Graphic by Kaitlyn Gaub.
“Some of my most memorable career experiences occurred at the UAA Voice. As a freshman, I leapt at the chance to become a staff writer — name in the masthead and everything! — for $1 an inch.
We typed our stories into an old IBM computer, which then spit out punch cards that were fed into a clunky, fill-the-room printer. Each week, we would slap some wax on that copy, stick it to the signatures and race across town to the web press.
I became the features editor the following year, then news editor.
In my senior year, Alaska Community College and UAA merged, including the two newspapers. While it was great to have competition on campus against the ACCent all those years, there was room for only one new newspaper. By the time students arrived back on campus in the fall, a select group of folks —- to include Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist John Strohmeyer —- had collaborated to create the new university weekly, The Northern Light.
I did not realize how much of an impact those all-night deadline benders, staff laughter, staff tears and the tireless pursuit of the truth would have on my professional years to follow. I treated the Northern Light like a true community newspaper, striving every week to scoop the ‘Big Guys,’ The Anchorage Times and the Anchorage Daily News. Some weeks we did, soundly.
It remains a point of pride to be the founding editor of The Northern Light.
Those years forged my skills, and fanned my desire to remain in the newspaper business. Thanks to the sage words of Pulitzer Prize winners Wallace Allen and Strohmeyer, I was able to parlay my college newspaper experience into a career that has spanned some 35 years. I was hired upon graduation for the associate editor post at the Peninsula Clarion, then graduated to the outdoors editor at The Anchorage Times, shifted to associate editor of Rural Publications, then editor of Alaska Newspapers after the ADN bought out the Times in 1992. I started my company, Alaska Adventure Media, in 1999 and began publishing newspapers, visitor guides and flagship glossy magazines to include Alaska Coast magazine and Alaska Snowrider.
It’s been a great ride, and I humbly give thanks to the JPC (Journalism and Public Communications) professors at UAA, and the Voice and Northern Light.
Some of my most memorable stories while working at the university paper include: breaking a story involving a state legislator arrested for cocaine use in the Capitol; sending a team of reporters to cover the Exxon Valdez oil spill as it was happening; participating in a story exchange and in-depth coverage of Glasnost, to include flights to Vladivostok via Nome (and publishing back-to-back 64-page issues) and; working with a previous editor on a Valentine’s Day issue that had a condom glued to every issue of the 5,000-copy press run.”
- John Woodbury, Executive Editor 1988-89.
"Serving as the editor of The Northern Light was one of the most fun and rewarding ways I got involved at UAA. I started as an arts and entertainment reporter, which sharpened my communication and interview skills, later helping me land professional jobs. I graduated with a wealth of published work, a solid portfolio and a leadership position on my resume.
This experience, the department's support, valuable resources and the friendships I built with staff laid a strong foundation for my career in digital media, where I now serve as a marketing director."
- Gabby Vance, former Executive Editor 2019-2022.
“The Northern Light made me realize how much I love writing and taught me how to tell the stories I’ve always wanted to tell. My editors (Caleigh Jensen and Cheyenne Mathews) always supported the pursuit of joy in my writing, and were always open to new ideas. If you love writing — or just have a story to tell — The Northern Light is where you wanna be!”
- Joey Carreon, former food and sports reporter and communications and social media staff 2018-2020.
“I sometimes cringe when I remember how terrible a leader and reporter I was during my TNL days. That's the key to success. You should always cringe at how awful your work used to be.
Since TNL, my reporting has been featured in magazines, newspapers and over the airwaves throughout the country — NPR, USA Today and a handful of local news organizations. I've been a managing editor and associate editor. But reporting is so much more fun.
I currently work at The Cincinnati Enquirer where I focus on enterprise pieces in Northern Kentucky.
I wish I could remember articles I wrote in college but the news cycle moves fast. I'm drawing a blank.
My tip for aspiring reporters: learn to give kindness and compassion. I know that's easier said than done. It's taken me decades to learn how to do it honestly.
Journalism has been a wild ride. I still think it's the best job in the world.”
- Jolene Almendarez, former Managing and Executive Editor.
“I worked at TNL during kind of an odd time, as it struggled to recover alongside students only just returning to campus after so much was closed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite that, I cherished my short time at the helm of the paper, as we all worked together to figure out what it should look like in the 2020s. At TNL, I got experience conducting interviews, exploring issues and — closest to my heart — covering the arts and the cool things my fellow UAA students were doing. It also pushed me way out of my comfort zone to cover things like sports and politics. All that work prepared me to hit the ground running when I started covering the Kenai Peninsula as a general assignment reporter for the Peninsula Clarion, a job I started while still working as TNL’s executive editor and persist in two years later.
A story that's stuck with me is the feature that I did on UAA's gymnastics team returning to competition after being eliminated by the UA Board of Regents and losing years to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was the front page story on the first print edition of the paper that we produced, in February 2022, after going digital-only in March 2020. It's headline is also way too long and someone really should have called me out on that.”
- Jake Dye, former Arts and Entertainment Reporter and Executive Editor 2019-2022.
“The Northern Light was like my second home while I was attending UAA. I met some of my best friends there. We had an amazing team of creative and hardworking students. I learned a lot about managing a staff. We had about 25 staff and freelancers, and so there were a lot of personalities and details to navigate. Being a student leader definitely tested my patience, while also making my life meaningful. We all held each other to a very high standard ethically and journalistically. We produced an exceptional paper and we were all very proud of it. The Northern Light gives voice to students on campus but also within the Anchorage community. It has the ability to hold administration and fellow student leaders accountable. The paper gives students valuable information that helps them make the most of their education, stay safe on campus and weigh in on issues that impact them. TNL was a start to my lifelong love of journalism and dedication to the profession. Cheers to independent student news in Anchorage!”
- Rosey Robards, former Executive Editor 2001-2005.
“My experience with The Northern Light has afforded me many opportunities. My ability to communicate effectively and be a strong leader, skills I honed at TNL, have benefited me greatly in pursuing a Ph.D. in biology and my career. I have loved combining science and communications. In fact, I will soon be starting a new role as the public information officer for the Department of Environmental Conservation, where I will get to do both. My proudest TNL achievement, however, is seeing where all the staff I shared my tenure with are now. They are doing incredible things, and the success of all TNL alums should be celebrated during the 36th anniversary. The professional excellence that TNL and the advisors have fostered is truly remarkable. A massive shoutout to Paola Banchero, Annie Route and Zac Clark for their guidance. I am also grateful to my managing editors, Kierra Hammons, Tulsi Kamath and Samantha Davenport, and my staff; you inspired me so much every day and continue to do so.”
- Kelly Ireland, former Arts and Entertainment Editor and Executive Editor 2013-2016.
“I was with The Northern Light in some capacity for over three years, and it was an amazing practical learning experience. I started as copy editor, then wrote some reviews, started doing layout, and ended up put in charge for two years. During that time we expanded into a local paper that won awards locally over other professional outlets (even ADN), and was nominated for national awards.
I worked with dozens of amazing students in that time and always strived to make it a true student paper, letting everyone follow their instincts and passions without undue interference or micromanaging.
I learned that when you let people take full ownership of their work, you can get something special. Learning to work as a collaborative team with so many diverse members was the best thing I took from my time at TNL, and helped me be a better team member and leader in every step of my career afterward.
I can’t stress enough how fulfilling my time at TNL was, and encourage anyone — not just journalism students, but writers, artists, photographers, storytellers — to see if The Northern Light might be a good fit for them as well.”
- Aaron Burkhart, former Copy Editor, Layout Editor, and Executive Editor 2005-2008.
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