To Whom It May Concern:

My name is Carley Bonk and I’ve spent the past five years pursuing a bachelor’s degree in journalism, accumulating invaluable research and archiving skills, a keen eye for detail in an investigative setting and a burning desire to pursue the truth at all costs. Throughout my education, I’ve molded myself to be a dependable, hard-working and passionate person, placing me ahead of many candidates.

Journalism to me means the constant pursuit of knowledge. Education is a beautiful aspect of human nature and as a journalist, I have the opportunity to be exposed to new people, ideas and cultures every day. I am more than willing to take on the tremendous responsibility of being a first responder to both the most tragic and joyful events in our existence. By practicing the tools I’ve learned in the classroom on the street with real people in my community, I’ve realized this is what I’m meant to do.

Throughout my time at Point Park University, I have served as staff writer, copy editor, features section editor, Editor-Elect and Editor-in-Chief of the award-winning campus newspaper The Globe. The time I spent here was a transformative experience in which I’ve been able to find my footing as a leader and work with others to create a product of which we could all be proud. I thrived reporting, editing and laying out pages in this tense, deadline-oriented environment.

In addition to my time at The Globe, I also worked in the multimedia department at the Pittsburgh City Paper and spent a summer interning on the web desk at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Accompanying these accolades, I’ve also had broadcast video footage picked up by national outlet MSNBC and was also published on WPXI Pittsburgh’s website. To organize my published pieces and seek truth as much as I can on my own time, I built a blog – Walkaway Words – a growing portfolio of my works, with over a hundred posts.

Ultimately, I want to make a difference in my community. At your establishment, I know I’ll be on my way to doing just that. Thank you for taking the time to consider my application.

Sincerely,

[Carley Bonk]