By Angelica Euseary, Renaissance Staff Writer
When Shannon Shelton-Miller was 9 year old, she wrote little stories and books and created characters. Growing up her plan was to write books. But once she discovered journalism, she was hooked.
As a student at Renaissance High School, Shelton-Miller, 37, ended up becoming a member of High School Journalism Program.
In 1992, Detroit Public Schools teachers went to strike and the Detroit Free Press invited anyone who wanted to write to come join their “strike camp” and thanks to her mom she did. She was writing stories and the Free Press knew who she was.
During her sophomore year at Renaissance, she was a part of the apprenticeship program at the Detroit Free Press.
“That taught me what it was like to be a journalist, seeing how people worked on deadline,” she said. “I told myself ‘This is what I should expect when I become a journalist.’”
Working at the Free Press at a young age led her to many things. The following summer she worked in San Francisco for three weeks and did reporting with the Freedom Forum.
She graduated from Renaissance High School in 1999 and went to Michigan State and Northwestern. After finishing school, she worked for the Orlando Sentinel. She came back to Michigan in 2005 and started working as a sports reporter for the Detroit Free Press.
Though, her career path has changed a bit — Shelton-Miller left the Free Press in 2011 and now lives in Ohio with her husband and 2-year-old, Blake. She works at the University of Dayton in public relations/ ommunications.
“I’m watching my dream happen because of the Detroit Free Press,” said Shelton-Miller. “For the rest of my life I’ll probably be doing some form of journalism, regardless of job title."
