It all started with soup. No, really, let me explain.

I was so passionate about the soup in SubConnection as a first year that it caught the attention of the, at the time, Editor-in-Chief Amelia Schafer. She had asked me to write a review on the soups.

Spoiler alert: I completely pillaged the soups. I was irate about the inconsistency of Mac & Cheese Mondays and in love with the roasted red pepper gouda. You can read more about the scoop on SubConnection’s soup here.

Another spoiler alert: I stuck with it. Actually, I’m still sticking with it.

My then-CA and now one of my best friends, Riley Fletcher, was one of the biggest supporters of my transition into the world of Journalism. Shelby McCasland, who passed unexpectedly on Dec. 23, 2022, urged me to enroll in COMM-211 even though I didn’t have the prerequisites needed. Professor of Multimedia Communication Brian Steffen, who is also my advisor, also urged me to pursue journalism after having me in his Foundations I class.

Needless to say, I was wanted in the Multimedia Communications Department.

If it wasn’t for my supposed passion for soup, I don’t know if I would have gotten into journalism. If anything, I wouldn’t be the journalist you know now.

I never intended to be a journalist. In fact, I never considered it an option. I mean, I watched Gilmore Girls and saw Rory end up, let’s face it, as a deadbeat.

But I’m not Rory. But I did consider leaving Simpson just like she dropped out of Yale.

It wasn’t because of drama, nor was it because I fell in love with another campus. It was because I had finally realized what that constant weight on my chest was: anxiety.

It was constant. It still is, actually. I’ve managed it better than I ever have before, but it almost got the best of me in Mayterm in 2023.

I was lonely, anxious and depressed. Even though there seemingly was no one on campus, I still felt claustrophobic. That realization bullied its way into my academic mindset, “Is Simpson right for me?” along with “I don’t know if I can stay at a small school” were the constant thoughts in the back of my mind.

Luckily, Brian knocked some sense into me: “Why would you transfer (to Iowa State University) and potentially do another few years when you can stay here and graduate early?”

Obviously, I don’t remember if that is exactly what he said, but it kicked my ass into gear.

So, just like Rory went back to Yale, I decided to stay at Simpson.

Then, I applied to graduate, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, ready to head into the workforce. What wasn’t expected was me applying to master’s programs because I had a new route in mind: teaching.

Another spoiler alert: I’m going to Iowa State anyway. I will be starting my master’s program in journalism and mass communications at the Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication this fall. I hope to be an encapsulation of Brian, Student Media Advisor Mark Siebert and WHO-13 anchor and Professor Lisa Carponelli and encourage and inspire new generations of journalists just like they continue to encourage and inspire me.

If you had told brand-new-to-Simpson Kyle that he was going to do this, I think he would’ve rolled his eyes. But this is my reality now, and it’s all because of Simpson.

I’ve covered everything from Taylor Swift dropping a new album and numerous re-records to Donald Trump coming to campus ahead of the 2024 caucus season. Actually, I don’t think I’ve covered a sports story. And I think I only did one or two stories for SCTV. But I digress.

I worked with Amy Duncan at the Indianola Independent Advocate as a sophomore and have been working at the Des Moines Register this entire school year. I’ve learned so much more than I ever would have thought possible. But I don’t think I’d be here without Simpson.

I’m excited to see where I go. It’s amazing how much has changed within a year.

But you’ll have to take my word for it: I’m not leaving Simpson any time soon. I might be off campus, but this school will always have a huge piece of me.

I don’t think I’ll ever look back at my time at Simpson and think of it with remorse. Instead, Simpson is a place where I found my passion (and yes, I do still love soup).