About Me

Welcome to Overheard in Omaha! My name is Andrea Ciurej and I think you'll be pleased to learn that 100 percent of the material you read on this blog is not gossip, but simply posts that I chose to write to carry out my writing abilities. I used a writing utensil and a composition notebook before using Blogger as my writing vehicle. After purchasing a Dell laptop, there were my fingertips and Microsoft Word documents. Now, Blogger - a platform I began utilizing as a senior in college - is the next step for me to show interested members what I am capable of and most passionate about - writing and reporting. With this passion, I hope to land a role at National Geographic Magazine as a photographer and reporter.

Here is more information that might be of interest to you:

Education:

University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, NE, May 2010

• Degree: Bachelor of Arts in Journalism, News-Editorial Sequence
• Second Field of Concentration: Geography
• Overall GPA: 3.79
• Major GPA: 3.98

Honors:

• Dean’s List – Seven Semesters
• Chancellor’s List – two semesters
• Kappa Tau Alpha Honor Society
• Lambda Pi Eta Honor Society - Founding President
• Delta Epsilon Iota Academic Honor Society
• 2009-10 Outstanding Undergraduate Journalism Student

Relevant Experience:

Silicon Prairie News, Omaha, NE, May 2010 to present
Social Media Intern

• Assist in the development of web content and interviewing the region's leading entrepreneurs and creatives, reporting on startups and established companies and announcing events

Omaha World-Herald (World Interactive Group), Omaha, NE, May 2010 to present
Social Media Intern

• Assist in the production and promotion of WikiCity Guides

UNO Gateway, Omaha, NE, 9/2006 - 5/2010
Editor-in-Chief

• Managing the student newspaper
• Writing and editing stories for all sections
• Editor-in-chief of the Retrospect, UNO’s year-in-review magazine
• Oversee development of new Web site and social media use

Public Relations Student Society of America, 5/2009 - 5/2010
Newsletter Editor

• Responsible for compiling story lists, write and edit stories
• Won first place in the National Ethics Advocacy Competition for co-organizing an on-campus event involving 14 corporate and non-profit Omaha professionals
• Helped write and gather materials for campaign books, which allow our chapter to win “Most Outstanding Chapter”

Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo, Omaha, NE, 5/2009 – 8/2009
Marketing Intern

• Group sales, special events and public relations
• Assist in marketing research and media
• Responsible for the 2009 OHDZ Newspaper Trade Program

Advanced Communication Practicum, 1/2009 – 5/2009
Undergraduate Teaching Assistant

• Assisting instructor during a News Writing and Reporting course for a semester

Advanced Communication Practicum, 8/2008 – 12/2008
Undergraduate Teaching Assistant

• Graded papers for students in a Media Writing Lecture course for a semester

Other Experience:

Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo, Omaha, NE, 2/2005 to present
Admissions Supervisor

• Supervise co-workers in guest services area
• Train new employees to apply customer-service policies and procedures
• Extensive cash-handling experience, computer usage and public interaction

Activities:

• Society of Professional Journalists
• High School Journalism Competition – judged columns for Division B
• Tuesday Morning Update Blog – served as a writer
• UNO Election Blog – served as a reporter

Other Skills: InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, Microsoft Office, ArcMap, iMovie