Melissa Puryear
Student Editor, Student Journalist, and Wedding Event Management in Bakersfield, California
I am a recent graduate of Bakersfield Community College and a double-major with an AA in journalism and communication.
My goal as a student was to round out my education with two objectives in mind. One was to learn marketable skills as a writer, and the other was to learn how to be an effective communicator.
What I discovered during my educational journey surprised me; I fell in love with both disciplines.
As a student journalist and editor at BC I had the opportunity to interview influential people in the community regarding issues that were important locally and in California.
I jumped at each chance to present the local take on crime and safety and how Bakersfield officials were making our community safer for its residents.
https://www.therip.com/top-stories/2018/01/28/bakersfield-city-council-approves-the-installation-of-shotspotter-technology-sst/
I also covered the Measure J plan to improve BC's campus and the future education that student's will benefit from for years to come.
My stories reflected community, students, local law enforcement, politicians and city council member's voices.
(For more on articles click on the "Read My Articles" tab above and search "Melissa Puryear" in The Rip's website search bar).
As a journalist I worked on software programs Premiere Pro, Indesign, Photoshop, and AfterEffects. I also focused on photography classes and a multi-media class where I learned valuable tips on shooting photos and editing video.
As a Managing Editor and contributing journalist I assisted the Rip news team in editing and publishing articles in online and print format. I successfully met tight deadlines and produced high-quality news stories.
As a communication major I wrote outlines for presentations, created PowerPoint slides and presented ideas to my peer audience in persuasive communication, organizational communication, rhetoric and argumentation, intercultural communication, public speaking, oral interpretation, and small group communication.
I am a member of the Sigma Chi Eta National Honor Society.
This fall I will attend CSUB where I will work on my bachelor's degree in Communication.
My long-term professional goals are advocacy in the area of education, to become a mentor and work in public relations.
I am currently in event management and have worked in the industry for the past 9 years.
I am a military veteran with five years of service as a military police officer and am honored to have served my country.