June 23, 2021
Linda Blaser
Journalism student publishes first bylined article
Jenna Mabus ’22 worked with her journalism professor to recognize a story that wasn't being told, craft a pitch for a media outlet whose readers would appreciate the piece, and now has her first published byline.
Her article, “Meet 2 Transgender Women Who Share Why It’s Never Too Late to Transition,” was published in PBS Twin Cities’ Next Avenue in June.
“Having a published article was not something that was even on my mind a year ago, so the opportunity has shown me that pursuing something spontaneously can end up paying off and open you up to new hobbies and work options,” said the business marketing major who may also minor in journalism.
Lake Forest College is helping guide this transfer student from William R. Harper College on her career path.
“Of course, there are countless resources at Lake Forest College for career and internship search that I will use when they apply to me, but I feel that the biggest help has been my professors and their heavy availability and encouragement,” she said.
Mabus credits the assistance of her journalism professor, Megy Karydes, throughout the process of getting an article published—from helping identify an important and untold story at the start through the development of the final piece.
“She did a great job finding relevant sources, took care with her interviews, and we worked on several drafts and edits over the course of our semester,” Karydes said.
Mabus said the yearlong pandemic provided a different perpsective on her journalism assignment, even giving her a bit of a “what is there to lose” attitude.
“My journalism professor encouraged us to simply give it a shot,” Mabus said. “The adult world of careers after college is very scary to me, so being able to see a fraction of the possibilities and how they work has provided me with a boost of reassurance.”
Next Avenue is a digital platform launched by PBS that offers original and aggregated journalism aimed at baby boomers.