Hi! My name is Kathleen Mackey and I’m so excited to have just recently begun my internship with Mt. Lebanon Magazine. I am a Mt. Lebanon graduate and a rising junior at John Carroll University. At John Carroll, I am studying communications with a concentration in digital media alongside an English minor with a concentration in professional writing. I have loved my time at John Carroll so far and getting to know the city of Cleveland over the past two years. I am happy to report, however, that although Cleveland has become a second home, Pittsburgh is still the superior city.

I grew up in Mt. Lebanon, living with my parents, Joan and Paul, and three older siblings: Brigid, Paul, and Meg. I’m looking forward to spending my summer here catching up with family and friends, catching a few concerts, and most importantly, spending lots of time with my dog, Rudy.

While my passion for writing developed at a young age, my interest in journalism began in high school when I became involved with the school newspaper, The Devil’s Advocate, as a writer and section editor. I fell in love with the process of interviewing people and hearing their stories, designing a page that is appealing to the reader’s eye and sharing stories that are impactful to the communities around me.

At John Carroll, I have become actively involved with The Carroll News, the weekly campus newspaper. I knew going into college that I wanted to be involved with journalism inside and outside of the classroom. I started as a writer my freshman year and co-edited the Arts & Life section during my sophomore year. I was recently selected to be the managing editor, so I now work alongside the editor-in-chief to oversee all of the sections to edit their stories and pages.

Being a part of The Devil’s Advocate in high school was, by far, my favorite part of high school and The Carroll News has been no different for my college experience. I find it fulfilling and worthwhile to work as a team to create the best possible paper we can each week. It can be stressful at times and we have a lot of long nights, but there’s never a dull moment in the newsroom and the staff always keeps things entertaining.

I’m excited to be a part of a new team this summer with Mt. Lebanon Magazine and gain new skills and insight into the process of compiling a monthly magazine in comparison to a weekly newspaper. It’s a completely different experience and I can’t wait to learn!