Intern reporter Katie Mihalik has joined the Lake County Leader this fall and is already diving into community news, covering the beloved Ronan Chamber of Commerce Trail of Bales and the annual Harvest Festival. 

Mihalik has been attending the University of Montana School of Journalism for the past three years and has worked as a designer for the college newspaper, the Montana Kaimin. She is currently completing her senior year. 

She is originally from Georgia and is still getting used to the lack of humidity and the cold weather (so am I, as a Midwesterner). She has spent the past three years in Missoula but is now settling in Lake County. 

Photography initially drew her to journalism and to Montana, but she has found that she really enjoys writing and design. Her background in photography has given her a detailed eye, driving her writing to paint pictures and capture the small details that bring a story to life. 

I attended J-School with Mihalik, and we took all our photography classes together, spending hours adjusting lighting, posing our subjects and often working on group projects together. Now, we’re excited to start our newest weekly group project: getting the paper out to the community.

Mihalik said she’s excited about this internship and to establish herself as a writer, become a better reporter and gain “experience at an actual journalism job.” She brings fresh ideas and ambition to the Leader and will be writing a variety of community journalism. 

Mihalik will be with the Leader through January as she completes her J-School internship credit, and we’re stoked to have her join us.