By Elizabeth Shirley
Hello reader! My name is Elizabeth Shirley, and I am the new Managing Editor for College Park Here and Now.
I have been a College Park resident for two years, not living in a dorm but in the community. I walk to Lake Artemesia and enjoy the fresh morning coffees of Board and Brew. I have been to community yard sales and tasted the local honey at the farmer’s market. If my time living in College Park has shown me anything, I have learned that it does not take long to see the beauty in this city.
College Park is a diverse and complicated city full of stories. I have only scratched the surface. I look forward to getting to know this city and its people better.
I moved here from the country fields of Carroll County, Maryland, where my father and grandfather run a farm together. The greatest culture shock to me was the ability to walk to my destinations and meet my neighbors along the way. Growing up on a farm taught me many life lessons about leadership and responsibility. While unique jobs on a farm may feel disconnected, we all have a role to play in taking care of the world around us and our community.
I am a rising senior at the University of Maryland, majoring in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics. Since high school, I have been interested in journalism, not necessarily the global breaking news, but the close-to-home stories of local people doing the extraordinary. I strongly believe in local journalism and the importance of every voice feeling heard.
I want you and your neighbors to feel heard and to read your local paper and learn something new about the city you live in. This is my hope for both new residents, families just moving in, and those of you who have lived in the same homes for decades.
I would love to hear from you all and what you see that makes our city beautiful. My email address is elizabeth@streetcarsuburbs.news, and I look forward to bringing you monthly stories from your own backyard.
