Journalism Takes Off

Addy Williamson, staff

Journalism is a huge part of the world today. Journalism classes offered at SBHS can take individuals further in life than they may expect.

Former journalism student Trenton Opstedahl graduated from SBHS in 2012. After graduating, he went to study at the University of South Dakota, where he majored in Journalism. He earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism with an emphasis in print media, minoring in Spanish. He finished his degree in 2016 and moved to Madison, Wisc., where he is currently living.

Throughout his schooling, Opstedahl’s favorite subject was always English. Reading books and writing stories/essays just appealed to him.

Opstedahl said, “In high school, I took a journalism class and that’s when I realized I could have a career in storytelling. I was active in the Bear Butte Breezes, writing stories and then eventually taking on an editing/designing role.”

In his final year of high school, he oversaw the school’s yearbook.

“I am still very proud of the work I was able to do with that, from creating a concept, leading a team of students to carry out the plan, and working with a publishing company to produce the final product,” Opstedahl said. “By this point, I knew I wanted to have a career in Journalism.”

During his time at USD, Opstedahl was active in the campus media groups. During all four years of studying at USD, he worked for the school’s newspaper, The Volante. He started out as just a reporter and worked his way up to various editor positions until he was named editor-in-chief. Opstedahl also worked for the campus TV news stations off and on.

“My classes were important, but more than anything, being involved in campus and getting the hands-on experience was the greatest experience of all. It helped me realize the career I was working toward was something I actually enjoyed and wanted to do,” Opstedahl said.

During his journey in pursuing his dream career, there were some ups and downs.

“One of the perks of being involved in USD’s student media is that the faculty are devoted to making sure you succeed,” Opstedahl said. “You get a lot of real-life experience whether you are working for the newspaper, radio station or TV station.”

Additionally, USD encourages and helps students apply for internships during the summer. Opstedahl thinks internships are really important and he would highly encourage everyone to pursue one at least in their lifetime.

“I completed three internships during the summers while I was at USD. In my first two internships, I worked as a reporter for the Bemidji Pioneer in Minnesota, and at The Grand Forks Herald in North Dakota,” he said.

During his third internship, Opstedahl worked as a webpage designer at The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead in North Dakota. These experiences helped guide him to the decision on what kind of job he wanted to pursue once he graduated from USD.

“One of the more difficult decisions as I neared graduation was where to apply for jobs,” he said, “For some people, this decision is easy. You want to stay in the place you grew up in because you liked the area and can be close to family,” he said. “Others have a specific state/ town they want to live in, so that dictates the search. And for others, there’s a specific type of job you want so you’ll go anywhere that might take you. I was somewhere in the middle of this criteria.”

Once moving to Madison, Opstedahl applied for a job that sounded interesting to him and was fortunate enough to get chosen for the position. He works for a company called Lee Enterprises, Inc. as a senior page designer. A senior page designer helps to manage a team of other designers, which a similar to an assistant manager.

Lee Enterprises owns 75 daily newspapers and more than 350 specialty publications across the nation.

“My job as a senior page designer is to do the layout of the news pages and help oversee tasks of other members on my team. I work with editors from these newspapers to help them decide how best the stories/photos would look on the page,” Opstedahl said.

There are two design hubs, one in Madison and one in Illinois, that produce all the newspaper pages. A favorite aspect of his job while working in Madison is that he still gets to work on newspapers from coast to coast and many in between.

“I even get to work on the Rapid City Journal from time to time, so I still feel connected to home,” he said.

Opstedahl has enjoyed what his life has brought to him so far. From taking a journalism class in high school, he found what he wanted to do later on in his life.

Opstedahl said, “Some advice I have for high school students is that there is something out there for everyone, you just have to be willing to put in the work to get there. Don’t be afraid to pursue a career based on your interests. Everyone has to have a job to make a living, but if you don’t pursue something you love, you will always feel a longing for something more. Put in the work, and someday that work will pay off.”

Opstedahl has put in a lot of work and effort towards his career he is now pursuing today, illustrating how hard work can pay off.