Sara Martinez
Graduate Student, Medill School of Journalism, Northwestern University
(Oak Lawn, IL)
I had two paychecks waiting for me by the time I realized I was actually being paid to work as a copy editor for The Tribune. I was hired on the second day of my freshman year, and I was so excited to be recognized for my talent and welcomed into the basement of Johnston Hall to work among junior and senior editors. It wasn’t until someone brought me a stack of paystubs a month later that I became aware that I wasn’t volunteering. My name in the staff box meant something. It’s nice to be paid for what you do, but it’s even better when you’re doing what you love.
