ZAK WELLERMAN

After working in North Dakota for nine months, I’m excited to be back in Texas and close to home while working in the field I love.

North Dakota was a challenge mostly due to the change in weather and surroundings. With it being so far north, I was aware somewhat of the cold, but I was surprised to have temperatures consistently far below zero from December into February.

As hot as it can get in East Texas, I was ready and welcoming of the warmer weather here to trade for the blisteringly cold winter.

Being there gave me the chance to develop my journalism skills out of college, working for two weekly newspapers in rural western North Dakota. I got the opportunity to grow in reporting, writing, taking photos, graphic design and editing.

I covered topics that challenged my preconceived notions of what I would be after college. I didn’t think I would be covering sporting events or rodeos. I expected to report on meetings such as city councils, courts or stories about interesting people. However, I’m grateful because I was given the outlet to become more versatile in preparation for the next step in my journalism career.

I wanted to be a reporter because I’ve enjoyed asking questions and finding out the details of different and interesting stories. I believe that is what led to going to college and pursuing a degree in journalism from UT Tyler. Telling stories about the information people need to hear and not just what they want to hear is a vital part of what a media outlet does.

Local newspapers, such as the Wood County Monitor, provide a voice to communities that are not always heard at the regional or state scale. The Monitor has given its citizens the fascinating and newsworthy content it deserves for two years now, just as the previous separate newspapers, Wood County Democrat and Mineola Monitor, did for decades prior.

I hope I can add to the news coverage given by the Monitor in my new position as the Quitman editor. I look forward to meeting everyone in the area as I report on events and issues regarding the city of Quitman and surrounding areas. I look forward to learning from those working at the paper and from our readers. Please contact me at news@woodcoountymonitor.com or 903.763.4522 for any story ideas you may have.