Senior Letter 2026: Maurice Burbridge

By Maurice Burbridge | May 4, 2026

Funnily enough, it feels as if my entire UAlbany experience has been defined by the words I’ve written, and yet, I now find myself struggling to find what to say. 

When I came to UAlbany, I never would’ve expected to get involved in journalism. Even now, I still struggle with an imposter feeling; the idea that my opinions, observations, and analyses matter — or are worthy of publishing — feels foreign to me. I spent so much of my adolescence feeling as if no one cared what I had to say, and that people like me were meant to listen, never to be heard. 

But ultimately, thanks to the great faculty (both in and outside of the Journalism program) that have taught me, I now know how flawed this mindset is. I would encourage anyone, even fellow graduating seniors like myself, to practice journalism — whether be it traditional objective news reporting, carefully prepared interviews, or subjective arts criticism. You will find there’s so much of yourself you’re yet to know, and even if you consider yourself a well-spoken and confident person already, there’s a certain trust in your own abilities that journalistic training gives you, of which I’ve yet to find a suitable alternative. 

I sincerely hope that in the future, other nerds like myself are able to harness their interests into something special and important. Whether that be akin to my own film festival coverage, or perhaps some other niche I couldn’t begin to imagine, is up to you. I’ve been honored to, through my work with the Albany Student Press, push the boundaries of what a student newspaper can be, and what student journalism can entail! 

In some moments, my love for journalism seems incomparable to even my appreciation of some of life’s biggest joys. Not only for what it’s given me, but for how important it continues to be; as more people in power wish to suppress the truth,  it becomes that more important someone is there to spread it, and that someone else is there to read it. Even if journalism isn’t the end all be-all for me, I hope to be a forever hunter of the truth, and support people who do the work that I know can be very grueling. 

But above all, the lesson that I’ve learned most, is that closed mouths don’t get fed. So many of the amazing opportunities I’ve had with the Albany Student Press, including the many great artists I’ve gotten to speak with, would’ve never happened if I didn’t allow myself to publicly dream beyond my reality. Thank you to my amazing peers here at the Albany Student Press that constantly encouraged me to keep working, and never made me feel small for my big ambition. 

With sincere appreciation and numerous regards,

Maurice Burbridge 

Copy Editor (Spring 2026)

Staff Writer (Fall 2024)