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Read McBride's stories from the Green Bay Press-Gazette online.

Click here for more information on the Ann Devroy Fellowship, which McBride won in 2003, from the UW-Eau Claire Web site.

Lifelong love of words paves career path for reporter

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Born as a writer in Minnesota, Kelly McBride literally grew into a love of language.

 When others were in the process of eating worms and creating mud pies, McBride, with the help from her mother, started reading the alphabet from books.

McBride, 26, still recalls a time in fourth grade when her passion for books caused problems in school. She’d get in trouble for not putting the book that she was reading away when it came to math time.

By her junior year at St. Louis Park High School in St. Louis Park, Minn., she put her interest gear into drive by joining the student newspaper, The Echo. Her passion for sports – McBride was a three-sport athlete -- reacted with her passion for writing. By her senior year in high school, she was in charge of the sports section of the paper.

“I’ve always wanted to do something with writing” McBride said. 

            After being accepted to several colleges, such as the University of Minnesota and Gustavus Adolphus College, McBride came to the conclusion that University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire was the perfect school to attend.

Like Goldilocks and the three bears, McBride found the big school – the University of Minnesota – too big, and the small school – Gustavus – too small. But UW-Eau Claire was just right, she said.

            After graduating from Eau Claire with a double major in journalism and political science, McBride still hadn’t had enough journalism.

During and after college, she had a three-month internship at the Eau Claire Leader-Telegram, a month-long internship at the Washington Post and a three-month internship at the Green Bay Press-Gazette.

McBride landed her first professional job at the Stevens Point Journal in Stevens Point, Wis.

 “I’ve always wanted to be a writer,” she said. “That’s certainly something that ties into my love of journalism and the journalism process.”

McBride now works as the education reporter for the Green Bay Press-Gazette in Green Bay, Wis. She deals with the K-12 schools, covering education for the Green Bay School District and some of the surrounding districts.

            One of the most exciting things McBride mentions about her daily work, other than the stress that comes along with it, is the fun of meeting the kids from the schools she covers.

            “I love meeting new people and just sort of getting inside of somebody’s head,” she said. “… Even if it’s for one story you do on a random weekend afternoon.”

McBride also covers post-secondary education in the Green Bay area, which includes the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, St. Norbert College in De Pere and Northeast Wisconsin Technical College.

 “It really provides me a lot of variety,” McBride said. “…the things I miss about college I get to experience now in my day-to-day life as a reporter.”

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