Laura Pack - Spring 2004

When I ventured to Washington on a grade school field trip almost 10 years ago, I never imagined that I would return a decade later as a reporter.

I was born and raised in Charleston, W.Va., where my father is in business and my mother teaches high school English. I have two brothers and four step-siblings. I attended a small Catholic school and wore a plaid and navy blue uniform for 12 years. With a graduating class of 58, I was eager to attend college somewhere outside my state with a large student body.

In August 2001 I began my freshman year at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. I soon discovered a whole new world with swarms of people sporting orange and equating life to a football game. Although I enjoyed the campus and was making friends, I wasn’t sure what field I wished to pursue. All I really knew was that I enjoyed writing. But I was interested in business, too. It wasn’t until the end of my second year that I discovered my knack for journalism. I declared my major to be print journalism, with a minor in business administration.

I began reporting and copy editing for the university student newspaper, The Daily Beacon, last summer. Six months later I found myself in Washington. When The Beacon published my first article in June 2003, I was discouraged because I barely recognized my copy after it was edited. Luckily, I didn’t give up and began improving as I covered more stories. Looking back now, my first attempt at writing news was amusing because it took me so long to write a simple story. But everyone has to start somewhere. I immersed myself in The Beacon and became proud of the finished product that my peers and I worked diligently to produce.

At 20 years old, I am excited about the opportunity to write for the Scripps Howard Foundation Wire. I hope the next few months will expand my reporting skills and help me learn more about myself.

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