I graduated from Thomas S. Wootton High School, where I played tennis and softball, in 2000. I then received a B.S. in Sports Information and Communication with a minor in journalism from Ithaca College in 2004; I also was a four-year starter for the women’s tennis team there. The Gazette was always the go-to local newspaper when I was growing up and a place I’d hoped to work but when I got back from college I was told there were no job openings in the sports department. I sent my resume and writing samples anyway and several weeks later was called in for an interview. It’s hard to believe I’ve been here for eight years already but I love the community aspect of our paper. There’s something special about being so in tune with the local sports scene and finding unique stories that are often overlooked. Prior to The Gazette I wrote for the Ithaca Journal, a Gannett newspaper in the city of Ithaca, and worked in publicity department at the U.S. Tennis Association headquarters in New York.