Ashlee Jacobsen

Hello, I’m Ashlee Jacobsen, and I’m grateful and ecstatic to introduce myself as the new intern for the Powell Tribune. I don’t say that just to be cliché; journalism has had a huge impact on my life and much of my early passion for it can be attributed to the Powell Tribune. 

I’ve been lucky enough to call myself a Powell resident my entire life. With that great honor, I’ve grown up reading the Tribune.

Since I was young, I would wait around every Tuesday and Thursday for the paper to come in the mail, even finding myself walking down to the mailbox multiple times each day just to check if it was finally delivered. Now, I will admit, I would mostly skim the articles until I found myself at the crossword or comics, but as I got older, the stories told in that bundle of paper got me hooked.

Though I was interested in the world of journalism, I never thought it would become such a huge part of my life. Journalism fell into my lap in my freshman year of high school when I transferred into the student-led class at the last minute.

I was apprehensive about it at first; I mean, what high schooler would take on a class that meant extra writing? But soon I fell in love with the process.

Journalism made my brain go places it had never adventured to before. I wrote pieces on and connected with the coolest people. That’s why I chose to stay my sophomore year, when I was asked to become the feature editor of the school newspaper, The Prowl.

From there, I continued to progress in my journalism journey, being granted the position of associate editor my junior year. That season was pivotal. I went on to not only be part of the staff of a four-time state champion newspaper, but also earn a state championship myself for my writing portfolio. I then had the great honor of representing Wyoming at the Al Neuharth Free Spirit and Journalism Conference in Washington, D.C., in June.

There, I connected with 50 other young journalists with dreams just as big as mine. I met with several panelists who have triumphed in the world of journalism in their own ways. I rubbed shoulders with legends such as CNN’s Wolf Blitzer and Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Ressa. I toured news empires, including NBC and The Wall Street Journal: I explored many national monuments, Capitol Hill and the Library of Congress. 

Through my vast experiences, I have gained a great appreciation for journalism and what it can do for the people. I learned that as journalists, we hold great power in our hands. I strive to use that power for good, to speak for the people and tell the stories that often go untold. 

I now serve as the editor-in-chief of The Prowl, along with being an intern. I’m again grateful to continue my journalistic experiences here at the Tribune and serve my community with the words I write and photographs I take.