I have always wanted to be a news reporter. When I was about 10 years old, I would write my own news stories and publish them in my own newspaper. In reality, the newspaper was just a piece of paper on which I’d written my stories and drew my pictures, but it was my first taste of the power of the press.
When I got to college, I worked on the university newspaper and started out as a copy editor, editing stories and writing headlines. Then, I began to cover news events, getting my first bylines. I can’t tell you how excited I was to see my name in print for the first time!
Since then, I’ve worked at several newspapers. I started out at the bottom, writing obituaries and news briefs. Then, I got a regular beat and wrote some features and investigative reports. I’ve even written the occasional editorial.
What next? You never know in the newspaper business, but I’m shooting for a Pulitzer!