Katie Fearn, ’07

As an attorney, I occasionally have undergraduates or soon-to-be undergraduates ask me for advice about entering my profession. I think they hope I will give them fodder for their arguments with their parents about their choice to major in political science rather than business. I am sorry to disappoint them, but my answer is always the same: go work for your college newspaper.

I was the editor of the Trinitonian during the 2006-2007 school year and worked for the Trinitonian in various other capacities during my time at Trinity. Back then, as it is now, the Trinitonian was an independent, student-run newspaper, funded primarily through advertising revenue. It was terrifying as a 21-year-old college senior to have total control over the content of a newspaper that thousands of students, administrators, faculty, staff, parents and alumni read every week. But it also taught me skills that I never would have learned if Dean Tuttle or some other administrative gatekeeper vetted everything that we published — skills that I use every day in my career as an attorney.

Of course, working for the Trinitonian made me a better writer and a better copy editor. It taught me how to approach strangers, build a rapport with them, interview them and assess their credibility. It taught me how to give and receive criticism. It taught me sound judgment, as I chose which articles and columns we would and would not publish. Most importantly, it taught me how to work toward a common goal on a tight deadline with a team of strong-willed peers, some of whom I did not like and did not like me, and create something we were proud of on a weekly basis. I made mistakes, dusted myself off, learned from what I did wrong and kept going, because I was responsible for publishing a newspaper.

So, if you are thinking of going to law school, apply to work for the Trinitonian. And if you are one of the non-student members of this newspaper’s audience, be thankful that the Trinitonian is an independent, student-run newspaper and that the students working for it are learning the skills they need to succeed.