WSU Vancouver Professional Writing Program’s Alumni to Discuss Career Choices

VANCOUVER, Wash. — Three journalists and a middle school English teacher, all graduates of the Professional Writing Program at Washington State University Vancouver, will discuss “After the Degree, What’s Next?” at 7 p.m. April 6, as part of the Professional Writing Series. The event, which is free and open to the public, will be held in the Multimedia Classroom Building, Room 219.

Panelists include Cami Joner, business writer for The Columbian; Dan Trujillo, reporter for the Camas-Washougal Post-Record; Marlena Trujillo, language arts and social studies teacher at Shahala Middle School in Vancouver; and Matt Wastradowski, features news assistant at The Columbian.

“It’s purely coincidental that three of this year’s panelist-alumni are journalists, but this illustrates that our program at WSU Vancouver provides a strong foundation in writing, which students can use in a variety of ways: as journalists, teachers, editors, advertising copywriters, public relations practitioners, novelists or poets,” said Pamela Smith Hill, director of the Professional and Technical Writing program at WSU Vancouver.    

Panelist Cami Joner graduated from WSU Vancouver in 1999 and has worked as a staff writer and journalist at the Longview Daily News, the Vancouver Business Journal and the Portland Daily Journal of Commerce. In 2005, she was named Small Business Journalist of the Year for Washington State by the U.S. Small Business Administration. Before joining The Columbian staff in 2005, she worked as communications coordinator for the Vancouver National Historic Reserve Trust.

Panelist Dan Trujillo is a sports reporter for the Camas-Washougal Post Record. He graduated from WSU Vancouver in 2005 and worked for the Columbian as a part-time sportswriter for five years.

Marlena Trujillo graduated from WSU Vancouver with a master’s degree in education and a bachelor’s degree in English. In addition to her teaching responsibilities at Shahala Middle School, she also serves as the school’s yearbook advisor.

Matt Wastrodowski is also a 2005 graduate from WSU Vancouver. A former editor of the campus newspaper, he worked as a copywriter in the Fred Meyer advertising department before joining the staff at the Columbian.

The Professional Writing Series is an annual event, bringing writers and editors from multiple backgrounds to campus to share their insight, experience, and artistic vision with the larger WSU Vancouver community.

For more information, contact Smith Hill at (360) 546-9677 or hillpam@vancouver.wsu.edu.

WSU Vancouver is located at 14204 N.E. Salmon Creek Ave., east of the 134th Street exit from either I-5 or I-205. WSU Vancouver offers 14 bachelor’s degrees and nine master’s degrees in more than 35 fields of study. Parking rules are enforced Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Parking is available in the blue lot for $2.00 or at parking meters.