Brooke McCarthy, journalism major and amateur photographer, isn’t your average URI student.

         “Ever since I was little I have watched the news every morning to try and keep up with what’s going on. I was never really interested in other subjects in school.” said McCarthy. She, like most kids, imagined becoming an astronaut or actress when she was little.  “I like talking to people and don't mind being on camera so I always thought I would be good at being a journalist.”

As she got older, McCarthy’s interests developed into writing and public speaking. “I eventually realized writing was a passion of mine, and public speaking came to me naturally. I took a journalism class in high school and by my senior year was the editor of my school paper,” said McCarthy. Her journalism teacher, Mr. Brown, urged her to join the paper after she took his class. He taught her the foundations of reporting and helped inspire her to keep pursuing journalism in college.

         McCarthy’s favorite hobby, photographer, is something she enjoys almost as much as she enjoys going to the gym. While taking an AP photography class in high school, she learned how to use film photography, dark rooms, and photo shop. Eventually she ended up becoming a wedding photographer’s assistant, an invaluable experience that she said has helped hone her eye for choosing the right shot.

         In her photography class, she learned about Dan Eldon. He was one of four people killed by a mob in the events preceding the Battle of Mogadishu. His journals and photography showed McCarthy how inspiring images can be. McCarthy looks up to Eldon’s work, and wants to one day take images as profound as his own.

If she ends up going into broadcast journalism, McCarthy aspires to work as a news anchor for CNN or NBC, because she believes both to be the most professional in the business. She said, “I’ve always heard big stories and ‘thought wouldn't that be cool to cover?’ The mass shooting in Paris was tragic and terrible, but if covering it helped to find the awful people responsible, I would do it. ”

She also enjoys the entertainment scene, and could see herself hosting a show such as Entertainment Tonight. McCarthy said that she would like to have been able to report about the events surrounding Caitlyn Jenner, or the recent controversy surrounding Kesha.

          Even if her she decides that she doesn’t want to be a journalist, Brooke has other plans. She said, “I'm thinking of double majoring in history so I can travel to historical places and take pictures for a magazine.” Her grandfather started his own travel agency, which has let McCarthy travel to places such as the Cayman Islands, Mexico, and go on different cruises. She also said “I would have loved to be a surgeon but I hate science and I couldn't deal with blood and cutting people open.”   

          Whether she ends up becoming a photographer, news anchor, travel writer, or whatever else comes her way, McCarthy said she will do what it takes to buy a beach house to retire in.