Elon Alumnus Erin Mahn: Forget your plans, follow the news
October 23, 2009 Leave a Comment
Like many fourth-year journalism students, Erin Mahn had dreams of tackling the Big Apple when she graduated college, but life experience soon reinforced that in the world of news, things rarely go according to plan.
Mahn, who graduated in 2007, lived a short while in New York before discovering that the city was not where she could practice her style of journalism most effectively. Mahn applied to jobs in cities from Alaska to Singapore, but ironically, her first job was with The Daily Banner in Cambridge, only 45 minutes from her hometown Salisbury, Md.
Although it was not what she had originally planned, Mahn was eager to take a position that would not require her to write the “obits” that so many budding journalists fear. “Whatever job gave me the most experience, I took,” Mahn said.
During her two-year stay with the newspaper, Mahn had the opportunity to fly a plane, go on yachts, and even attend the Men’s Muskat Skinning Finals. Yet what Mahn cherishes most are the lessons she learned while covering these stories, however unpredictable they might have been:
- Treat everyone with respect.
- Check your ego at the door.
- People will not like you.
- People will tell you when you make a mistake.
- Ask people how they spell their name—twice.
- Don’t be afraid to ask questions until you understand—your job is to understand.
- Have fun.
Although Mahn was molded by the journalism program at Elon, it was experiences that she had while covering stories that define her most as a journalist today. In journalists, writers will be required to cover stories that do not interest them. “Elon doesn’t teach you how to be an actor of actress,” Mahn said. Yet the key is to rise to the occasion and report fairly, no matter what.
Click the video to view Mahn sharing her seven lessons with students.
