"As soon as I knew I wanted to be something, I knew I wanted to be a journalist,"

— Bob Priddy, Director, MissouriNet

   My father turned me into a news junkie when I was seven years old by quizzing me on current events as we drove to choir practices. I learned to use the word ‘why?’ as a way to build my knowledge of the world.  I want to be a journalist because it gives me a chance to ask ‘why?’ and do something significant with the answers.

    I am in my third year at the University of Missouri and hope to graduate in May 2009 with degrees in print journalism and history. Along with my classes this semester, I am spending three days a week at the Missouri capitol covering the legislature for Missouri Digital News, an online wire service connected with the Columbia Missourian.

    Previous to my work at the capitol, I worked as crime editor for the MU campus paper, The Maneater. There I managed a staff of 15 reporters to produce a variety of stories and a police blotter for a twice-weekly publication. I have also worked as a city and state beat writer for The Maneater and as a freelance writer for the Boone County Journal.

    I have been a reporter since I was 14 and have experience writing for every section of the paper. I was editor-in-chief of my high school newspaper and in 2004 our newspaper's broadcast program recieved an honorary mention from the National Academy for Television Sciences - Heartland Chapter for Technical Achievement. I attended the Journalism Division of the National High School Institute at Northwestern University in 2004.