Ellen Meny '07 Shines in Seattle

“Usually, I’m running around Seattle, exploring restaurants and cool places. At Evening, we tell stories that celebrate the Pacific Northwest. This has introduced me to some pretty incredible experiences! I’ve filmed from the top of the Space Needle, dressed up as the Tin Man on TV, played with kittens, and sampled alcohol-infused ice cream…all in the name of television!”

 

Ellen remembers finding her passion of storytelling at Calvert. She started writing in middle school, and that’s stayed with her ever since. “Calvert gave me an amazing education in writing, reading, and public speaking, all of which I use daily in my career. I have Calvert to thank for my love of literature, something I cherish deeply. It also instilled a dedicated work ethic in me.”

 

During her time in college, she worked for several news organizations where she freelanced for local newspapers, helped a local TV station film high school football games, and ran her own blog. She also interned for C-SPAN. That combination of education and work experience allowed her to graduate from Clemson University and work for KVAL News in Eugene, Oregon. After three years at KVAL, Ellen took her current job at KING 5.

 

When Ellen’s not working for Evening, she contributes articles to magazines and websites. She also blogs about travel, food and general issues on her website, www.ellenmeny.com and writes fiction.  As a writer, “I believe my most significant accomplishment thus far is an article I published on Vox about harassment in local television journalism. I was getting fed up with receiving sexual harassment from strangers and viewers and noticed that same disturbing trend among other female newscasters. I wrote a blog post about it, which Vox picked up. Oregon Public Broadcasting also interviewed me. I’m glad I spoke out about the issue and allowed other women in my profession to have a voice.”

 

Ellen’s advice to younger alumni is to take care of yourself. “Both college and work are tough and exciting, and stressful, and wonderful. Check on your mental health. Make sure you’re taking breaks. And don’t be afraid to do something that might seem a little out of the box. In my opinion, life is a wild adventure- so I’d encourage you to say yes to that job, or move to that strange new city. Make the jump. You’re stronger and braver than you think.”