Aaron is an award-winning multimedia journalist who is reliable, high-energy, has great journalistic instincts, manages time and people very well, and strives for excellence in every aspect of life.

 

Work Experience

Freelance Multimedia Journalist - International …..         (May 2003-current)

• Shoot and edit photos and video on deadline and for breaking news

• Multimedia reporter of hard news, sports, features, foreign affairs, government and finance

• Manage social media accounts for businesses; Media consultant for newspapers and blogs

Go Love Africa (501c3) – Baton Rouge, La. …………         Co-founder/Vice President (March 2014-current)

• Organize annual international group trips; Manage fundraising projects and budget

• Produced a month-long running interactive museum exhibit

The West Side Journal – Port Allen, La. ……………          Editor-in-Chief (Jan 2008-April 2015)

• Won the Louisiana Press Association’s Newspaper of the Year four of seven years at the company, including more than 60 individual first place awards

• Grew the newspaper’s circulation nearly 25 percent; Improved community relations

• Managed reporters, photographers, graphic design team and all editorial content

• Reported, wrote, edited, photographed and designed news stories and pages

The Advocate – Baton Rouge, La. ……………………          Reporter/Photographer Intern (Summer 2007)

• Reported, photographed daily news; reported features, sports and special sections

The Daily Reveille Newspaper – LSU  …………….         Photographer (Feb 2006-Dec 2007)

• Photographed general assignments, news, features and sports

The Sun Herald Newspaper – Biloxi, Miss. ………          Reporter (May 2003-July 2005)

• Reported general news, sports and features for South Mississippi’s largest newspaper

 

Skills

Conversational in Spanish; Trained in computer assisted reporting using public records, databases; AP Style writing; Still/video news, sports photography (Nikon D800E & D2H); Photo editing (Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom); Video editing (Avid, Adobe Premiere, Final Cut Pro); Web design (Adobe Dreamweaver, WordPress, Wix); Adobe Creative Suite; Visual Artistry (Adobe InDesign, Quark); Social Media savvy

 

Activities and Accolades

• Won 60+ individual Louisiana Press Association awards in feature writing, news writing, photography, newspaper design and general excellence

• Created/taught Journalism curriculum course for group of home-schooled students (2009-2010)

• Memberships: Association of Black Communicators; National Association of Black Journalists; Baton Rouge Area Association of Black Journalists VP of Print (2013-2015)

• Gospel Music Background Vocalist, singing with artists including William McDowell, Jonathan Stockstill, Billy Gaines, Joseph and Tosha Zwanziger; Drummer in various churches since 1998

• Volunteer Experience--The Cajun Navy Foundation: Helped flood victims clean out, gut and “mud out” homes in preparation for new sheetrock installation following the Baton Rouge area’s "Great Flood of 2016.”

Bethany Church: Volunteered more than 2,000 hours since 2005 as a youth mentor, with the media department, photographing events and with the worship team, playing drums and singing.

 

Education

Louisiana State University (B.A. Journalism 2007), Baton Rouge, Louisiana | GPA: 3.4

Honors: Dean’s List, Black Scholars Award, recipient of various journalism school scholarships

Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College (A.A. English 2005), Perkinston, Mississippi | GPA: 3.82

Honors: Honors graduate, Phi Theta Kappa, President’s List, Dean’s List; Extracurricular: College Football