
Megan Craig- Class of 2004
1.) What year did you graduate? I graduated in 2004.
2.) What have you been up to since graduating from Waterford Union High School? I've worked since 2008 as a reporter and editor, covering just about anything. I've been lucky enough to write a weekly column, interview Barack Obama, dig into the lives of people banned for life from Six Flags and tell so many people's incredible stories. For many years, I worked as a reporter and then as a national/foreign content editor for the Chicago Tribune, but I took a break from journalism in 2015 to work as Director of Programs for the National Kidney Foundation of Illinois, creating educational programs for people living with kidney disease and kidney transplants. (I became interested in the work after donating my kidney in 2011.) But journalism remained my passion, and I freelanced throughout my time with the foundation. When Syracuse University invited me to teach in the Newhouse School of Public Communications (in the journalism department), I jumped at the opportunity to join academia. I now live in Syracuse, N.Y., with my husband and our dog and two cats, and I am in the process of applying to combined communications/social psychology Ph.D. programs to further study journalism ethics issues.
3.) How did Waterford Union High School help prepare you for life after graduation? I'm glad to have received a well-rounded education in Waterford. Being in a relatively small, rural school district offered opportunities for more personalized education. I pursued a career in journalism because one teacher in particular -- Mrs. Rabe -- gave so much encouragement and positive feedback during my time in her writing-based classes.
4.) Favorite memory while attending Waterford Union High School? When the new auditorium first opened, I was a junior in several of Mr. Machan's choir classes. He helped me land a role in that year's musical, "Hello, Dolly." I have horrible stage fright and was never going to be a famous singer, but for a few performances on that brand new stage, I felt like a star.