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Beth Walton

Writer, mother, and world traveler.
​These are my stories. 

RELEVANT JOURNALISM, WRITING & EDITING EXPIRECE:

 Language Arts Instructor, Sebastian River High School, Sebastian, FL
  • Preparing and facilitating lessons in Advanced Placement Composition, Creative Writing, and 10th Grade English Language Arts
  • Monitoring the health and wellbeing of 150 teenage students while providing both academic and social emotional learning opportunities
  • Leading a collaborative planning team to create engaging curriculum that is aligned to state standards and benchmarks
  • Monitoring student performance data to adapt and differentiate lessons to meet individual student needs 
Senior Writer, Vero News / Vero Beach 32963, 32963 Media, Vero Beach, FL
  • Covered law-enforcement, federal, and circuit courts for a chain of newsweeklies along the Treasure Coast
  • Cultivated and maintained a diverse base of sources for investigative and enterprise work
  • Assisted in the development and rebranding of digital news operations 
​Social Issues Reporter, Asheville Citizen-Times, USAToday Network, Gannett Company, Asheville, NC
  • Reported daily on pressing social issues such as poverty, gender, and race in Southern Appalachia
  • Authored weekly Sunday “Mountain Causes” column chronicling adventures in volunteerism
  • Created multimedia to supplement stories online, including video, slideshows, and other interactive content
  • Analyzed online metrics to grow readership and develop personal brand
  • Awarded five state press association awards between  2016 and 2017 for news writing in the large circulation category
  • Awarded 2015 Equal Voice Journalism Fellowship for a series on poverty in Western North Carolina
  • Awarded 2015 H.F. Guggenheim Reporting Fellowship for continued coverage of race and policing
Staff Writer, City Pages, Village Voice Media Group, Minneapolis, MN
  • Pitched and published cover stories, lifestyle features, news, and blogs at Minneapolis’ alternative newsweekly
  • Reviewed legal and financial documents providing verifiable data for investigative work
  • Awarded first place for short form news writing by the Association of Alternative Newsmedia in the large circulation category; articles republished in Best AltWeekly Writing 2009 and 2010, Northwestern University Press 
Crime Reporter, Las Vegas Review-Journal, Stephens Media, Las Vegas, NV​
  • Wrote news, features and briefs on deadline for Nevada’s largest daily newspaper, covering crime, traffic, and fire
  • After a three-month paid internship, hired and given a 35 percent raise to work as paper’s temporary night police beat reporter; offered full time reporting job and additional raise one month later
  • Conducted investigative research and legal document review
  • Developed and maintained a large source-base for investigative work
General Assignment Intern Reporter, USA Today, Gannett Company, McLean, VA
  • Selected as one of four newsroom interns for a competitive summer internship at a national daily newspaper
  • Wrote features, news, and briefs on deadline, including two front-page stories
  • Secured post internship freelance work for USA Today and the Gannett News Service 
Writing Teacher and Consultant, Western Michigan University Writing Center, Kalamazoo, MI
  • Taught remedial English composition for underperforming first-year university students
  • Tutored undergraduate, graduate, and special needs students as a university writing center consultant
  • Created specific methods for working with international and visually impaired students
  • Trained new consultants and course tutors to successfully teach rhetorical and grammatical concepts to writers
General Assignment Reporter, The Holland Sentinel, Morris Communications, Holland, MI
  • Wrote news, features and briefs on deadline for a daily newspaper in West Michigan
  • Covered town councils and area schools
  • Authored weekly “Neighbors” column highlighting local leaders and active community members 
​Editorial Intern, The American Prospect, Washington, D.C,
  • Authored content for political magazine and website
  • Copy edited and fact checked articles for print edition
  • Reviewed submissions for publication
  • Co-coordinated broadcast of New American Strategies and Securities for Peace Foreign Policy Conference

PROJECT MANAGEMENT, COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING WORK:​

​National Coordinator, Stomping Out Malaria in Africa, United States Peace Corps, Rwanda
  • Supervised 22 regional malaria volunteers and the development of the STOMP Rwanda Program
  • Recruited volunteers and mobilized malaria prevention and control work nationwide, increasing activity by 42 percent
  • Leveraged social media, online resource sharing, targeted communication, and bilingual training to inspired and facilitated action
  • Collaborated with an international team of malaria experts to reach global malaria elimination goals
  • Developed monitoring and evaluation frameworks for impact assessment and programmatic growth
  • Authored proposals and secured grant money for malaria prevention and control projects nationwide
Volunteer, United States Peace Corps, Rwanda and Kazakhstan
  • Taught healthy living and sports to 90+ Rwandan secondary school students in a remote village school
  • Integrated preventative health practices and education into community services at a rural Rwandan health center
  • Authored proposals and secured grant funds for health and education related projects
  • Directed a week-long Girls Leading Our World (GLOW) Camp for 100+ participants ​
  • Taught English as a Second Language to adult and student learners in the Republic of Kazakhstan
  • Trained English teachers in new methodologies to promote positive changes in the Kazakh classroom
  • Organized extracurricular activities for students and teachers focused on critical thinking, youth empowerment and leadership
Regional Development Specialist, Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
  • Developed and maintained donor relations for a statewide nonprofit agency with a $10 million budget
  • Oversaw fundraising activities for eight counties, authoring grants and proposals and securing major donor funds ($20,000+)
  • Spoke publicly to community organizations and civic groups to mobilize and energize support
  • Wrote and designed press releases, website copy, brochures, fundraising letters, and e-blasts
  • Selected as a team leader for a company-wide strategic learning process during a statewide merger
  • Planned and implemented large fundraising galas and small donor recognition events
​Community Educator Intern, Planned Parenthood of South Central Michigan, Kalamazoo, MI
  • Co-wrote and managed university partnership program aimed at decreasing sexually transmitted infections and unintended pregnancies among college students
  • Trained collegiate resident advisers to better support students’ sexual and reproductive health
  • Developed a monitoring and evaluation framework to measure the program’s effectiveness during its pilot year​
 Public Relations and Marketing Intern, The Center for Women in Transition, Holland, MI
  • Wrote and designed press releases, brochures and newsletters to support survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence and prevent further abuse
  • Assisted in developing the nonprofit’s website, providing and editing copy
  • Served as a crisis volunteer, offering immediate support to victims in emergency situations

EDUCATION:

State of Florida Alternative Certification Program, Secondary Education
Indian River County School District, Vero Beach, Florida
​
  • Certified English Language Arts grades 8-12
Master of International Development and Administration 
​Department of Political Science, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan
  • Independent Research: International Family Planning: When Domestic Politics Interfere
  • Independent Research: The Role of the Free Press in American Democracy
  • Internship: Community Educator, Planned Parenthood of Southcentral Michigan
Bachelor of Arts, English
Albion College, Albion, MI
  • Minor: Journalism
  • Cross Curriculum Concentration: Women’s Studies
  • Internship: Public Relations and Marketing, Center for Women in Transition, Holland, Michigan​
Off Campus Study: Washington Semester, Print Journalism
​American University, Washington, D.C.
  • Independent Research: How Women Changed the War, The Role of Female War Correspondents
  • Internship: Political Reporting, American Prospect magazine

TECHNICAL COMPETENCIES

Experienced in basic website design, HTML and content management systems; search engine optimization; brand development; content marketing; social media; digital photography; multimedia storytelling; graphic design; and various news editing and publishing software, including Adobe Photoshop, Pagemaker, InDesign and QuarkXPress.

AWARDS, ASSOCIATIONS AND HONORS:

  • Indian River County Educational Association Member (2017-Current)
  • 2nd place News Feature Writing, 2nd Place News Enterprise Reporting, 3rd Place City County Government Reporting, North Carolina Press Association (2017)
  • 2nd Place Thomas Wolfe Award for Outstanding Writing, North Carolina Associated Press (2016)
  • 2nd Place General News Reporting, North Carolina Press Association (2016)
  • 2016 Laureate of the Year, Open Doors of Asheville
  • Equal Voice Journalism Fellow, Marguerite Casey Foundation (2015)
  • H.F. Guggenheim Reporting Fellow, John Jay College of Criminal Justice (2015)
  • United States Peace Corps Volunteer (2011- 2014)
  • Rotary International Member (2010-2011)
  • 1st place for Short Form News Writing, Association of Alternative Newsmedia (2009)
  • Camp Winnebago, Counselor and Journalism Instructor (2004)
  • Managing Editor, The Pleiad, Albion College’s student newspaper (2003)
  • Vice President of Foundation and Philanthropy for Delta Gamma, Zeta Chapter (2001)
  • ​Delta Gamma Member, Zeta Chapter (2000-2004)
  • Recipient of several academic scholarships and financial awards (2000-2007)
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