Communication comes naturally to me. I’ve always used words to express myself. I loved to read, which led to a natural desire to string words together myself. I started as a creative writer, writing short stories and poetry. As a freshman in high school, I chose the local newspaper for my career day location. I fell in love with the smell of the paper and ink, and I’ve been in love ever since.
I attended Kansas State University, where I majored in print journalism. I worked on the student newspaper for several semesters. I covered student senate for three semesters, and I wrote a student’s account of being raped in her apartment. I had the opportunity to serve as an intern for the Associated Press at the Legislature in Topeka, which allowed me to cover committee meetings and write stories that received state-wide publication. My final semester, I worked in the university’s public information office and interned for the editorial page editor at the Manhattan Mercury.