From Doctor to Writer: A Bit about Me

Who knew Chemistry 101 would lead me to a career in writing? When I started college, I was convinced I should become a doctor. Could I stomach the sight of blood? Well, no. Could I handle the smell of hospitals? Not exactly. But who cares … I was going to be a doctor!

Overlooking the obvious obstacles, I signed up for Chemistry 101 — and within a week realized science was not quite my forte. Still, against my professor’s strong urging to do otherwise, I stuck with it. I didn’t fail the class, but how I passed is one of life’s many mysteries. One thing is for sure, a semester in tears made me re-evaluate what I wanted to do in life. And all signs pointed to writing.

I graduated from University of Wisconsin-Madison with a B.A. in English. The internship I landed my senior year creating press releases and marketing copy for a small educational and children’s book publisher turned into a full-time gig as an Associate Editor for the company’s teen Web site. I enjoyed this position for a year and a half before the opportunity to become a corporate staff writer with American Family Insurance presented more challenge and growth, so I jumped at the chance.

Writing about insurance is a huge difference from writing for teens, but the new job allowed me to expand my breadth of writing to include brochures, customer letters, ghostwritten executive columns, intranet and magazine feature stories, and PowerPoint presentations. Within a few years, I had the writing down pat and was ready to take on the role of editor for the company’s monthly print magazine, monthly sales newsletter, and two daily intranet sites. It was a huge undertaking, but the experience I gained was invaluable.

Today, I’m doing double duty as I further pursue my freelance-writing dreams while also working as an editor for American Girl where I create game, activity, and story copy for the girls’ entertainment sites, as well as instructional and marketing copy for parents. On the side, I’ve had articles published in multiple publications including Maximum Fitness, Madison Magazine, Inside Wisconsin Sports, and eGrad.com. I’ve also written a number of articles and materials for Concentre Communications, CUNA and Affiliates, Magna Publications, Inc., Planet Newsletter, and Sentry Insurance.

The doctor thing may not have panned out (and there are many healthy patients who should be grateful), but my writing continues to flourish. Along the way, I’ve made a point to challenge myself with new things while never forgetting that producing quality work is of utmost importance.