By Gabrielle Jansen
The LaGrange Daily News

I like writing news stories and columns, but I wouldn’t consider writing about myself one of my strengths. However, as the new reporter at the LaGrange Daily News, I think it’s important to let the city I serve get to know me a little bit, so here we go.

Firstly, thank you, LaGrange, for being welcoming and friendly to me as I wander around because I get lost easily. I know my non-southern accent makes me stick out, but I promise I’m not here just because I needed a job. I really like this town and all of its charm.

I was raised a military brat, so I have lived all around the country, but I was actually born in Albany. My family moved two months after I was born, and by the time I was in high school, I always wanted to come back to this state.

States wise, after Georgia, I lived in Colorado, two parts of California, Virginia, moved to Michigan after high school graduation and went to college in Indiana, so, I have dealt with the summer humidity of the South and the constant five month winters of the Midwest.

I went to Saint Mary’s College, the sister school to Notre Dame (Go Irish!), and majored in communication studies and philosophy. While there, I worked with the campus television station and newspaper.

I had two internships at local television stations, one with ABC12 in Flint, where I saw the fallout of the water crisis firsthand. Most of my mentors are broadcast reporters, but I think that’s actually helpful for working in print. They taught me how to be a responsible reporter, regardless of the medium. From that internship, I knew I wanted to be a community reporter.

Part of what made me want to work here in LaGrange is when I visited my now office here, the town seemed familiar. When my family lived in Virginia, a neighboring town next to us had a brick downtown area similar to LaGrange. It almost felt like home.

Moving back here I forgot about Southern hospitality. Between being called ma’am and all the smiles I have received in the last week, while at first seeming odd, is honestly comforting for being new, so thank you, again for your friendliness.

As a reporter, I am excited to get to know the town better and bring you, the readers, my best work. I am excited for my start here and hope you are too.