Jun 18, 2025
It was never really goodbye, but rather I’ll see you later.
It’s hard to believe it’s been nearly 11 years since I first said goodbye to Minot, the place my sports journalism career began. Never in my wildest imagination did I think I – a kid born and raised in upstate New York and fresh out of college as a 22-year-old – would pack his bags and make the more than 1,000-mile journey to Minot, North Dakota, to begin a fresh chapter in his life.
But that’s exactly what happened.
From August 2012 through September 2014, I called Minot home and loved every moment of it. North Dakota grabbed a hold of my heart and never let go. Whether it was the people, the atmosphere, or a little bit of both, I always felt a sense of belonging from the community. Minot will always hold a special place in my heart because it was the first place to give me a chance. I must have sent more than 50 job applications all across the state upon graduation and The Minot Daily News was the first one to show any kind of interest in me and that still means a lot to me to this day. In those two years, I learned a lot about covering sports at a daily newspaper and I learned a lot about myself. Prior to my arrival, I had never covered a volleyball match, a football game or a dirt-track racing event. Minot gave me the confidence in myself that I had been lacking and I thank the community a lot for that. I felt welcomed at sporting events. I enjoyed speaking with athletes and coaches and covering regional and state tournaments, even though it meant 12-hour work shifts for multiple days. I didn’t care. I was having fun.
It was difficult to say goodbye in 2014, but I had been offered a job closer to home and I missed my family. I am extremely family-centric and I consider myself to have three best friends: my mom, my dad and my older brother.
Since departing Minot, I have worked in Lewiston, Maine, and Albany, New York. I’ve worked as a sports reporter, a public relations writer for the New York State government and other non-journalism related positions. I took multiple years off to address battles with mental health that I’ve struggled on and off with for decades and I’m not afraid to openly admit because it is important for the audience to understand that we as journalists are more than just a byline in a newspaper. We are real people with real problems.
After some time away, the call of sports journalism returned and North Dakota came calling once again, this time in the state capital of Bismarck. However, my time there was cut short as I became gravely sick and had to return home to receive care. During the next 18 months, I questioned whether I would ever be able to return to the profession I’d wanted to be in since I was just a little kid simulating basketball games in the driveway or football games in the basement. That was when a job posting for a sports writer for The Minot Daily News caught my eye. Without hesitation, I applied and here I am once again, this time as a 35-year-old fully formed adult.
During my time away, Minot has changed yet stayed the same, kind of like me. Driving around town the other day, I passed several familiar landmarks: Maysa Arena, South Hill Complex, Corbett Field, etc. Some look exactly as I remember them, while others have gotten some upgrades. But I know at its heart, Minot is the same place it’s always been and I look forward to once again getting the opportunity to tell the stories of its local athletes. While the summer months are a bit more docile, I can’t wait to be spending my nights at Minot High, Our Redeemer’s, Bishop Ryan, Minot North, Minot State and Maysa Arena with the Minotauros, bringing the sports coverage to our valued readers.
Just to give everyone a refresher about me – it’s perfectly fine if you don’t remember who I am because I do have a forgettable face. I was born and raised in Rochester, New York, which is nowhere near New York City. I went to school at Oswego State and majored in journalism with a minor in creative writing. In my free time, I like to play video games and go for walks while listening to podcasts. I don’t watch a ton of movies and television (have you seen the cost of live TV streaming services these days?), but I consume a lot of pop culture news. My parents and I had a tradition of watching Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy every weeknight, and I think I managed to get the correct answer to Final Jeopardy about five times throughout all those years. Obviously, I enjoy watching sports, with hockey being my favorite of them all. A lot of my allegiances lie north of the border, as I am a Toronto Blue Jays fan, a Toronto Maple Leafs fan and a Toronto Raptors fan. When it comes to football, I am (sadly) a Tennessee Titans fan. But I am a University of North Dakota men’s hockey fan, so I do cheer for at least one local team, although I could be persuaded to cheer for the Twins, Timberwolves, Vikings and Wild. After all, I’m used to seeing my teams not win championships, yet every year I convince myself that this year is the year for the Maple Leafs.
I also love to build LEGOs and have an unhealthy amount of knit hats, which I’m sure you’ll see me showcasing whenever you see me at a sporting event. Very rarely outside of the summer months will you see me without a knit hat on. If you do, make sure to take a picture because that rarity might be worth something on ebay one day.
But in all seriousness, it is great to be back in the Magic City. It is bittersweet being so far away from my family, but I know they are happy for me and want nothing more than to see me be successful. I want to thank everyone reading this column for welcoming me into your lives and I look forward to seeing you for a long time to come. And, no, I am not related to the Kraft company. I’d have a swimming pool in the shape of Cheesasaurus Rex filled with macaroni and cheese if I were.
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