After 35 years, legendary poet Nikki Giovanni is stepping down as a professor at Virginia Tech’s Department of English.

Giovanni said in an interview with Virginia Tech, “I hope that I’ve done a good job. I hope that I’ve done at least my fair share.”

The 79-year-old also added, “In all fairness, I’m getting old.”

Virginia Tech President Tim Sands said in a statement, “Nikki Giovanni has been an important and deeply valued presence on our campus, giving voice to the spirit of Virginia Tech and helping us celebrate, mourn, learn, heal, and be better. Her words will continue to inspire us and touch readers around the world, and while we will miss her regular presence on campus, she will always be a beloved member of our university community.”

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Nikki Giovanni, a graduate of Fisk University, is a civil rights activist and poet who came into the spotlight after her involvement in the Black Arts movement in the 1960s. She also established the first Black Arts Festival in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1967.