Written by Alexis Barton and Ryan Denholm
The first time I met Garrett it was at my interview for the Brackety-Ack. After a failed meetup in Commons during the first week of class, I met him at Mill Mountain at 8:15, back when I was a chipper freshman and got up well before my classes started. I walked in, ordered my coffee, and was met with a friendly wave from some college kid in a Dallas Cowboys polo drinking straight-up black coffee. It was at that moment that I knew I was in for a wild ride. We talked over coffee, he asked me about myself, I talked about my ideas for the paper, and he hired me on the spot for the sports page. I walked out of Mill and immediately called my mom telling her that I got hired. I don’t think I knew quite yet how working with G would change my life.
Anyone familiar with the sports page this year would know that our staff has changed. A lot. Every paper was a totally unique experience. I never quite knew who was writing what or what the page would end up looking like, but I had full confidence in Garrett’s leadership. His confidence was contagious and it made me fall in love with writing again. As the semester went on, Garrett’s emails would become less frequent, but rather he would send me the most delightful text messages. The messages quickly evolved into a quote board on my desk of the most iconic interactions with Garrett. “Hell yeah, go for it” and his birthday message telling me to get lit are among my favorites. These are some of the memories that I hope I never forget.
If I had to pick one thing about Garrett that had the greatest impact on me, it would be his confidence. Going into each week, whether he had a solid plan for every article or not, he always knew that everything would work out. As our relationship grew, the confidence that he exuded quickly transformed into confidence in me and my abilities. As a freshman, I was constantly in fear that my work would never measure up to the expectations set before me, but Garrett constantly assured me that was not the case.
Garrett: Thank you, from the bottom of my heart. This year has been such an incredible experience writing for the BA and it would not have been even slightly the same without you. Thank you for always giving me a boost of energy, teaching me how to always keep doing better, and for instilling confidence in me. I hope that I can make you proud next year as editor.
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Ryan: During my time at Roanoke College I have had the pleasure of crossing paths with Garrett in multiple ways from playing pickup basketball to working on the Brackety-Ack. Outgoing and kind, he is the type of person that others are drawn to. I have enjoyed getting to know him and know that he will be highly successful in future endeavors!
