Hello, Bella Magazine! Meet your Intern Editor

As I stood in the aisle of our local Petsmart, decked out in my Search and Rescue finerly, I noticed a woman a short distance away, eyeing me. I was concerned, as I often am, that she might be afraid of my German Shepherd, Isabella, who was wearing her Search & Rescue service vest as she shopped for her dog food.

"Excuse me...." the woman said. "That is a BEAUTIFUL dog! Is she a service animal?"

I laughed. "You won't get any argument from me on that one--yes, she is beautiful. And yes, she is a service animal, but not a personal assistance dog. She's a searching dog. She and I find people who are missing, like children or an elderly person who might wander away from a nursing home."

Her eyes lit up. "May I interview you?"

So that's how I ended up in Bella Magazine, in an article about women in Pensacola who worked with animals. Fast forward a year or so.

I had applied to the Ph.D. program at FSU, but since I had never been on campus other than to accompany my daughter to a dance department audition, I wasn't really sure about devoting the next four years of my life to commuting to Tallahassee. As I browsed the English Department website, something caught my eye: Publishing and Editing Certification.

Taking a class would give me a little sample of FSU and might just give me some clarity I sorely needed. Who knows? It might take my career in a whole new direction. I signed up for a summer class and twice a week, I drove to Tallahassee. I was hooked.

For the Fall 2014 semester, nothing 'fit' into my busy schedule. I didn't want to skip a semester, so I looked again over the guidelines and requirements. There it was again. Internship--something I dreaded.

Then a lightbulb came on. Could I do an internship in Pensacola and avoid the commute to Tallahassee this fall? I checked with my advisor. Yes, it would work. All I needed now was a place to hang my hat for the internship credit.

I sent an email to Cinday Hall, the editor of Bella Magazine, and told her of my pursuit of the Publishing & Editing program--did she think Bella might want to use my services for a semester so I could earn credit? She agreed to talk with me and within a few days, I was walking into the newsroom of the Pensacola News Journal.

It was much smaller and more casual than I had anticipated it might be, but my only frame of reference was "All the President's Men" (and there were no Robert Redfords hanging around, darn it!)

Cindy and I agreed on my schedule and went over the plan for the fall. She reviewed with me all the writers and their areas of expertise. From the start, she treated me like a co-professional, which was very welcoming.

I have to admit: I couldn't wait to get started.