I always seemed to have a thing for writing and English in high school. After reading my first Seventeen magazine at 12, I just fell in love with the idea of writing articles that would impact people’s lives, especially women. That’s when I realized I could apply my passion to a career in journalism.
Why did you choose OU?
It’s actually funny because I never thought I would go to school in Ohio. Originally, I wanted to go to school somewhere in a big city, like New York. But then I learned about the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism and discovered the school offered classes specifically focused on magazines, which I knew was the field I wanted to go into. I also just fell in love with the campus after visiting (which being that my visit was in December when it was snowing, that was pretty miraculous).
I’ve kind of jumped around from working with a lot of different student organizations and publications. The one that really stuck with me was Her Campus. As a writer, I don’t like being tied down to one specific topic. What was really appealing about joining Her Campus was that I could write about a number of different topics that affected young women as well as blog for the site. In addition to being a writer, I’m also a content editor for the site, so I’ve gotten the chance to hone my skills with editing stories to their final form before they hit the web. Now as a senior, I’ve really enjoyed working as Editor-In-Chief of Southeast Ohio, a regional magazine produced by journalism students at OU. It really gives you the experience of what it’s like producing a real-life magazine for an audience, and I would definitely recommend any student interested in magazines take it as their capstone.
What was the most beneficial thing you have done throughout your college career?
The best thing I’ve done in my college career is take the leap of completing an internship in New York. My goal has always been to work for a consumer magazine and being able to gain knowledge of that particular industry this past summer while working at Woman’s Day was invaluable. Though it may seem intimidating, interning for a magazine based in New York got me in touch with a lot of senior editors in the industry (and even a few Bobcats at major magazines as well). Having those connections has allowed me to write my first paid freelance article as well as get advice on job searching for after graduation. My best advice would be don’t feel like you have to wait until you’re a junior or senior to make the jump to a big city internship. As long as you have passion for what you’re doing, that will shine through in any application.
What are some of the most important skills you’ve learned at OU?
Though my focus is print magazines, learning a variety of multimedia skills has been really beneficial for my resume. The journalism industry is really shifting right now toward a focus on online journalism, so knowing how to appeal to a digital audience in multiple formats is key. Some of the skills I’ve learned that have been invaluable in this area include blogging, social media, video shooting and editing and coding with HTML and CSS. It’s great knowing a lot about magazines, but I think being able to transform a story for an online audience also sets me apart. Any student wanting to learn these things should definitely consider taking an online journalism class before they graduate.
Being named an Outstanding Senior of the journalism school is a pretty awesome feeling. Over the past four years, I’ve really tried to take on as many opportunities as possible to learn and grow as a journalist, so it’s great to be recognized by my professors for the work I’ve done.
In the future, I see myself working for a women’s lifestyle magazine as an editor. All the work I’ve done in college has been to get me to the magazine industry in New York. I can’t imagine myself anywhere else.