GHS student works at The Times

Gothenburg High School sophomore Ashley Wilkerson said she loved every minute of a recent job shadow at The Times.

“I wasn’t only watching, I was doing,” Wilkersons said.

Choosing a career of interest and shadowing a professional is what GHS sophomores do each year.

Typically, they shadow in March.

While at the newspaper, Wilkerson shadowed news editor Elizabeth Barrett.

She also interviewed people involved with the installation of a kiosk at the city cemetery and a rancher about calving season.

In addition, Wilkerson, who is news editor of the student newspaper, took pictures to accompany the stories.

The sophomore said she enjoys working with people, listening to them share their stories, writing and taking pictures.

“I take journalism as a class at school and only get to spend an hour a day on the school paper,” Wilkerson said. “Here, I get to spend a whole day being a part of an even bigger paper.”

Writing is something Wilkerson said she’s been doing her whole life.

“I can’t see myself doing anything else,” she said, with a laugh.

After graduation from high school and college, she said she wants to write for a small-town newspaper.

“This opportunity made it possible to experience all the details of newswriting firsthand,” Wilkerson said.

At GHS, she’s involved in one-acts, the annual musical, band and speech.

Wilkerson is the daughter of John and Debra Wilkerson of Gothenburg.