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Brooke Binns
Editor's Note: The following is part of a series of articles profiling The Inter-Mountain's staff.
ELKINS -- Brooke Binns, who has been a staff writer for The Inter-Mountain for more than five years, enjoys working with the local school system and creating relationships within the community.
"In 2015, I joined The Inter-Mountain as an intern from Shepherd University," Binns said. "This internship was required for my journalism studies."
Before graduating in the spring of 2015, Binns was offered a full-time position. After several years as a full-time staff writer, Binns opted to move to part-time to allow herself more time for other activities and duties.
"What I enjoy most about my job would be the relationships I am able to create with people in the public," she said.
"On a day-to-day basis I am able to interact with familiar faces – whether it be faces in schools, the courthouse or local, non-profit organizations. In addition, I am lucky enough to regularly meet new people that have a positive impact on my day and career," she said.
"There are several stories and interviews that meant a lot to me, even ones that were unexpected. One specific story that was memorable was when I traveled to a school in an very rural part of Randolph County," Binns noted. "Students from Davis & Elkins College worked in coordination with the school to provide Christmas gifts to each student. During this experience, I saw joy and thanks in the faces of each child. This was a reminder that when there is a need, people in our area combine their efforts to serve others.
"Additionally, I am thankful to have had the opportunity to meet with veterans of various wars through our Unsung Hero series," she said.
"My favorite interviewees were those from World War II. These veterans were funny, kind and full of wisdom; many of their stories were informative, first-hand experiences expressed with great emotion," Binns noted.
"I maintained a relationship with a few individuals, and one local vet always stands out in my mind."
Like so many others, Binns has seen the COVID-19 pandemic affect her job.
"The biggest impact COVID has had on my daily duties, aside from working outside of the office, has been not being able to visit schools," she said.
"I have covered the Randolph County Board of Education beat for five years. During this time, I have very much enjoyed going into the schools to write stories about fun and creative projects students have completed or are working to create," Binns explained.
"I look forward to going back into schools and being able to showcase our community's impressive youth," she added.
To contact Binns about story ideas or to provide feedback on articles, email bbinns@theint