Here is my welcome to the blogging world. Currently a junior at Marquette University in Milwaukee, I am still not entirely comfortable with the big city. I was raised on a farm in Southwest Wisconsin near a town of 288 people. My majors are writing-intensive English and advertising.
Milwaukee was my first direct experience with poverty. This came with working at several community meal programs and being scarred with the reality faced by my neighbors. This experience called me to be an advocate for social justice. I am now a co-leader of Midnight Run, a student-led service organization that mobilizes over 150 Marquette students to engage with the community. From an early age, I have always had an interest in reading and writing. It started with drawing comic books and reading every Captain Underpants book and it has driven me to pursue a career as a journalist. I did not always have this career path. In the fall 2014, the news of James Foley’s death opened my eyes to the possibility of journalism. The story of his tireless pursuit of truth rested on my heart as I struggled to understand how to combine my passions for writing and social justice. Then, in November, I was blessed to be part of the Marquette delegation to El Salvador to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the six Jesuit martyrs and two laywomen who were killed in the country’s civil war. That trip brought me face-to-face with the brutal outcome of misreporting reality. During the civil war, the world did not know the truth and a destructive regime remained in power. This experience brought with it the realization of who I am meant to be. I wear a $2.50 ring because of El Salvador. It is a simple silver band, but it reminds me of my mission to report truth. It connected the seemingly random events that had been preparing me to be a human rights journalist. Finishing my junior year at Marquette, I continue to work with Midnight Run, as well as being a reporting intern for the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service and a web writing intern for Marquette’s Office of Marketing and Communication. I love baseball, do not mind dancing and am a self-diagnosed health nut.
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A chance to see the world from the perspective of a 6-foot-2, aspiring human rights journalist. Will include lessons learned and reflections.
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April 2016
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