Transcription:

Addison Martin:

Rebecca Carroll, a senior at Southeastern, has contributed a lot to the Southeastern campus, including many news articles written by her. She has worked for two newspapers, one being the Southeastern newspaper, then published in the Durant Democrat and has won multiple Oklahoma Press Association awards for her work in news writing. From the time that she graduated high school news writing has been one of many things she has excelled at.

Rebecca Carroll:

So I was graduating high school and my dad said, ‘Rebecca, you have to get a job. I don’t care where you work, you just have to get a job.’ And so I turned to my high school counselor because she was one of my friends. And I was like ‘Kim, my dad said I have to get a job. He doesn’t care what I do. I just have to go work somewhere.’ And she set me up at the local newspaper. I mean, I had always been into yearbook and I liked writing.  I actually ended up working at the county newspaper with my high school English teacher who had retired, and it kind of just took off from there. I’ve worked for the Marietta Monitor and I’ve worked for the Southeastern News. It was kind of a big deal for me to work for the Monitor, because I had always read it growing up, and I thought, ‘Oh, that’s so cool. We have a newspaper,’ and then I ended up there and kind of just stayed. This is my fourth semester with Southeastern, it’s my third as editor. I started as a staff writer, and I did that for two semesters, and then I got hired to be a proofreader. And then the editing job kind of just fell in my lap.

Addison Martin:

Working for the Southeastern newspaper opened up many opportunities for Rebecca, not just for news writing, but to be able to connect with other students involved in the news production staff as well.

Rebecca Carroll:

I am really bad at making friends. Like, the news writing part I have down, I am terrible at making friends. So this semester, everything changed a little bit, it was more student led, and I got to be really close with several of the girls. And I think that was just one area of my college experience that was lacking, and The Southeastern really helped kind of complete the experience for me.

Addison Martin:

With graduation just days away, plans for afterwards are starting to circulate. And there’s curiosity as to what Rebecca’s plans are and whether she will carry news writing into a full career.

Rebecca Carroll:

I don’t know that I will work in news writing. And I hate to say this, but there’s no money in it. So I’m going to go get an MBA in strategic communication next, and I don’t know if news writing will be something I do, but I think I will have to work closely with that field.

Addison Martin:

On one last note, Rebecca encourages students on campus to join the news production staff, there are many opportunities to get involved that don’t just include writing for The Southeastern.

Rebecca Carroll:

I mean, I would just say join like you don’t have to be a great journalist. You don’t have to know anything We’ll teach you and there are all kinds of opportunities. You know, we’ve got a TV show we’ve had a radio show, just join The Southeastern and find where you fit.