Natasha Rausch

Lincoln, Nebraska

Professionally:
I did my first interview as a sophomore in high school.
I paced around the Lakota East High School Spark journalism lab, waiting for the college professor to call me back. I needed to interview the professor on religion in the community. I’d gone over my listed questions at least 10 times.
Don’t forget to spell his name right. Ask follow-up questions. Most importantly, relax.
His number rang on my phone. When I picked up, everything fell into place. I knew exactly what to do; it was just natural.
After finding my knack for interviewing and writing, I became the sports editor the following year where I wrote an award-winning article about a high school diver. My senior year, I was editor-in-chief and led the Spark with a $30,000 budget to create 7 issues, one of which was the longest in history at 156 pages. Others held my national design of the year as well as the national story of the year.
Once I graduated from high school, I left my home in Cincinnati, Ohio, to come to the great state of Nebraska, where I’ve found my second home.
Since being here, I have not only worked as a senior sports and breaking news desk editor for the Daily Nebraskan, but I have also found niches in the journalism school’s in-depth project known as Native Daughters where I was assistant design editor. In addition, I’ve fostered my love of grammar and copy editing as Vice President of the American Copy Editors Society.
My most important and influential experience thus far was at my 12-week internship at the Norfolk Daily News. Not only did I pitch two enterprise stories to my editor and later publish them on the front page, but I also covered the deadly tornadoes that tore through Pilger, Nebraska, and destroyed three-fourths of the town.
This spring, I will begin working at the Omaha World-Herald as a fellow. In the summer, I will begin my 12-week internship at the World-Herald.
With these internships and my experiences at the journalism school, I am looking forward to my future as a reporter. I continue to improve my speed as a breaking news reporter, while always maintaining accuracy and clean copy. I am passionate not only about breaking news but also about telling in-depth stories about topics that audiences are unaware of.
I am beginning to find other niches in design, social media, web coding and photography as well. I look forward to contributing to the future of journalism with the ne

  • Work
    • Fellow at the Omaha World-Herald
  • Education
    • University of Nebraska-Lincoln