When I was working at my college paper at Syracuse University, we’d say goodbye with a “duck,” a note to everyone we wanted to thank. It was extremely sappy and we took it extremely seriously; the placement of names throughout the list (last person named was the most important) basically determined a new social standing for the remainder of the year. When I wrote my duck junior year I thought it would be the last article I’d ever write—journalism school was utterly cutthroat and I was convinced I didn’t have what it took to be a reporter. I graduated, tried to become an outdoor educator but then the pandemic happened, got a job designing maps and writing blog posts, lost my way, found it again when I picked up a copy of the Moab Sun News during a climbing trip in Moab.
“Hiring a staff writer!” the ad said. In my application, I told Maggie McGuire I had a lot to learn (who doesn’t), and that I use too many parentheses and em-dashes (still true), but also that I had a dual journalism/geography degree that I wanted to dust off and a typing speed of 80 words per minute. I wrote my first story, a profile on Dr. Jayne Belnap, survived my first city council coverage, and moved to Moab as the newly-hired Moab Sun News staff writer.
Since then, I’ve written nearly 500 articles; re-designed the print edition; started a weekly newsletter; won awards for my reporting, photography, and design work; and got promoted to being editor this summer. I’m so, so grateful to have found journalism again in a community that cares so deeply about it (two newspapers and radio news!).
In January, I’ll start as a fellow at Sierra Magazine. I’ll still be around town writing about local science, just for a different outlet. To anyone I’ve ever interviewed, thank you for spending time with me and answering my questions. And to the readers of the Moab Sun News, thank you all for reading my articles—it means more than I can say to have been able to work for this community.
