Ambition equals success
It’s one of those journalism success stories that every young journalist dreams about.
Fresh out of college, University of Iowa alumna Sarah Leuck landed the job of a lifetime at The Wall Street Journal. Now a health care reporter for The Wall Street Journal, Leuck shared her story, tips for hopeful journalists and
why her experiences at the University of Iowa helped shape her career.
For Leuck, hands-on work experience is an important aspect of a well-rounded journalism student. Without that, students often find it difficult to land a job. Leuck’s work experience began at Roosevelt High School in Des Moines. Leuck worked on her school’s newspaper and was awarded a Daily Iowan Scholarship to attend the UI and work at the DI.
Leuck accepted the scholarship and began her four years at Iowa as a Spanish major and her internship at the DI. She became a DI editor her senior year and this experience, she said, attributed to an array of valuable experiences and clips.
Internships are key, Leuck explains, for getting a job. After a spring graduation, she promptly landed a summer internship with The St. Petersburg Times. There she was able to do a few feature stories in the Tampa area. After her summer with The St. Petersburg Times, Leuck moved on to Washington, D.C., for an internship with The Wall Street Journal.
This internship proved to be a huge turning point in Leuck’s career. After completing the internship she was offered a temporary position, extending her time there.
Finally her editor offered her a permanent position as a reporting assistant. After about a year of grunt work Leuck had worked her way up to reporter.
“I felt like I deserved to get a job, but part of me was surprised I got hired because I was so young,” said Leuck.
Not many reporters can say they got a job at The Wall Street Journal so shortly after college. She attributes much of her success to the real-world experience she was able to gain working at the DI. Although she was also nervous after graduation, Leuck advised students to never give up, eventually their time will come.
Today Leuck still works for the Washington, D.C., bureau of The Wall Street Journal, with a readership of 1.3 million. She covers health policy, concentrating on the Medicare program for the elderly and the Department of Health and Human Services.
“There isn’t another beat I’ve liked as much. This is something people really care about,” said Leuck.
Although Leuck has struggled for credibility in Washington, she says getting older has helped her feel legitimate. Leuck says young women in Washington struggle to be taken seriously, and at times she avoided telling people how old she was unless they directly asked.
Although she is not an expert on healthcare, she says that in itself has helped her write for audiences. She says she can write in every day terms, which health care professionals often forget to do, so her readers can clearly understand health care terms and policies.
“I’ve tried to learn what people care about. I think I do provide a real service for them,” said Leuck.
