Anna Rae Gwarjanski Portfolio |
About Anna Rae |
|
In a Nut Shell
I am a writer, photojournalist, wanderer, avid reader, and strong proponent of the Oxford comma. My life's goal is to see as many places as I'm able, meet as many different people as I can, and never stop learning. While I'm at it, I want to inspire people with my writing and photography to take care of this magical world and its inhabitants. I believe that everyday life is a miracle, and our purpose in it is to live with gratitude and be kind to one another.
Previous and Current Journalism Positions
I was promoted to managing editor of The Paris News in Paris, Texas, in November 2016 after being hired as the paper's city editor in May 2016. I left Paris to marry the love of my life in May 2017, and I'm now doing freelance photography work as well as coaching for the Minot Swim Club in North Dakota. I was formerly a graduate research assistant for two professors at the University of Alabama. In March 2013, I traveled to Spain and Portugal as a writer, photographer, and food section editor for Alpine Living magazine, issue V. Alpine Living is a student-produced travel magazine published by the UA department of journalism. Before we left for Europe for that issue, I ran a Spanish food blog for the magazine. The following year, I and four other students traveled to Washington state and Canada to put together a larger feature for Tuscaloosa magazine called "Wandering About Washington." From 2015-16, I was the managing editor for Alpine Living, issue VI. For this issue, I and 13 other undergraduate and graduate students traveled to England and Wales to write, photograph, and design a complete print and digital version of the magazine. I interned at the Tuscaloosa News on the copy editing and design desk in May 2015, and I freelanced there from June through December 2015. In February 2016, I was the copy editor for Alabama Publisher magazine, and I shot the cover photo for the magazine as well. I was also currently the team photographer for the University of Alabama men's rugby team from 2015-16.
Education
I graduated cum laude with honors from the University of Alabama in May 2014 with a bachelor's degree in journalism and a double minor in French and nutrition. I was also on the varsity swim team, where I was a team captain my junior and senior year. I obtained my master's degree in journalism from UA as well, in May 2016, graduating magna cum laude. I wrote my thesis on contrasting coverage of schizophrenia in traditional news sources versus digital native news sources. The paper was accepted into the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication Conference in Minneapolis, and I presented it in August 2016. Using the data I collected for my thesis, my thesis chair and I submitted another schizophrenia content analysis to Health Communication journal, and it was accepted in March 2017. While working for The Paris News, I won 2nd place for Specialty Reporting (my beat was education), 3rd place for Short Features, and an honorable mention for Column Writing in the 2017 Texas Associated Press Managing Editors’ contest. As managing editor, I led The Paris News’ staff to an Honorable Mention for Star Breaking News Report of the Year in the 2017 Texas Associated Press Managing Editors’ contest, as well. Additionally, I led The Paris News’ staff to 1st place for General Excellence and personally won 4th place in Column Writing in the 2017 North & East Texas Press Association’s Better Newspaper Contest.
Career Aspirations
I want to work in the professional world for a few years before I eventually go back to school for my PhD; I have many varied interests and want to experience all aspects of journalism. However, my ultimate dream would be a position with Outside magazine or National Geographic. I have been to Canada, Mexico, the Bahamas, Spain, Portugal, England, Wales, and 30-plus states in the U.S. I would love to turn my passion for exploring into a career.
I am a writer, photojournalist, wanderer, avid reader, and strong proponent of the Oxford comma. My life's goal is to see as many places as I'm able, meet as many different people as I can, and never stop learning. While I'm at it, I want to inspire people with my writing and photography to take care of this magical world and its inhabitants. I believe that everyday life is a miracle, and our purpose in it is to live with gratitude and be kind to one another.
Previous and Current Journalism Positions
I was promoted to managing editor of The Paris News in Paris, Texas, in November 2016 after being hired as the paper's city editor in May 2016. I left Paris to marry the love of my life in May 2017, and I'm now doing freelance photography work as well as coaching for the Minot Swim Club in North Dakota. I was formerly a graduate research assistant for two professors at the University of Alabama. In March 2013, I traveled to Spain and Portugal as a writer, photographer, and food section editor for Alpine Living magazine, issue V. Alpine Living is a student-produced travel magazine published by the UA department of journalism. Before we left for Europe for that issue, I ran a Spanish food blog for the magazine. The following year, I and four other students traveled to Washington state and Canada to put together a larger feature for Tuscaloosa magazine called "Wandering About Washington." From 2015-16, I was the managing editor for Alpine Living, issue VI. For this issue, I and 13 other undergraduate and graduate students traveled to England and Wales to write, photograph, and design a complete print and digital version of the magazine. I interned at the Tuscaloosa News on the copy editing and design desk in May 2015, and I freelanced there from June through December 2015. In February 2016, I was the copy editor for Alabama Publisher magazine, and I shot the cover photo for the magazine as well. I was also currently the team photographer for the University of Alabama men's rugby team from 2015-16.
Education
I graduated cum laude with honors from the University of Alabama in May 2014 with a bachelor's degree in journalism and a double minor in French and nutrition. I was also on the varsity swim team, where I was a team captain my junior and senior year. I obtained my master's degree in journalism from UA as well, in May 2016, graduating magna cum laude. I wrote my thesis on contrasting coverage of schizophrenia in traditional news sources versus digital native news sources. The paper was accepted into the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication Conference in Minneapolis, and I presented it in August 2016. Using the data I collected for my thesis, my thesis chair and I submitted another schizophrenia content analysis to Health Communication journal, and it was accepted in March 2017. While working for The Paris News, I won 2nd place for Specialty Reporting (my beat was education), 3rd place for Short Features, and an honorable mention for Column Writing in the 2017 Texas Associated Press Managing Editors’ contest. As managing editor, I led The Paris News’ staff to an Honorable Mention for Star Breaking News Report of the Year in the 2017 Texas Associated Press Managing Editors’ contest, as well. Additionally, I led The Paris News’ staff to 1st place for General Excellence and personally won 4th place in Column Writing in the 2017 North & East Texas Press Association’s Better Newspaper Contest.
Career Aspirations
I want to work in the professional world for a few years before I eventually go back to school for my PhD; I have many varied interests and want to experience all aspects of journalism. However, my ultimate dream would be a position with Outside magazine or National Geographic. I have been to Canada, Mexico, the Bahamas, Spain, Portugal, England, Wales, and 30-plus states in the U.S. I would love to turn my passion for exploring into a career.