OPINION

Meet ‘Intern 2’

Merrina

O’Malley

Hello! My name is Merrina O’Malley, and I am one of two inters at Press Publications this summer. As an inside joke, staff here at Press Publications sometimes refer to me as “Intern 2” thanks to my email address, sort of like Thing 1 and Thing 2. I graduated from White Bear Lake Area High School in 2020 and am currently studying at Bethel University to get a major in English writing with a minor in Spanish. I discovered my passion for writing after my first high school English class with Ben Kirkham. He taught me how powerfully I could speak simply by putting words on paper, and pushed me to think and go outside of my comfort zone. Since my time in high school, I have developed an even deeper appreciation for all things literature and writing. In the future, I would love to participate in publishing the stories of others as a content editor. I am a heavy believer in the power of literature, and being able to partake in its creation would give me much joy.

In my college classes, I uncovered a love for journalism thanks to my professor Scott Winter. I have taken a few classes that have introduced me to the magic of storytelling including one where I learned more about photojournalism and videography. I also went to the Northern Exposure event hosted by the University of Minnesota Hubbard School of Journalism & Mass Communication. There I heard stories about adventures on the job and miraculous moments caught on camera. This coming year, I will be freelance editing for the campus publication, “The Clarion,” and participating in the creation of the nationally accredited “Textura” magazine.

Growing up, I spent much of my time at both my Hugo and Columbus homes. My days were consumed by solving mysteries with Nancy Drew and adventuring across the prairie with Laura Ingalls Wilder. On Saturday mornings, you could find me skating at the White Bear Lake Sports Center and eating the Loon Omelet at Key’s Café. Nowadays, I spend most of my time writing, perusing the thesaurus, and reading historical fiction. When I am not thinking about writing, you can find me out with my family, creating multimedia collage, or hiking in North Oaks.

Although I will only be working a couple days in the office, I look forward to getting to know the local community and meeting lots of new people during my time here. I take pride in my ability to tell a story and I am excited to hone my skills in a more professional setting.

From my first day of exploring the print process to sitting in on news meetings, I have already grown to be quite fond of the people here at Press Publications. I am happy to be working with such a supportive team, and am excited to work with them to create great stories. Cheers!

Merrina O’Malley is an intern at Press Publications

• Limited to 350 words.

• Submissions must Include a full name, address and daytime phone number for verification.

• Letter writers must live, work or have another connection to Press Publications coverage area.

• Letter writers are limited to six letters per year and at