  Today was my last day at WKSU. I first walked in the door there when I was 19 while I was in school. I was a big NPR fan by then (my parents were regular listeners) and talked&nbsp;my way into a two-hour a week job at the station minding open reel playback of urlLink A Prairie Home Companion . I decided that&nbsp;I wanted to learn everything&nbsp;I could about the station and how it operated, eventually pitching on-air during station fund drives, helping produce recordings and broadcasts of classical and folk concerts, and became the station’s interim Operations Coordinator—all before&nbsp;I turned 21. Eventually, my work at WKSU got caught up in the haze of&nbsp;the end of my college years&nbsp;and I left. In 1995 I came back expecting to stay there for two years while I finished my bachelor's degree at Kent.
Then, as they say, life got in the way. I met Ms Kitten there (when I almost ran her over in the hallway), made great friends, had some of my best (and worst) professional experiences there, and eventually became the station's program director (in 1998). Leaving WKSU feels a lot like leaving home. It is equally terrifying and exciting. The staff threw a going away party for me, which I expected to be very emotional.
It was, but I held it together well. Later that afternoon, when it became time to say good-bye. I started walking around the building, saying my farewells one at a time. Both my feelings, and the feelings of my co-workers, were much more difficult than I imagined. I said every one clutching my keys. My keys had taken on a highly symbolic role to me in those last few days.&nbsp; I had turned in or packed up everything over my last few days, but I held on to my keys. Those keys were a symbol of my position to me. I was one of only three station employees who had keys to everything in the station. By the time I said my goodbyes, my office was empty, my car packed, instructions and files passed to the appropriate people--but I still had my keys. As the goodbyes went on, I could feel the emotion of the day starting to well up. But I dealt with it by holding on to those keys.
The last person I said goodbye to was our general manager's assistant. Outside of being the person who processes new hires (thus, the first person I interacted with as a WKSU employee), she is also in charge of the keys. I walked in to her office and told her I had to do this quickly. Without saying a word, I gave her a hug, placed the keys on her desk, and walked straight out the front door. I bit my lip until I got home. Ms Kitten was there and thought I was joking (about looking so upset).
She gave me a hug and I let loose all the tension and emotion of leaving). Outside of church, I can't imagine a single institution in my life that has had such a profound impact on my life than WKSU. After five minutes of purging, I wiped my eyes and said, "Okay, let's go celebrate. " And we did. 
