After a number of years of waiting tables and bartending, Regina Barnett (BS ’23) knew she wanted to change career directions, but with a young son with autism at home, she needed higher education to come to her.
So Barnett enrolled at WNMU where she could take all of her classes online. While she originally started in the associate’s degree program, she soon decided to pursue a bachelor’s in English. “I have always loved reading, and I have always been analytical, so it just made sense,” said Barnett. After taking some history classes at WNMU, she found that a second major was within reach, and she earned a bachelor’s degree in both English and History.
Barnett has since started working on her Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies, with the goal of one day teaching at a community college. She said that she was inspired to teach by her classes at WNMU. Specifically mentioning an English class with the Director of Interdisciplinary Studies Professor Heather Steinmann, Barnett said, “It really helped me to express myself creatively and made me want to keep going in the field.”
In addition to being a mother and graduate student, Barnett is also a tutor with the WNMU Writing Center and more recently has become a journalist. She applied for the position using a writing sample from an editing class she took with Steinmann.
“I started at the Sierra County Sentinel just last month,” she said, “Their reporters mostly cover Truth or Consequences, and they were looking for someone to cover some of the smaller communities in the county, so I am their Arrey [NM] reporter.” So far, the topics she has covered range from a tractor that caught fire to improvements made to the area ball park.
Asked what drew her to journalism, Barnett said, “I enjoy getting out and speaking with people in my community, hearing their stories.”
Steinmann indicated she was not at all surprised by Barnett’s successes. “I would attribute Regina’s success not just to her excellent writing and communication skills but also her tenacity,” said Steinmann.