Growing up, I knew that I loved to write, but I never thought that passion would sprout into a career as a professional journalist. No, that dream came later when I met my dear friend Sandy Wilcox one foggy morning at Pema Osel Ling in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
Over two years, Mr. Wilcox would describe his wild adventures as a journalist in Eugene, Oregon, while we worked and studied Vajrayana Buddhism together. His stories, paired with the writings of Jack London and Hunter S. Thompson, fueled me to quit my job at the dharma center and attend Cabrillo College to pursue my dream of becoming a New Wave newspaper writer.
After spending a few semesters writing stories and studying the craft of journalism, I was eventually offered the position of Editor-In-Chief of The Cabrillo Voice, thanks to my former mentor, Alexandria Bordas.
While working as the main editor of The Voice, I freelanced and interned with practically every newspaper in Santa Cruz County, except for two. On top of editing, teaching, and mentoring, I was out in the streets of Santa Cruz writing multiple stories a week, ranging from profiles to politics.
In the modern era, I plan to focus my writing on the stories I want to tell and maintain a strictly independent platform free of outside influence or funding. i.e., no private sponsors or advertisements.
I am completely funded by my own inherited wealth.
Thanks for reading,
Ruby Lee Schembari ♦
