Jae Ranney, a former Cordova Times intern and graduate of Cordova High School, is among just a handful of students chosen for this year’s Seattle Times Pacific Northwest Symposium, a multi-day journalism workshop that kicks off next week.
Ranney, a junior at Western Washington University in Bellingham, said selection to the symposium is an honor.
“I’m beyond honored to have been chosen for this program,” Ranney said. “I applied on a whim, and my acceptance has given me a newfound confidence in the quality of my work.”
The workshop in the Seattle Times newsroom pairs students with mentors to complete reporting assignments and undergo journalism trainings.
Western Washington University chose Ranney and three other students due to the “strength of their previous work … and their clear, thoughtfully presented goals for the future of news and their careers,” according to the university.
Journalism students from the University of Alaska Anchorage, University of Washington, Washington State University, University of Idaho, University of Montana, Oregon State University, and the University of Oregon are also invited to apply to the symposium.
“We are so grateful to work with The Seattle Times through this program,” said Brian J. Bowe, Western Washington’s Journalism Department chair. “We expect a lot because all four selected students invest in their classmates’ success and are capable of great things.”
Ranney expressed both excitement and appreciation as they prepare for the symposium next week.
“I’m incredibly excited to learn everything I can about how to improve my work from the generous experts who have donated their time to mentor me and my fellow students,” they said.
Ranney is nearing the end of their third year at Western Washington, and is on track to graduate next spring with a major in journalism and a minor in political science.
During their time at school, Ranney has served as an opinion editor and editor-in-chief of the university’s newspaper The Front, and reported for the school’s magazine, Klipsun. After graduation, Ranney plans to work as a foreign correspondent.
Before their time at Western Washington, Ranney interned for The Cordova Times during high school, where they learned the fundamentals of reporting and compiled the Around Town section for each week’s print issue. Their largest project was a story about the history of the annual Iceworm Festival.
Ranney is the youngest of four siblings, and the child of Cordova City Council Member Wendy Ranney and local business owner Steve Ranney.
The Seattle Times Pacific Northwest Symposium is next week, from April 22-24.
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