I suddenly felt puzzled as I sat in one of my last journalism classes in late April.
Norman Transcript editor Emma Keith, who graduated from OU in spring 2019 after serving as The OU Daily’s editor-in-chief for the semester, visited our class that day. Her stint as Daily editor coincided with my arrival at the organization, making her my first boss and someone I’ve always looked up to.
Like most courses in a student’s last semester of college, some days it’s hard to pay attention, but Emma’s visit made it hard not to. She was candid about the state of journalism today and the hardships of working at a community-focused publication. As she responded to one question, her answer revealed something about herself that caught me off guard.
Emma, the chief editor of a publication founded before Oklahoma achieved statehood, is 24 years old. I, now heading into my first journalism internship after four years at OU, am 23.
When I put those facts together, I was taken back for a moment. I felt as if I should’ve spent the past few years doing more to ensure life post-graduation isn’t as cloudy as it is now. I then remembered that a lot of my current coworkers at The Daily are just like Emma — immensely talented, hold more internships to their name than the average college student and, within a few years, might be running newsrooms of their own. However, unlike Emma, my coworkers who fit that category are younger than me. In some instances, by a year or two.
As Emma’s response concluded, I raised my hand. “If you could go back to your last semester of college and give yourself any advice,” I asked, “what would you say?” I then shared how shocking it was to learn of our slight age difference given we’re at very unalike points in life, which drew a chuckle from Emma and the rest of the room.
“First of all, don’t worry about that,” she said with a laugh. “That’s easier said than done, but everyone has different career progressions, and everyone has different priorities. It’s really easy to psych yourself out looking at what other people your age are doing. But, if I do that, I have friends who are working at The Washington Post, The New York Times and some of the other biggest news organizations in the country — but I don’t want to work for those organizations.
“I would tell myself, and you, if you know what you want, be secure in that. Don’t let other people’s progress or life trajectories throw you off. … Don’t feel behind in life because you’re not doing what they’re doing. Find what matters to you.”
Emma’s words were a wake up call. Not only because it’s great life advice for every soon-to-be college graduate, but because it’s advice I’ve heard before and — in the craziness of my final year on campus — had forgotten.
My dad has been in my corner throughout my life. He’s my biggest coach and cheerleader. He’s a former Oklahoma high school teacher, and he was a damn good one. Some of the biggest joys of his life stem from teaching high school students history, so it’s only natural he loves to quote historical figures. Among his favorites is Theodore Roosevelt because, well, no one gets a nickname like “The Bull Moose” without doing something really cool every now and then.
My dad, John, and I during his first visit to The OU Daily's newsroom.
Over a year ago, while on the phone with my dad, I told him how frustrated I was knowing how many of my friends landed internships for the summer while I did not. As he encouraged me to keep going and make the most out of the opportunities still in front of me, he let slip one subtle Roosevelt quote: “Comparison is the thief of joy.”
Upon researching that quote for this essay, history is a little unsure whether Roosevelt was the first to say that, but nonetheless, the words resonated. After our call, I wrote the phrase on a white board in my room. It stayed there until I had to move a few months later. By the time I unpacked at my new place, I forgot to put it back up. Turns out, a Daily alum helped me remember what inspired me to make it this far.
And looking back now, I can say I’ve made it pretty far.
I climbed my way up The Daily’s sports desk ladder, going from an unpaid reporter to assistant editor. I covered OU football during two of the most unique seasons in program history, on and off the field, capped with a coaching change that turned the sport upside down. I witnessed a Sooner softball team dominate its way to a national title. I interviewed some of the most influential people in the state and constantly strived to tell stories that left a lasting impression on The Daily’s audience.
During my time at The Daily, I covered OU football from May 2020 to December 2021. My final month on the beat turned out to be one of my favorites, as it saw the departure of Lincoln Riley, the return of Brent Venables and the Sooners' trip to the Alamo Bowl.
And of course, I did all of that in the midst of a global pandemic that my predecessors couldn’t prepare me for and that I hope my successors won’t have to worry nearly as much about.
Above all, I’m proud to say I didn’t do any of that alone. I work with people who I wholeheartedly believe make The OU Daily the best student-led news organization in the country. My time inside Copeland Hall, room 160 has taught me more about journalism than any classroom ever could. More importantly, The Daily has made me a better person. Some of the moments I’ll cherish the most out of this place derive from times the staff came together to play "Jeopardy!" in the newsroom or grab a drink at The Library — the moments we joyfully revived after the pandemic stole them from us more than two years ago.
Working with even more of The Daily’s finest was a main reason why I opted to spend my last semester here away from the sports desk and serve as The Daily’s enterprise editor — it just meant I got to work with almost everyone in the room. And that’s what I’ll miss most about this place.
I’ll miss everyone in The Daily’s editorial and full staff meetings. I’ll miss the football road trips with Austin Curtright, Mason Young and Trey Young. I’ll miss overseeing page designs with Francisco Gutierrez and Blake Douglas. I’ll miss making videos with Justin Jayne, Makenna Buckskin, Georgia Bomar and Collin McDaniel. I’ll miss getting to work with my roommates Jonathan Kyncl and Will Blessing.
From left to right: OU Daily fall visual editor Trey Young, assistant sports editor Austin Curtright, assistant visual editor Edward Reali, video editor Justin Jayne, assistant sports editor Chandler Engelbrecht, videographer Collin McDaniel and sports editor Mason Young.
Perhaps at the top of this list, I’ll miss sitting down in adviser Seth Prince’s office to chat about work projects and, frankly, anything that came to mind. Seth jokingly calls me The Daily’s secretary of state because of how much I interact with everyone in the room, but when you get to work with people that make your job this enjoyable, that’s easy to do.
While it’s difficult to say goodbye to this place and the people within it, I’m beyond excited to get my first reps at a professional journalism outlet. I'm headed to Michigan this summer to serve as an intern at The Detroit Free Press. I'm thankful for the opportunity and pumped to get started. At the same time, I’m thrilled for the next era of Daily editors and writers to take over.
The Daily has given me first-hand experience of covering grand stages, asking tough questions and handling moments where it feels the entire country is watching you — even when it’s just for reporting on who a team’s starting quarterback will be. I have no doubt that The Daily will offer similar experiences to this fall’s staff and beyond.
My advice to those in such positions, and to any college student staring down the next few years of their life, is the same as what I was told by those I’ve looked up to. Don’t let the successes of others define your own. Everything’s going to be OK — just enjoy the ride while you can.
Thanks for reading,
Chandler Engelbrecht served as a sports reporter from spring 2019 to fall 2019, senior sports reporter from spring 2020 to fall 2020, assistant sports editor from spring 2021 to fall 2021, sports editor for summer 2021 and enterprise editor for spring 2022. He is a journalism graduate with a minor in communications.
