Marisa Charpentier
Journalism
Class of 2018
How are you using the skills that you learned at Moody in your current role?
I’m using the reporting and writing skills I learned in my journalism classes at UT, like how to ask good questions and how to structure a story and do research. I also learned about journalistic ethics, how to confront my own biases and the importance of equity in reporting.
What are some favorite stories that you've worked on at KUT?
Some of my favorite stories I’ve worked on at KUT are: this one I wrote about a COVID-19 memorial, which got picked up by NPR; this one about how some people have chosen permanent forms of both control in the wake of Texas’ abortion bans; and this one about a historic building in Austin.
Were you involved in student orgs on campus?
I worked at The Daily Texan as a student, first as a Life & Arts reporter and then as an associate Life & Arts editor. I learned so much about how to write and edit during my time there, and it’s where I met some of my best friends.
What advice do you have for #TEXASMoody students?
Work at The Daily Texan! And don’t be afraid to reach out to professors whose work or career paths you’re interested in. In my experience, they’re more than willing to support you.
Work at The Daily Texan! And don’t be afraid to reach out to professors whose work or career paths you’re interested in. In my experience, they’re more than willing to support you.
What do you miss most about Moody College?
I don’t have to miss Moody College; I get to work here! KUT is located in the Moody College of Communication, so I still run into professors I had and am connected to the university.
Can you talk about your career path?
I had several internships as an undergrad, including at Austin Woman, Texas Monthly, The Alcalde, the Texas Book Festival and KUT. (Most of those were not paid, but fortunately that seems to be a changing trend. KUT now offers paid internships, for example.) Then after college, I got an internship at Community Impact Newspaper, covering Austin suburbs. A month in, a full-time position opened up, and I was promoted to reporter. I worked there for about a year before KUT hired me. I started off as a digital producer and was later promoted to assistant digital editor.
What classes/professors helped the most?
Professors like Kevin Robbins and Kathleen McElroy were so helpful to me. They helped guide me through a longform journalism project I worked on my senior year about mobile home parks in Austin. Some of my favorite classes were a longform storytelling class taught by Bill Minutaglio and Reporting the World taught by Tracy Dahlby. One of the greatest things about the UT j-school is that there are many talented journalists teaching the courses — and you get to pick their brains.
IG/Twitter handle/LinkedIn:
Twitter: @marisacharp