Holly Auer - Spring 2001

Someone once told me to be careful of making a career out of a hobby -- when you burn out, he said, you're left with nothing to love. I thanked him kindly for his advice, but went on my way doing just that. Writing used to be just for fun. It made me think, it helped me speak to people, it made me feel crafty, witty and compassionate. Then I decided to be a journalist. Writing is still just for fun. But now, the words have a purpose far higher than myself: Not only do they get me out of bed in the morning, but they give me the power to open minds and challenge even the most obstinate reader. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't -- but it's a great thrill to try. Another so-called wise man once told me journalists don't make any money. I learned to clip coupons, and I haven't starved yet.

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Holly Auer is a junior magazine major in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. After losing herself inside a creaky old house called The Daily Orange for two-and-a-half years, she came to Washington to conquer the nation's capital with her pen. Holly will graduate in December 2001, at which time she hopes to dupe an unsuspecting daily newspaper into paying her to have fun.

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