A few weeks back, I talked with someone about YSU and the pending presidential search process. Trustee Scott Schulick's name came up, and the person said:

Scott is the classic YSU kid: working class Youngstown family, good student, good citizen.

Newspaper careers can develop similarly:

Hometown kid likes the profession ... goes to college .. interns at hometown paper ... graduates and goes to work at hometown paper.

That was true for Poland HS grad Ashley Luthern. She first joined us in the summer of 2008, and stayed with us in various ways on and off till graduation from Ohio University (home of newsroom legend Matt Arnold).

She launched her professional career here after graduation. Back in the day, that might have been the final stop for her, as many folks made a great career rising through the ranks of their hometown paper. Many staffers today are of that tradition and serve you news every day.

But media has changed so much for today's graduates. It's a different career arc, and Ashley will leave us this week for a great gig at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Maybe we'll see her back here some day. Maybe in my job. It's been fun watching a hometown person grow in the field, and it will still be fun to watch from afar.