Catherine Baxter is the perfect example of a hard worker.
Catherine Baxter, a lifelong resident of Toms River, N.J., is going into her junior year at Montclair State University, while also maintaining her position as News Editor for local newspaper, The Montclair Dispatch.
Journalism has always been a calling for Catherine Baxter.
“I got into journalism in high school. I have always loved creative writing, but I didn’t see that strong of a career in that,” said Baxter. “I wanted to do something with writing and as soon as I tried out journalism, I knew it was for me.”
At MSU, Catherine Baxter is currently majoring in both Communication Studies with a concentration in Public Relations and Television and Digital Media with a concentration in Electronic Journalism.
“Journalism and public relations basically go hand in hand, and when I explored [public relations] more, I liked the challenge of it,” explained Catherine Baxter. “The writing forms of PR are extremely structured, and you still have to find a way to make people read what you have to say when it looks just like everyone else’s work. I like the challenge of making my work stand out.”
While a double major may seem daunting to some, Baxter believes it’s the perfect choice for her. Catherine Baxter additionally considers MSU to be one of the best places to study these majors.
“I love my majors, especially at MSU. The communication studies department is full of amazing professors, people with great experience in the field and people who just want to help you succeed,” shared Catherine Baxter. “They’re all so motivating and just make you want to try your hardest.”
Catherine Baxter doesn’t have a specific company in mind for a job after graduation, but she does hope to work for a PR agency rather than a PR department in a specific company company. “Working in an agency, I would get to do what I love, and everything would be so fast paced, which is something I love,” explained Baxter.
As of now, Catherine Baxter is happy with her job at the Dispatch; she has been working at the Dispatch for over a year. Scott Kennedy, owner of Studio042 and the Dispatch, got Baxter involved.
“I got involved with Scott at the end of my freshman year,” explained Baxter. “He had sent out an email to MSU asking for writers, so I began writing for him. I was pretty much the only one involved, so later he asked me to help out as news editor to help get the Dispatch on its feet.”
As news editor, Catherine Baxter is consistently hard at work.
“As news editor, I basically oversee the newspaper comings and goings, while Stuido042 and Scott take care of the business end,” said Catherine Baxter. “I contact writers, assign stories, edit articles, manage the website and even write articles from time to time.”
Despite all the energy Baxter’s job requires, she really enjoys working for the Dispatch.
“This is such a great way for me to gain experience in an environment that still lets me learn,” said Catherine Baxter. “Not to mention, Scott and the folks at Studio042 are a great backbone to the whole operation.”
Catherine Baxter is a model student and journalist, and her hard work and talent will take her far.
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