Courtney Looney, print journalism major at Wichita State University, interns at the Salina Journal earning college credit through WSU's Cooperative Education and Work-Based Learning program.

Her interests in journalism began in high school on the newspaper and yearbook staff. Jay Myers, her journalism adviser, deserves all the credit for her interest in the subject, she said.

"He has a passion for news, and it rubbed off on me," Looney said. "To me, there really was no other choice but journalism."

Journalism is an exciting career, she said. She arrived at the Salina Journal at 9 a.m. her first day. By 9:15, she was already out on her first assignment.

"They threw me right into the mix to see what I could do," she said.

Since working at the Journal, Looney has been able to interview interesting people, such as a world-renowned artist and storm chasers who have a show on the Discovery Channel.

Her most recent story was about a woman who was killed in a hit-and-run accident.

"It's a sensitive subject," Looney said, "and sometimes I feel rude for intruding (on the family) simply so I can get my job done."

She has written about topics ranging from foods to eat at the Smoky Hill River Festival to women walking 39 miles for breast cancer awareness.

She said dealing with uninteresting news is a difficult obstacle to overcome.

"There is a challenge to find the simplest event and turn it into something big," she said.

On slow news days, Looney spends her lunch hour hunting for stories in Salina's downtown.

"I have learned never to hesitate to ask someone for a news idea," she said. "Everyone has a story, and most people won't hesitate to share theirs."

Looney gained more than "a little writing experience" at the Salina Journal, she said. She learned how to be a journalist.

"To be a journalist, you have to be willing to search for the interesting, unusual and unique aspects of a simple subject," she said.

For her, journalism is not about bylines, it's about getting the story out and informing the public.

Her journalism future isn't clear, Looney said. She could go to graduate school, continue to work at the Journal or work for a not-for-profit organization.

"I have always dreamed of being a columnist for a large-scale magazine," she said.

Although most of her experience has come from high school, WSU classes gave her more.

In Writing for the Mass Audience, lecturer Laura Kelly challenged her to search for more information in a situation.

Looney is also one of the 19 students who traveled to Greensburg with Professor Les Anderson.

"It was one of the best hands-on experiences I have ever had in my life," she said, and attending was one of the best decisions she's made in her college career.

"She did well considering her lack of experience," Anderson said.

Looney had only taken one writing class at WSU before going to Greensburg.

But after her experiences in both Greensburg and Salina, Anderson said she'll have a better understanding about what she's taught and how to apply it.

"It takes passion to be a reporter and a writer and, even at an early stage, she's showing that," he said.

Participating in the cooperative education program gave Looney the benefit of earning college credit, getting hands-on experience in her major field and earning money.

Looney said without WSU and the opportunities she's been given, she wouldn't be where she is today.

"And I'm only a sophomore," she said. "I have two more years to take advantage of this school and its benefits."