Five questions with Madelyn Schneider, the newest Johnson City Press reporter

Meet Madelyn Schneider, the newest reporter at the Johnson City Press. Schneider is from Florida, originally from Edgewater. She recently earned her bachelor's degree in English from the University of North Florida in Jacksonville. While studying at UNF, she led her school's media outlet, Spinnaker, where she broke the news on the university's agreement with ICE, statewide Florida DOGE data sweeps of universities and federal funding cuts. In her free time, Schneider enjoys reading and spending time in nature. What made you want to pursue a career in journalism? I've always loved writing and reading, and originally majored in biochemistry in college because I wanted to pursue a career in scientific research and writing. I quickly realized it wasn't quite the field I originally thought I was passionate about and changed my major to English because, well, it was something I at least knew I liked and was good at. Like many college students, at this point, I needed a job to support myself. I saw that my university's newspaper, Spinnaker, was hiring paid part-time writers and I applied because it sounded like a lot more fun than working at my campus Chick-fil-A or Starbucks. Three months later, I became Spinnaker's editor-in-chief. Working at Spinnaker was a level of control over a publication that I will likely never achieve again in my career. I realized this immediately and wanted to make sure I squeezed every ounce of experience and growth I could out of my short time there. While I also have a minor in mass communication from UNF, I primarily learned what I do while working at Spinnaker and outside of class with my trusted professors and mentors. Being the only person between my stories and an audience of more than 50,000 monthly readers taught me journalism better than any class could. Over my two years of trying, failing and succeeding in front of my entire university and, at the time, potential employers in Jacksonville, I fell in love with the ever-changing nature of journalism and feel prepared for anything. I love that no two work days are ever the same for me, and I love when I get to see my stories make a real impact on people and communities. What drew you to the job at the Johnson City Press? I came to the Johnson City Press because I wanted to gain more professional experience covering government, crime and other public affairs. The area stood out to me as a small place with big headlines, and I'm excited to learn more and become a member of this community. What can readers expect to see you covering?Readers can expect me to cover Johnson City's commission and board meetings, community growth and development — especially any publicly funded projects — and other happenings within the Johnson City limits. Part of my position is also covering general reporting assignments, readers can also expect me to cover a little bit of everything. Do you have any interesting or unusual hobbies?Not really anything unusual — I like to keep things quiet and relaxed when I'm not reporting. I love spending time in nature and camping out at local coffee shops. I enjoy going on walks and spending time with my close friends and family. What's the best advice you've ever been given?One of my mentors in journalism from college once told me: "Every person is doing the best they can with what they have." I always think of this when I get frustrated or encounter a roadblock in my work and personal life because it's a good reminder for me that most people are truly just trying their best to be good people, even if it doesn't always land that way. Another piece of advice I love: I used to study music and I once had a nervous breakdown before heading into a rehearsal I was not prepared for. My teacher at the time looked me in the eyes and said to me, "have courage." Since then, I say this to myself almost every day and it has helped me make some of the most pivotal decisions in my life so far — including moving halfway across the country and accepting a job in a place I'd never traveled to before until now.