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Past, future experiences key to learning for Thorsen 

Leah Thorsen

On a typical Friday afternoon during the semester, Leah Thorsen won't be found lounging on a couch waiting to go party like some college students.

And she isn't working a job where it pays to be there on a night when you just want to relax and have fun. 

Thorsen is at The Spectator office, UW-Eau Claire's student newspaper, and she'll be there until deadline is done -- even it's means missing out on less-stressful Friday night activities. 

Being editor in chief this semester of The Spectator is one of many experiences Thorsen, 21, is doing to prepare for a career in print journalism. 

The Spectator has consumed much of the past two years of her college career. She has worked as copy editor, chief copy editor, editorial editor and managing editor. 

But even though she's had to spend late hours and countless weekends working at the paper, Thorsen realizes the experience is necessary in the career she's chosen.

"It is a lot of work," she said. "But I think it will benefit me when I graduate."

Thorsen has already seen benefits of her hard work and what she has learned at The Spectator. During her sophomore year, she earned an internship for the summer at the Post-Bulletin, a newspaper in Rochester, Minn.

"I felt really lucky to be there," Thorsen said.

The most important thing Thorsen learned from her internship was that she had chosen the right major.

"(The internship) made me realize this is really what I want to do," she said.

When applying to UW-Eau Claire, Thorsen was torn between two majors -- journalism and law.

In the end, the appeal of attending school for fewer years and getting out into the career world sooner is what made her choose the profession that became her obsession.

The learning experiences aren't over for Thorsen. Last spring, she was awarded the Ann Devroy Fellowship, which makes possible her a three-week residency at The Washington Post. Devroy was a UW-Eau Claire journalism graduate who went on to cover the White House for 15 years for The Washington Post. Devroy died of cancer in 1997, and the fellowship honors her and the values she used as a journalist.

Thorsen also will intern at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel as part of the fellowship this summer after she graduates in May. Like her past experiences and internships, Thorsen knows she will learn things at these opportunities that will help her when she makes the change from intern to staff reporter at a newspaper.

The thought of graduating and starting her career is thrilling to Thorsen.

"I'll miss my friends and The Spectator," she said. "I'm excited but scared at the same time.

"But I think I'll be ready."