Degree(s): BJ '05 (News-Editorial)

Whereabouts: United States, Nashville, Tennessee

What do you do in your job?
My main job is to manage the homepage of Tennessean.com, keeping it fresh and full of great online content for our readers. Aside from curating content from The Tennessean, I also create original content for the site from time to time. In breaking news situations, I’m the go-to person to make sure we have the site updated and to get the news to readers through Twitter, Facebook, text alerts and e-mail newsletters.

What do you enjoy about your job?
Breaking news situations are my favorite. I’m a bit of an adrenaline junkie, and whether it’s a storm, election or celebrity death, I love the rush of putting together content as quickly as possible and getting it to our readers before the competition. Creating original content through slideshows is also a lot of fun because I can be creative and put my ‘voice’ on the site.

What drew you to Tennessee?
I was a Dow Jones Newspaper Fund copyediting intern at The Tennessean after I graduated from Mizzou. I’ve worked several different jobs here since the internship and have really enjoyed the city and the paper. Also, I grew up in a suburb of Memphis, so it has worked out very well to stay close to the people I care about.

What has been your greatest professional challenge?
I think the greatest professional challenge I’ve faced was in May 2010. Nashville had significant flooding and we were all working a crazy amount of hours for more than a week and a half straight while my complex had some flooding issues of its own. Working through the greatest natural disaster this city has ever seen and being personally affected by it was definitely a challenge.

What was your favorite thing to do on campus?
I always loved sitting on a bench on the quad and people-watching before class with a friend. It’s so nice, and there’s always an array of people milling about between classes.

What did you want to be when you were a kid?
I wanted to be a SportsCenter anchor. Looks like I got the journalism part right…just happened to change sequences.

Who are your heroes?
One of my heroes is one of my bosses at the paper. She’s an inspiration in that she’s evolved from reporter to community editor to now the senior editor for Digital. She’s always learning new things, researching new ideas and staying ahead of the curve. I respect and admire that and strive to do the same.

What does Mizzou mean to you?
Mizzou will always mean a lot to me. It means some of my best friends, some of the best times, some great lessons and some really amazing professors and mentors. Choosing to go to MU was one of the best decisions I’ve made.

What’s one thing you wish you had done at Mizzou?
I wish I had been able to take photography classes. I really enjoy taking pictures, but I never was able to work the courses into my schedule.