Jo Wilson has come a long way on Grey’s Anatomy.

In PEOPLE’s new Grey’s Anatomy special edition issue,

on newsstands now, Camilla Luddington — who has starred as

Jo since season 9 of the hit ABC medical drama — reflects on the evolution of her character.

“When I joined the show, very quickly Jo was with Alex,

and so she sort of came as this package deal for many seasons,”

she says of her character’s relationship with pediatric surgeon Alex Karev (Justin Chambers).

Their relationship ultimately came to an end when Chambers left Grey’s Anatomy in 2019. Their storyline concluded with Alex deciding to leave Jo and move to Kansas to be with ex-wife Izzie Stevens (Katherine Heigl).

“Then we got to see who Jo was by herself and all the growth that she had to do,” Luddington explains. “Then becoming a mother by herself. I feel like it ended up empowering her as a character. That ends up being really exciting as an actor.”

Luddington, 40, previously reflected on how her character’s journey mirrored her own in an interview with New Beauty in May 2023.

“I was such a dork the other day. I was on-set like, ‘Wait a second: ‘Chief Jo’ just has a ring to it,’” she teases in the PEOPLE special edition. “Or I told myself that it does. Wouldn’t it be amazing if one day she ended up chief? I would love that.”

However, her primary goal remains staying put on the show, which was renewed for a historic 21st season earlier this month.

“I get nervous every season finale because if your character is holding a plane ticket—we joke about this—you need to be nervous,” she shares. “ You don’t ever want to be boarding a plane on Grey’s Anatomy.”

PEOPLE’s Grey’s Anatomy special edition issue is on newsstands now. The magazine retails for $14.99. Grey’s Anatomy airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.