Alumni Features

After finding a way to creatively tell stories in the visual journalism major, Bailey Jo Josie continued her journey with writing while living in Japan. Now, she’s back in Washington and ready to fully embrace her identity as a local reporter.

Visual journalism alumni Jesse Nichols has worked at Grist since leaving Western in 2017 as an Outstanding Graduate. His current work combines his lifelong love for videography and the lessons he learned from his tenure at The Planet Magazine.

When Audra Anderson’s friends have a question about the latest waterfront development or downtown eatery, they ask their personal, local news expert.

As the assistant editor at Cascadia Daily News, Anderson reads every piece of copy that comes through the never-ending news cycle. She said her sense of being “tuned in” to Bellingham’s beating heart is more heightened now than ever before as a student or local reporter.

It goes without saying most journalists are curious and love to learn, but Amy Harder is not your typical journalist. Her love for learning is alive. It’s deeply rooted and grows, branching into all different areas of her life.

If you’ve been involved with Western Washington University’s journalism department at all in the last three years, you’ve probably heard the name Nate Sanford.

Whether it be for his coverage of lead in Western’s drinking water as a JOUR 307 student or for his consecutive two-quarter title as editor-in-chief during The Front’s rebrand, Sanford’s reputation has not faded.

The Pacific Northwest might seem cold in the dark winter months, but “cold’ took on an entirely new meaning for Colton Rasanen-Fryar when they landed a job in North Dakota.

Andy Campbell graduated from Western Washington University in 2008 right as the economy crashed. But due to his time at Western, he had the skills he needed to pursue a career in reporting, and now, as a published author. His book, We Are Proud Boys, How a Right-Wing Street Gang Ushered in a New Era of American Extremism, was published in September by Hachette. 

Growing up with the radio on, tuning into authentic conversations and rich stories full of sound, weaving seamless tales on long car rides or while cooking up her next meal, she pictured the coolest people in the world, journalists. Julia Furukawa knew she wanted to be one of them.