Last Thursday, a reporter from The Daily Gazette in Schenectady, visited Galway High School to talk with Mr. Swain’s interns Paige Galloway and Jessica Demarest about the recent publication of the sports review, The Eagle Eye.

Tatiana Zarnowski, a reporter from The Daily Gazette in Schenectady, has been a journalist for over nine years but didn’t get the early start learning Demarest and Galloway have had, learning about media, publication, sports-writing and photojournalism as part of their high school coursework.  Ms. Zarnowski said that she had a school newspaper to write for, but at the time, she was not interested in becoming a journalist which illustrates how career choices can always change.

Ms. Zarnowski started to think seriously about a career related to writing when she was in college.  She was in pursuit of  an internship and was offered the opportunity to intern at a local newspaper.   Initially she was just trying it out and viewed it as more of a convenience than an opportunity.  At the conclusion of the internship, she started to freelance and began to really enjoy writing and reporting.

Ms. Zarnowski’s favorite type of reporting involves personal stories. She loves to write on the problems that people overcome no matter how hard it is for them. She says that these articles are the most challenging but she loves them. It’s a good opportunity to experience how extraordinary human struggle and triumph are and to be a part of something so special.

One tip she would especially like to give to students interested in journalism at Galway and schools everywhere is to get your experience now like Galloway, Demarest and the Village Press staff who created Reflections from Galway last year, have.    Be ready for the ever changing world of journalism.  Ms. Zarnowski emphasized the importance of experience with many types of media and technologies including video and picture.  “All of these skills will make you more marketable. They want someone who can do a little bit of everything and talk to just about anyone,” said Ms. Zarnowski, “One of the best things about working as a reporter is that you get to meet people from all sectors, including the criminal justice system, elected officials, people in the business community, schools and local groups. As a young person, I got a quick crash course in how the world works, learning about everything from municipal budgets and taxes to the legal system to endangered animals and rare diseases. I don’t think any other job exposes a person to such a broad range of life in such a short time. Even if you don’t stay in the field, that knowledge and experience enriches you wherever you go.”

Keep your Galway eagle eye out for the January 31st Daily Gazette to read Ms. Zarnowski’s article on the recent activities of The Village Press.