Qualifications
* Highly creative entrepreneur and independent thinker
* Possess knowledge of computers, design software, the Internet and HTML
* Have many contacts in numerous industries (movie, home entertainment, education, travel, PR, government, police, animal.)

 

Experience
Freelance Journalist/Writer: Orange County, Calif.
1/01 to present
Duties include writing entertainment stories, celebrity interviews, first-person columns, dog-themed articles, news stories, features, movie reviews, DVD/video reviews, business pieces, public-relations materials and trend pieces.

Publications include:
the Pasadena Star-News, Dog Fancy Magazine, Orange Coast Magazine, Los Angeles Daily News, Los Angeles Times' Campus Times, Video Store Magazine, All Movie Guide, Veterinary Practice News, Pet Product News, Fullerton News Tribune, WHERE Magazine, Preferred Destinations Magazine, The D Newspaper, the Riverside Press-Enterprise, Popular Dogs Series.

Also wrote stories for and edited the award-winning, educational website, MyHero.com.


Highlights:

–National columnist for Dog Fancy Magazine, spearheading the new "For the Love of Dogs" and "Star Power" columns;
—Contributing Editor for Dog Fancy Magazine;
—Doggie Diva and Creature Connection columnist for the Los Angeles Newspaper Group (ex: the Pasadena Star-News);
—"Dinner and a DVD" columnist for the Los Angeles Newspaper Group;
—Regular entertainment columnist for the Los Angeles Newspaper Group;
--Regular writer for Orange Coast Magazine's celebrity cover features;
—Spearhead Dog Fancy Magazine's annual, national search for Dogtown USA;
—Cover-story writer for various publications (Dog Fancy Magazine, San Gabriel Valley Tribune, Pasadena Star-News);
—Fashion columnist/writer for Preferred Destinations Magazine;
—Entertainment columnist and writer for The D newspaper (part of the Riverside Press-Enterprise) in Palm Springs as well as the Campus Times, a publication of the Los Angeles Times.
Author
2/08 to present
Wrote Move Over Rover!, a nonfiction book for dog lovers. Published by Clarkson Potter , a division of Random House, in August 2009.


Journalism Professor:
Fullerton College, Fullerton, Calif.
8/08 to present
Instructor for Journ. 101, teaching junior college students about journalism skills, from writing and reporting to sports writing and magazine features. Instructor for Journ. 108, teaching advanced feature- and freelance-writing skills.

Journalism Advisor: Manhattan Beach, Calif.
1/02 to present
Spearheading and creating a school-newspaper program for fourth- and fifth-graders at two elementary schools.

Creative Writing Advisor: Manhattan Beach, Calif.
9/05 to 6/06
Spearheading and creating an after-school fiction writing program for fourth- and fifth-graders.

Associate Editor-Video Store Magazine: Santa Ana, Calif.
10/99 to 6/01
Wrote weekly features, trend stories and business articles, designed and wrote a weekly theatrical page, covered issues in the video and home entertainment industries, wrote movie and DVD reviews. Special sections editor (July 2000) and Web Content Provider.

Designer-Tustin Weekly newspaper: Irvine, Calif.
8/99 to 10/99
Used Adobe PhotoShop and Quark Express to design an award-winning, two-section, four-color weekly newspaper.

News Editor-The Orange Independent newspaper: Irvine, Calif.
11/97 to 10/99
Designed a four-color weekly newspaper using Quark Express and Adobe Photoshop. Wrote a columns, news and feature pieces. Supervised a staff of freelance writers and photographers.
Accomplishments: Three-time CNPA contest award winner for design and layout (first place two times)

Journalist-Tustin Weekly newspaper: Irvine, Calif.
11/97 to 10/99
Covered the Tustin Unified School District and reported on education issues. Also found, developed and wrote feature stories, unsigned editorials, columns and profiles. Designed sister publication, The Tustin Weekender, a 24-page Los Angeles Times-affiliated newspaper.

Journalist-The Orange Independent newspaper: Irvine, Calif.
5/95 to 10/99
Found, developed and wrote features, news briefs, government stories, breaking news, cover stories and columns each week.
Accomplishments: Six-time award winner at The Best Reporter's Contest in Costa Mesa (three for first-person column writing)

Media Relations Spokesperson-American Red Cross: Los Angeles, Calif.
7/93 to 9/94
Wrote press releases, worked with media, co-spearheaded community events, assisted with annual reports and neighborhood outreach.

 

Education
University of Southern California
Bachelor of Arts, Print Journalism
May 1993

 

Contact Info
Email me at kyrakirkwood@sbcglobal.net .
 
 
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