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Alumni Profiles

See What Our Grads Are Doing

Angelique Serrano, Class of 2001

Angelique Serrano works at Marke Communications in New York, NY. She earned a double major in print journalism and communications as well as double minor in Spanish and English literature. While earning her degrees, she interned at the Press Republican (Plattsburgh's newspaper), Teen People Magazine, and worked at Cardinal Points. After graduation, she worked as a publishing assistant at Teen People Magazine, style assistant/reporter at People Magazine, freelance writer for Latina Magazine, and staff writer and style editor at Latina Magazine. Today she is the director of the New York Fashion & Beauty Center, where she does trend forecasting for a Latin American fashion & beauty brand. She also freelance writes for women's magazines.

What knowledge and skills were most helpful in your first job?

Figuring out how to come up with story ideas. Specifically, it was an exercise in a journalism class Prof. Murphy taught; we had to look at a chair and literally come up with dozens of story ideas that could stem from this one plastic chair. Going to pitch meetings at magazines, where your editors are looking for fresh story ideas and ways to package pieces, this exercise was extremely helpful.

What stories have you done that you are most proud of?

I recently did a heavily reported magazine feature on the state of latina skin. It examined the sun's effect on latina skin tones, and how latinas have different needs than caucasians when it comes to skin care and beauty products.

Angelique's Career Highlights

Angelique's Advice for Journalism Students

"Take an online journalism course, as well! Many magazines are shutting down and moving their business online. Take a few courses on how to write for online. Start practicing by pitching freelance story ideas to magazines. Learn how to tailor your pitches to specific magazines. In addition to thinking of story ideas for a perspective magazine, think of ways to package these stories; look at how magazines are doing more "themed" issues--like vanity fair's "green issue," etc.--magazines are always looking for fresh, inventive story packages (ex: the 20 best buddy movies ever; the health issue: the healthiest cities, foods and spas for you!). Think of what kind of packages would work for specific magazines."

Andrew deGrandpre, Class of 1999

Andrew deGrandpre majored in journalism and went on to earn a master's in journalism from Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University in Chicago. While at SUNY Plattsburgh, he served as a reporter and editor for Cardinal Points. He now is as an editor, writer and reporter for Army Times Publishing Co., which chronicles all aspects of the U.S. military.

He moved to Washington from North Topsail Beach, N.C., a coastal community bordering Marine Corps base Camp Lejeune. In nearby Jacksonville, deGrandpre ran the city desk for a 25,000-circulation daily newspaper. There, he coached a reporting staff of 10 and snatched every opportunity to write his own stories about the Marines, their exploits in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the many social challenges they face at home between combat deployments.

From 2003 to mid-2004, deGrandpre was editor of a 5,000-circulation weekly paper outside Chapel Hill, N.C.--having moved there from Chicago where, as a graduate student at the Medill School of Journalism, he was a beat reporter assigned to cover Mayor Richard Daley and the 50-member city council.

Andrew's Career Highlights

Andrew's Advice for Journalism Students

"Reporting skills alone won't guarantee long-term success in this trade; you've got to diversify your skill set. For the past few years, I have advised aspiring journalists to invest time learning page design, the complementary skill that landed me a newspaper job after graduating from Plattsburgh State's journalism program and again three years later when I completed graduate studies. And while I still encourage anyone considering a journalism career to become proficient in page layout and design (it will boost your marketability when it's time to hunt for your first or second job), these days it is more important for journalists to have a solid understanding of the Web and how it now dictates the nature of our work.

The Internet is fast becoming the delivery method of choice for the majority of newspaper readers. To that end, employers want journalists with a demonstrated ability to produce multimedia content--not just well-crafted, well-sourced news stories, but the accompanying slideshows, videos and interactive graphics as well. Perfect your reporting skills, to be sure; it's the bedrock of what we do. But branch out and develop a working knowledge of the other tasks affiliated with news production."

Victoria Hirschberg, Class of 2003

"At Plattsburgh State, I spent most of my time in the Cardinal Points office and became an editor my second semester of freshman year. As editor in chief, Cardinal Points won the New York Press Association Best College Paper, which was a highlight and the paper continuously won the prestigious All-American award. As part of my Latin American Studies experience, I traveled to Washington D.C. twice to present resolutions arguing for a more free press in Latin America and completed a research paper on the current condition of the press in Chile. Part of my senior year I interned at Vistazo, the largest circulated magazine in Spanish in Ecuador, where I studied for six months.

I worked for 3.5 years as first a business reporter, than political reporter for The Monitor newspaper in McAllen, Texas, a growing city located on the U.S.-Mexico border. I was a finalist for a Katie Award, out of the Dallas Press Club, for investigative business story. Also I spent one month in central Wisconsin for an assignment about migrant workers--which was an amazing opportunity and story I was fortunate to tell. From that story, I won first place for feature writing from the Texas Associated Press Managing Editors competition.

In graduate school, I continue to work on my spare time as a freelance writer. I was contracted to write a book chapter about the Latino experience in Wisconsin. Publication is expected in 2009.

At SUNY Plattsburgh, I held about every position at Cardinal Points, including editor in chief. I interned at the Rural Law Center of New York in Plattsburgh as a research intern and created a monthly newsletter. I had a spring internship at the Burlington Free Press as a features reporter. During the summer, I interned at the Lake Placid News and Adirondack Daily Enterprise. I also interned at Vistazo in Guayaquil, Ecuador."

Victoria's Career Highlights

Victoria's Advice for Journalism Students

Internships/Cardinal Points/take classes outside of journalism/study abroad!!!!

Learn another language/do everything you can journalism related and non-journalism related - you can sleep when you're dead!

Questions, Comments, Suggestions?

If you would like to learn more about the Journalism Department at Plattsburgh State, please contact

Shawn Murphy
Chair, Department of Journalism
Co-Director, Center for Communication and Journalism
Office: Yokum Hall 103-A
Phone: 518-564-2422
Fax: 518-564-2105
E-mail: shawn.murphy@plattsburgh.edu

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