Lauren’s Out and About
Meet one of our arts and community interns, Lauren Chiou. She’s been getting out in our community to cover local events and share stories from the people and businesses we hope to highlight.
When did you start at the Independent? What originally sparked your interest in doing an internship here? I started at the Independent earlier this summer, at the end of June. I wanted to get more experience in journalism, trying out new writing styles and gaining experience in the field. I also wanted an opportunity to explore Santa Barbara more, specifically the vibrant arts and culture scene that is often overlooked.
What got you started in journalism? Has it always been a career you’ve wanted to pursue? I got started in journalism at the beginning of my freshman year of college at the Daily Nexus, UC Santa Barbara’s school newspaper. Journalism definitely wasn’t my first dream job — when I was younger, I wanted to be an actress, pediatrician, or a professional musician. But as I got older, I realized that I was actually drawn to stories about those professions, and I wanted to be the one to write about those people. That’s when I began seriously considering journalism as a career.
