I still remember the day I was hired at Georgia Voice. I was at a hibachi dinner with my partner at the time and received a text from Berlin, the editor at the time I was interning, asking if I’d be interested in a part-time position managing the website. As a college sophomore who was already anxious about being employed by the time I graduated, I was overjoyed. I had no idea how wonderful a gift I was being given.
At my first editorial meeting, I was in awe of how knowledgeable the staff were about the community. They mentioned businesses, people, clubs, bars, and organizations I had never heard of, having only lived in Atlanta for a little over a year. I felt like I was in over my head: how could I possibly work in LGBTQ media if I knew nothing about LGBTQ Atlanta?
The greatest gift this job has given me is the knowledge that felt so inaccessible to me as a 20-year-old. I have learned so much about Atlanta and its vibrant and diverse pockets of community. I have met so many people I would’ve never interacted with in my established social circles. I have become well-versed in the issues that impact a community which has always meant so much to me. I have grown as both a writer and a person, and I am incredibly thankful.
Whenever people ask me how I got this job, I always say the same thing: I got lucky. Not because I want to diminish my skill or hard work, both of which I ardently believe in, but because I know there was something special about this work and this publication. Being editor of Georgia Voice has been so much more to me than a job. It has been a learning opportunity, an exercise in community connection, a challenge that has pushed me far beyond what I thought myself capable of. More than a paycheck and a line on my resume, this job has given me higher self-esteem, a greater knowledge of myself and my identity, and a deeper love for Atlanta. It has been a divine stroke of luck that I have been able to experience it.
I am saddened that I will not continue as editor of Georgia Voice in 2025, but I’m happy to be passing the torch to Collin Kelley, who I know will be bringing a wealth of experience and knowledge to make Georgia Voice better than ever. As I enter my new chapter, I will continue contributing to this paper which has been so important to me for the past six years.
To the Georgia Voice community, thank you for embracing me with open arms and making a home for me these last six years. It has been one of the greatest pleasures of my life.