EDUCATION
University of Illinois at Springfield
Aug. 2008-June 2009
- Master’s degree in public affairs reporting
- One semester of graduate courses and a six-month internship with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch in the Illinois state capitol newsroom
Robert E. Cook Honors College at Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Aug. 2004-May 2008
- Bachelor’s degree in journalism and political science
- Cumulative GPA of 4.0 on 4.0 scale
University of Westminster-London, England
Spring 2007
- Spring semester study abroad program
- Took classes in journalism, political science and European history
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
The Patriot-News, Harrisburg, Pa.
July 2009-present
Reporter
- Cover local governments and school boards on the West Shore of the Susquehanna River
- Act as a general assignment reporter in a variety of subjects
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Springfield, Ill.
January-June 2009
Newspaper Reporting Intern
- Cover Illinois state government and politics for the St. Louis newspaper in daily stories and longer enterprise pieces
- Post quick-hitting stories to the Post-Dispatch’s political ‘blog Political Fix.
Pennsylvania State Capitol Press Corps., Harrisburg, Pa.
May-Aug. 2008, June-Aug. 2007
Newspaper Reporting Intern
- Covered the state capitol writing stories on state politics
- Worked for the Philadelphia Inquirer, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Allentown Morning Call, Harrisburg Patriot-News and Capitolwire.com in two-week rotations
Tribune-Review, Greensburg, Pa.
Sept. 2007-April 2008
Stringer
- Acted as the Indiana County correspondent
- Covered events, speakers and issues at IUP and throughout the county
AWARDS AND OTHER SKILLS
Academic Awards
- Illinois Press Foundation scholarship
- Illinois Legislative Correspondents Association Memorial Scholarship
- IUP Political Science Award for Academic Excellence
- IUP Political Science Intern of the Year 2008
- IUP Provost Scholar
