“I love being a reporter because I learn something new every day,” Hescock said. “I’m constantly speaking to different people and hearing their fascinating stories.”
Paige Hescock ’28
Major: Literature
Hometown: Shoreham, Vt.
A typical assignment involves identifying sources, conducting interviews, and transforming those conversations into news articles. Once a story is complete, Hescock prepares it for publication by writing headlines, photo captions, and search engine optimization details before filing it into the newspaper’s digital publishing system. When she isn’t reporting original stories, she rewrites press releases and community announcements in the Daily Sentinel’s style.
Hescock arrived at the internship with newsroom experience already under her belt. Last summer, she worked as a reporter for the Addison Independent, her hometown newspaper in Middlebury, Vt. This year’s opportunity offered a chance to build on those skills while experiencing a larger newsroom and the demands of a daily publication.
“I was drawn to working at the Sentinel because I’d be exploring and learning about a whole different terrain,” she said. “The Sentinel is a much bigger operation than the Addison Independent, so I was excited to cover more stories and produce them more quickly.”
Among her favorite experiences was covering the morning of the Boilermaker Road Race alongside a fellow intern, where they interviewed participants and captured the atmosphere of one of the region’s signature events. But for Hescock, the greatest reward comes after the reporting is finished.
“The most rewarding part of the experience is definitely when my stories are published in the newspaper or on the website, and I see ‘By Paige Hescock,’” she said. “The feeling of accomplishment never gets old. And especially making it onto the front page feels extra rewarding and is something you’re always striving for.”
Two summers in local journalism have also shaped Hescock’s future plans. She now sees journalism as a potential career and is considering graduate school to continue developing her reporting skills, while remaining open to entering the profession directly after Hamilton.
Hescock credits Hamilton’s emphasis on writing with preparing her for her future path. A literature major, she says her coursework has strengthened both her analytical thinking and her ability to write with clarity and precision. Her involvement with the student publications Suture and Signature Style has also reinforced the collaborative side of writing through editing and feedback.
Whether she’s interviewing a community member, covering a local event, or seeing her byline in print, Hescock says each story reinforces why she enjoys journalism: every assignment offers the opportunity to learn something new and share it with others.
Posted August 12, 2026
