Katherine Chloé Cahoon

In my news career, I love covering small businesses. In the fall, town volunteers bring out their cornstalks and decorate city centers as was done here. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, “Small businesses employ nearly half of the American workforce and represent 43.5% of America’s GDP.” I have found that every small business owner has a unique story. This was recently reinforced in my journalism graduate program. I was honored to moderate a discussion with Alissa J. Rubin, senior Middle East correspondent for The New York Times. Alissa said, “There is always a story behind everything. Get into the details. Keep digging.” This applies to every aspect of journalism. Alissa is not only a Pulitzer Prize winner, but a very caring person, who graciously met with us at midnight, her time, a few hours before catching a flight to Iraq!