Writing and communication have been focuses of my life since grade school. The enjoyment I got out of writing short stories in elementary school led to consistently good grades on writing assignments throughout middle school and high school, and then to a journalism major in my time at Texas Christian University.

 

While studying journalism, I worked for four years at TCU's student publications. In addition to writing dozens of pieces for publication in either the TCU Daily Skiff or Image magazine, I discovered a new talent: editing. From my first day on staff at the Skiff, as a copy editor, I found that not only did I have a knack for editing — I really enjoyed it, a rarity at least at the Schieffer School of Journalism. I spent the next four years working for the two publications in various capacities, often juggling multiple responsibilities at once, preparing me for the kind of multitasking I'd need to thrive later.

 

About six months after my 2006 graduation, those experiences led me to a full-time job as a copy editor at the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. That job allowed me to more finely hone my editing skills in a professional environment, as well as refine my understanding of news values, my collaborative skills, and my ability to work on deadline. I spent most of my time at the Democrat-Gazette copy editing news and business articles in NewsEdit Pro, but once or twice a week I was on dedicated page-proofing duties, and a few times a month I pitched in on the wire desk, selecting, editing, and compiling articles for publication from the Associated Press, The New York Times, and other news services.

 

After a few years at the Democrat-Gazette, I felt compelled to further my education, and was fortunate to find a strong writing program in the city where I already lived. I entered the University of Arkansas at Little Rock's master's program in Professional and Technical Writing in 2011, at first only attending part-time while I still worked full-time at the Democrat-Gazette, a situation that became untenable after a few semesters. I have used my time at UALR to hone several of my existing skills even further as well as acquire several new skills, notably teaching experience and familiarity with a variety of new technologies. Work I have done while at UALR has included website creation and editing, software documentation, teaching composition, academic journal editing, writing tutoring, basic technology troubleshooting, persuasive writing, public relations work, grant writing, and even video game creation.

 

The most valuable aspect of my time at UALR has been a broadening of my intellectual outlook and capabilities. I have learned to consider how other audiences may experience and interpret my work, and how meaning is constructed cooperatively by both a writer and his or her audience. I also have learned about academic topics that I never considered studying as an undergraduate student, such as linguistics and pedagogy. I have learned how to explain difficult material as both a teacher and a writer, I have reaped the benefits of close collaboration on large projects, and I have found that I can adapt my communication abilities to a variety of contexts.

 

The power of literacy, of the written word, has carried me through all of my experiences, and I have come to believe that reading and writing, and the critical thinking that go hand-in-hand with those tasks, are among the most important skills anyone can have in life.