You may have heard my voice on the airwaves of Spotify, SoundCloud or Apple Podcasts, but for the first and last time, I’m actually writing for the Daily Emerald.

I started out at the Emerald in 2020 with little more than a rudimentary knowledge of Audacity and a curiosity to learn more about podcasts. Before then, I spent my first year at the UO playing the oboe, learning Chinese and listening to “Twenty Thousand Hertz.” I thought journalism was a lofty industry I had no place in.

Fast forward three years, and the Emerald opened a world of opportunities for me. I created my first podcast outside of school projects. I met the people behind the voices of my childhood while interning at Oregon Public Broadcasting. I helped to produce a Mandarin language podcast in Taiwan. I even went from stumbling through making podcasts to leading a desk of talented producers. Most of all, I’ve found a community of passionate, empathetic and hardworking people dedicated to serving the public.

Of course, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the wonderful people who have supported me over the years. Thank you to my cousin Em Chan for throwing me headfirst into the world of journalism. Thank you to Betty Ong and Vai Diep, my wonderful parents who bought my first podcast mic and tuned in at odd hours to listen to me on the radio. Thank you Ryan Nguyen for being our fearless leader during the Emerald’s remote year, and for always jumping in to help me out. Thank you to my past Emerald editors Sararosa Davies and Meaghan FitzPatrick for guiding me through creating podcasts. Thank you to Donald Orr for being a steadfast mentor long after our work together ended. Thank you to Melissa Peña for keeping the oboe in my life as I dove into journalism. 

Finally, thank you to the friends I’ve made at the Emerald this year. To Caleb Barber, Gavin Gamez, Hannarose McGuinness, Brandon Roth, Annie Smith, Alexis Weisend and Kayl Wohl, I’m beyond honored to have had the privilege to work with you this year. My life is richer because you all are a part of it, and I’m so incredibly proud of the work you’ve all put into producing vital local news. I’ll be cheering for all of you as you pursue your endeavors beyond the UO. The future of journalism is unclear, but if you’re all a part of it, I know it will be bright.

For the last time, for the Emerald Podcast Network, I’m Jamie Diep.

謝謝大家。祝你們一切順利。