Jess Davis - Summer 2007

Click on photo to enlarge or download: Jess DavisHowdy! I'm a print journalism student at the University of South Carolina (Go Gamecocks!), but I hail from the great state of Texas. My minor is political science, and eventually, I'd like to be a political reporter for a metropolitan daily newspaper.

I became interested in journalism after taking a high school class and working for the yearbook, and after my junior year of high school, I was a "cherub" at Northwestern University's National High School Institute's Journalism division. In what can be most simply described as a five-week journalism boot camp, I learned more about journalism than I had ever imagined. I often think back to the lessons I learned there from people who had such strong passion for the business.

At USC, where I will be a senior in fall, I've worked as news editor, reporter and copy editor for our newspaper The Daily Gamecock - it was just three times weekly when I started working there - and as a contributing writer and copy editor for the magazine garnet & black. The most memorable experience I had at The Gamecock was driving to Baton Rouge and New Orleans the weekend after Hurricane Katrina hit, where I heard incredible stories from incredible people.

I've interned at my hometown newspaper, the Waxahachie Daily Light, and have written for the five weekly newspapers and magazine it publishes. Every time I'm home for a couple of weeks, I seem to find myself in the office working. Next up for me was interning with the Greenville (S.C.) News, where I split my time between the copy and metro desks and discovered just how much I prefer reporting.

I studied abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark, in fall 2006, and spent the next semester interning with the Associated Press while going to school. I covered Statehouse politics, including Senate and House committee meetings.

I love to spend time outdoors, hiking or on the water in a canoe or kayak. I also enjoy baking, going to concerts and curling up with a good book.

I'm thrilled to be in D.C., especially in the summer, when the city's so exciting. I write this at the beginning of my internship and have already begun to learn a great deal about Washington politics, but am looking forward to what the rest of the summer will bring.

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