My name is Amy Al-Katib, and I am proud to announce that I am in my first week as the Web Editor for The NEWS! I would have liked to put about 1,000 exclamation points after that sentence, but I decided to spare you some scrolling. 

You may be wondering why I am so excited. I know all my friends were. After I enthusiastically announced to, like, everyone (friends, family, and the occasional random stranger) that I would be starting a new job, I naturally received a lot of questions. The main one being, “What are you doing?” I should have posted a photo montage of all the strange looks I got in reply to, “Working at an air conditioning, heating, and refrigeration magazine!” 

Now, I get it. It’s not like writing for a travel magazine that pays you to go on vacation to the most exotic places in the world (that might warrant 3,000 exclamation points). But, nevertheless, it’s writing, editing, being a part of a publication, and having the opportunity to work in a newsroom environment every day! I am only four days in, and I already feel at home. I LOVE IT! 

The story of how I ended up here is kind of long, but I’ll do my best to make it short and sweet. The reason I am so excited about this is because I have dreamed of being a journalist since I was just a small child. I wrote for the school and the city newspaper in high school. Then, I graduated from Michigan State University with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. My dream had almost come true. But, did I mention I graduated in 2009? The faces people make when I say that would be another great album to post. 

So, what did I do as an aspiring writer to accomplish my goals when every other writer was in the process of getting fired and changing their careers? I found a job. I worked in the hospitality industry for the last seven years. I did it all…front desk agent, front desk manager, general manager, and revenue manager. I cleaned some not so bad rooms, and some really gross rooms. I did laundry, I worked breakfast, and I even fixed a packaged terminal air conditioning (PTAC) unit every now and then. 

Then, one day, I quit. I didn’t have a job lined up, but I still had my dream. And, that dream came true when The NEWS hired me! 

As Web Editor, I will be writing and posting breaking news stories, working with our online contributors, and preparing the weekly eNewsletter. I look forward to learning about the HVACR industry and using my skills in both journalism and hospitality to provide the best product and service to The NEWS’ readership.