If you’ve read this newspaper recently, an unfamiliar name might have caught your eye. You probably didn’t recognize my first name, but maybe Petrovia sounded familiar since my family is native to Marysville.
I, on the other hand, didn’t grow up in Ohio but spent my childhood bouncing from state to state as an Army kid. Regardless of where I lived at the time, I’ve always had an allegiance to Ohio that was imparted by my dad, Sal.
Despite graduating from high school in Michigan, I attended Ohio State University and graduated in May.
Even before studying journalism at OSU, I’ve always felt a bit like an amateur reporter, surveying each new place I lived and chatting with locals so I could share the inside scoop with my family.
I’m well-acquainted with being the new kid – living in 10 different states will do that to you – although I’m much more willing to step into that role at the Journal-Tribune than I probably was back in elementary school.
At the J-T, I’ll be working on the Society page and related stories. From childhood, I’ve known the first step in learning about a community is learning about its people, so this feels like the perfect section of the paper to put that philosophy into practice.
In a place with a history that spans many generations, I’m eager to hear about your experiences and how they’ve shaped this city.
Aside from writing, I love traveling, an interest that might be sparked by curiosity or possibly just a need to keep up the routine of moving around. Fittingly, I’m an avid runner and spent much of my time at OSU participating in races or exploring Columbus on foot. However, this love of mine is offset by an equally strong love of food and trying new restaurants.
I’m excited to finally plant roots here, get to know your stories and have the opportunity to make some of my own.
-Kayleen Petrovia is a reporter for the Journal-Tribune.