That's Me, A Work In Progress
Journalist.
That's the word I use to describe myself, more often than not.
And since high school, I've learned as much as I can about this transitioning career path.
It all started at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, CO, where I started work at the student paper, the Rocky Mountain Collegian. Reporter, then copy editor and designer. I rose in the ranks, soaked up as much experience I could and learned from my advisers and talented peers what I could about writing and design. Soon I was one of the editors - Design Editor/Copy Chief to be exact - calling the shots and training a new collection of aspiring journos ready to enter this wild ride of a career path. An internship later at a local newspaper - the Loveland Reporter-Herald - and I was ready to graduate with a Bachelor of Arts for journalism and English literature with a double minor in business and history. All with honors.
One month later, I found myself at a design hub in Boulder, CO, working for Prairie Mountain Publishing. It designs a collection of Front Range newspapers, including heavy-hitters like the Boulder Daily Camera, Loveland Reporter-Herald and Longmont Times-Call. As a designer, I tackle page loads ranging from 10 to 50, grappling with fickle special sections and front pages that just don't seem to want to cooperate. Deadline design: Check. Headline writing: Check. Cover design: Check. Sports design: Check.
And even as a designer, they have given me opportunities to keep my reporter's mind alive. I have been given freelancing gigs with the Daily Camera and Loveland Reporter-Herald, and earned myself a column for the Colorado Daily (the University of Colorado publication we produce here). It's been incredible.
On the side, my work as a state leader for my Society of News Design region keeps me fluent in recent design work and online interactive graphics being produced by other papers. I manage our Twitter and post to the Facebook account, hoping to promote the work we do in Colorado while circulating to our followers examples happening nationwide.
My Other Words
In the rare moments I shed my working cap, I'm an avid reader and literature blogger. Surrounded by flatirons and 14ers, I have been hooked on hiking for a few years, exploring when I can. I'm constantly listening to music or playing my keyboard, and have a slight addiction to television series and sappy movies. My friends are my salvation on days off, giving me a chance to live in the communities we're always covering.
That's the word I use to describe myself, more often than not.
And since high school, I've learned as much as I can about this transitioning career path.
It all started at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, CO, where I started work at the student paper, the Rocky Mountain Collegian. Reporter, then copy editor and designer. I rose in the ranks, soaked up as much experience I could and learned from my advisers and talented peers what I could about writing and design. Soon I was one of the editors - Design Editor/Copy Chief to be exact - calling the shots and training a new collection of aspiring journos ready to enter this wild ride of a career path. An internship later at a local newspaper - the Loveland Reporter-Herald - and I was ready to graduate with a Bachelor of Arts for journalism and English literature with a double minor in business and history. All with honors.
One month later, I found myself at a design hub in Boulder, CO, working for Prairie Mountain Publishing. It designs a collection of Front Range newspapers, including heavy-hitters like the Boulder Daily Camera, Loveland Reporter-Herald and Longmont Times-Call. As a designer, I tackle page loads ranging from 10 to 50, grappling with fickle special sections and front pages that just don't seem to want to cooperate. Deadline design: Check. Headline writing: Check. Cover design: Check. Sports design: Check.
And even as a designer, they have given me opportunities to keep my reporter's mind alive. I have been given freelancing gigs with the Daily Camera and Loveland Reporter-Herald, and earned myself a column for the Colorado Daily (the University of Colorado publication we produce here). It's been incredible.
On the side, my work as a state leader for my Society of News Design region keeps me fluent in recent design work and online interactive graphics being produced by other papers. I manage our Twitter and post to the Facebook account, hoping to promote the work we do in Colorado while circulating to our followers examples happening nationwide.
My Other Words
In the rare moments I shed my working cap, I'm an avid reader and literature blogger. Surrounded by flatirons and 14ers, I have been hooked on hiking for a few years, exploring when I can. I'm constantly listening to music or playing my keyboard, and have a slight addiction to television series and sappy movies. My friends are my salvation on days off, giving me a chance to live in the communities we're always covering.