Claire Dodson

I've always been a reader.

School lunch was a time to read -- as were recess, math, car rides and doctor's appointments.

Somewhere along the way, almost by accident, I became a writer. I created pretend newsletters, wrote angsty poetry and dabbled in fanfiction. Then in high school, I took my first journalism class and found I couldn't seem to shake that style of writing.

When I graduate from the University of Tennessee with a Bachelor's in English in May 2015, I will have taken classes in feature writing, copy editing, business and technical communication.

I will have interned in Knoxville, Nashville and New York City with nonprofits, software developers and music publicity companies. I will have served as a writer, copy editor, arts & culture editor and Editor-in-Chief of The Daily Beacon, the editorially independent newspaper at UT. I will have freelanced for the Nashville Scene and The Daily Times in Maryville, Tenn, as well as worked as the Managing Editor for SCOOP, UT College of Communication's alumni magazine.

I will be ready to enter a career in magazines -- equipped with the ability not just to write, but to work as part of a team, to meet strict deadlines and to deal with the pressure of a high-stress leadership position.

And you will be ready to hire me.