A lot of little girls aspire to be big-time magazines editors or travel writers but few have the talent and drive to be successful like Aubrey Clark does.
During a mission trip to Switzerland and Southern India in 2008, Clark prayed, focusing on finding the direction she needed to take in school. By the end of the trip, she felt like she could hone her writing skills in the University of South Florida’s magazine journalism program.
Less than three years later, she boasts an extensive journalism resume. Clark has written for Her Campus USF and for the feature and news sections of the award-winning student newspaper, The Oracle. She’s also had photos published.
Currently, she helps edit Women’s Running Magazine in St. Petersburg and heads up USF’s chapter of The Society of Professional Journalists, an international organization that promotes freedom of the press and high journalistic ethics.
“I think that students miss a lot of opportunities that come from getting involved in clubs and organizations at school,” Clark said. “I became a part of SPJ during 2010 spring semester because it was a way to get in touch with other students in the journalism field. Sometimes classes teach basic skills, and I began to wonder how to put these into practice, so I joined SPJ to get a bigger picture of where I could go in my career.”
Ultimately, Clark said, she would like to either be editor-in-chief of a magazine, found a magazine or work for a magazine and travel.
“I have always been into magazines, ever since I was little,” Clark said. “My stepmother would buy all of the style and gossip magazines, and I would spend hours reading them. I find that magazine style writing fits my personality, and I would rather write a feature article than hard news.
Clark speaks highly of the journalism program at USF but says that students get out of it what they put into it.
“The magazine program at USF has been great,” Clark said. “I feel like I’ve grown and developed skills throughout my semesters at USF. I think that students will receive what they put into the program. If they are serious about writing then they have plenty of opportunities to get better.”
Clark said it’s easy to hear all the fears and concerns about the job market and get caught up in it so she focuses on the positive, trusts in God and has confidence that she’ll end up where she’s supposed to be
Her words of wisdom to fellow journalism students?
“To be a successful journalism student you just have to keep getting back up. I’ve taken a lot of hard advice from professors and others who have knocked down my work, but every time they do I see my writing improve. So, don’t be too hard on yourself, and remember that it matters to keep moving forward. Also, I show up to class and develop relationships with teachers, and classmates, which makes it easier to stay focused and on top of assignments. Try hard, and keep improving.”