Hi! My name is Anna Mares, and I’m excited to intern at Mt. Lebanon Magazine this summer.
My close friends describe me as an ambitious, deep-thinking, matcha-loving, avid reader who enjoys the little things—like the hooded merganser (a duck with a mohawk!) or anything written by Annie Dillard, my favorite Pittsburgh native.
Above all, however, I love journalism. I’m passionate about the power of hyper local journalism as a force to promote understanding and connection within communities. At Mt. Lebanon Magazine, I plan to write stories focusing on development, culture and Mt. Lebanon’s history.
I just finished my first year at Wheaton College, located just outside of Chicago, where I work as features editor of The Wheaton Record. One of my favorite stories [1] in the features section was a detailed account of a student’s 70-hour evacuation of Ukraine the day Russia invaded.
I also enjoyed writing a piece focused on the political upheaval in Brazil [2] earlier this year during a disputed election. I loved speaking with Brazilian students on campus about their thoughts, and their family’s reactions. I enjoy both writing for the paper, and organizing, editing and coaching writers.
In addition, I volunteer at World Relief Chicagoland and tutor elementary school refugees. We like to play UNO!, read books, work on homework and draw after school together. Lastly, I love joining the bird-watching club on their Saturday morning adventures to local forest preserves around Wheaton, Ill.
I grew up in Mt. Lebanon and went to Foster Elementary School, Mellon Middle School and Mt. Lebanon High School. My favorite spot in Lebo is either Orbis Caffe or La Gourmandine.
More stories to come!