Kyly Clark

Major: Interdisciplinary Studies in Digital Arts and Journalism
Minor: Sustainability

Class of: 2018

I was raised in a small town in New Hampshire, and started college at Champlain College in Burlington, Vermont. I got turned on to photojournalism, but the class was totally outdated, and after the first year I wanted to see more of what our country had to offer. Once I found out about SNC, I was in my baby blue jeep wrangler driving 3,000 miles across the country. It was the greatest decision I’ve made. I explored the west, enjoyed the great outdoors, and lived in the mountains while I was studying. Also, the interdisciplinary studies curriculum here intrigued me because it aligned with my early alternative education in Waldorf school.

The longer I studied journalism and digital arts, the greater value I saw in these disciplines. I realized how diverse journalism could be, with such a wide array of subjects to learn and write about. This major gave me the freedom to explore all kinds of issues and ideas, so I began filling my electives with sustainability courses. I became passionate about truth, transparency, and stories that highlight important issues, especially about our environment. Critical thinking is a practice I work at constantly, because it is integral to seeing things both holistically and individually.

I’ve always been a “doer,” which comes from my entrepreneurial parents. When I have had a productive day I am happy. I like to be useful, relevant, and timely, so maybe that’s why I study journalism. My hard-working family and my morals give me direction in life. In my family, we tend to dream big and love hard. People who give it their all, stand up for what they believe in, and strive for change inspire me. I believe that solutions come from all corners of the world.

“If it takes a village to raise a child, than it must take the world to find a solution. I wish humans were more inclined to work together rather than climbing over one another to get to the top.”

My service learning project was with U.S. Right to Know. USRTK is a non-profit “pursuing truth and transparency in America’s food system.” Their research and advocacy are focused around pesticides, GMOs, and sweeteners in our food. That experience made me more passionate about advocating for what’s morally right and fair in my writing. There are times and places for both journalism and activism, and I try to understand the line between those.

I gravitate towards long-term solutions, greater efficiency, and living within my means. After graduation, I plan to refurbish my newly purchased 1977 vintage travel trailer and live in it full time. I hope to begin saving money to purchase land, and have time to travel and try freelance writing. In ten years I see myself homesteading and caring for a family. With my journalism and digital arts skills I’ll be writing, and marketing for small business ventures. I want a luscious garden overflowing with vegetables and herbs. I want to can food and make my own products and clothes. I want to live simply and have the time to travel, volunteer, work, and collaborate with others.

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