My history with The Gazette stretches back to 1995. Shortly after graduating from Walkersville High School, I began interning as a writer for the Frederick branch at its former digs on East Patrick Street. There, I covered everything from school plays to Fort Detrick’s Area B. In 1997, I transferred from Frederick Community College to the University of Maryland, Baltimore Campus, where I earned my bachelor’s degree in visual communications. A persistent, nagging desire to write, however, led me to a small family-run weekly in Hagerstown, where I ultimately assumed the role of managing editor. My wedding in 2004 fortuitously coincided with an opening for an Arts & Entertainment editor at Frederick County's Gazette, which had since moved to its current location on North Market Street. At the time, A&E was new to the scene, and over the course of the next seven years I would enjoy seeing both the section and the arts community it served evolve together. In 2011, I transferred to the Gaithersburg office when the entertainment desks were combined. In my latest role as features editor for Montgomery, Frederick and Prince George’s counties, I am happy to say that A&E continues to surprise me.