to come back and visit when I have the time.

One thing I won’t miss is John Surratt throwing a tennis ball at me for the entire first week I was here.