Bachelor of journalism graduate Sarah Dionysius obtained a position with country newspaper The Western Star in Roma prior to graduating.
“I started work in June and graduated in July 2016,’’ she said.
Sarah credits her internships with the Tweed Daily News, Quest Newspapers and the Australian Good Food Guide with helping kick-start her career.
“You have to be open to anything and get all the experience that you can possibly can,’’ she says.
“I was offering story ideas, producing copy, my whole attitude and mindset was that I could do anything I wanted to. I wanted to explore everything I could.”
Working on a small newspaper means that Sarah certainly has a hand in everything — from sourcing and writing stories, taking photographs, page layout and editing and contributing to social media.
“Even though it’s print, we also have a digital presence, so it’s exciting to be part of both platforms.”
Community connections
“It’s a fantastic newspaper to work on as the community is small and connected and everyone is friendly and welcoming,’’ she said.
Sarah’s career-path was firmly set when in Year Seven as part of an English class she toured the offices of Toowoomba newspaper The Chronicle.
“I knew then that journalism was for me,’’ she recalled.
Reaffirming her decision, as a Year 12 student she spent a week working for the Sunday Telegraph in Sydney.
Sarah said she enjoyed studying journalism at Griffith as it was a very hands-on program.
“All the lecturers and tutors had worked in the industry so their experience helped prepare us for life as working journalists.
Now she’s focusing on her attention on being the best journalist she can be and contributing to the close-knit country community of Roma.