Vanessa Shelton's Page

First Name:

Vanessa

Last Name:

Shelton

Hometown:

St. Louis, MO

School/Organization Name:

Quill and Scroll International Honorary Society for HIgh School Journalists/University of Iowa

Job Title:

Executive Director

City:

Iowa City

State:

Iowa

My Story:

My career in journalism was sparked by a high school English teacher who advised the school newspaper and was a liaison to a community newspaper that published columns written by students about their high schools. The impact of journalism education in my life, as with many others, was crucial. After serving as a journalist and now in journalism education, my goal is to broaden and strengthen the reach of scholastic journalism.

My Ideal School is a Place Where:

Students have access to teachers, teachers have the latitude to practice their profession without hindrance, class sizes are small, facilities are in repair and contemporary, equipment/technology is state-of-the art, support staff are appropriate and in appropriate numbers, principals and administrators are excellent staff managers who realize their role as facilitators working to assure teachers and students are successful. There are enough resources to support students activities at levels to meet student demand.

My Religious Views:

We're all God's children.

My Political Views:

Humans first, quality of life second, money third

My Favorite Freedom:

Free speech

My Personal Heroes:

Children of the civil rights movement; Black journalists pre-1960s.

My Personal Motto:

Eat dessert first

My Favorite Journey:

To Senegal and Ghana West Africa

Recommended Reading:

Too many books to list here, I have such a deep interest in reading. My favorite novelist is J. California Cooper. I'm reading Loving Frank now, historical fiction, and it's a page turner!

Recommended Web sites:

Poynter Online poynter.org; NYTimes.com; Newseum.org