Meet Colby Bermel, Graduating Senior and "USA Today" Reporter
One of only 20 USA Today collegiate correspondents nationwide, senior Colby Bermel was hired in January—alongside student reporters from Harvard, Columbia, and Northwestern, among others—to write weekly articles based on original, multimedia reporting and focused primarily on higher education. This spring, he’s covered topics ranging from speakers on campus to the Illinois higher education budget, and he has closely followed the U.S. presidential campaign by covering rallies in Chicago and Edwardsville as a credentialed member of the press.
A political science and mass communication double major, Colby brings a variety of College experiences to his reporting. He has served as editor in chief of the Pilot (the monthly student newsmagazine), house president of Sylvester, and resident assistant, and he’s been on the boards of the Public Affairs Conference and Christian Science Organization. Colby also traveled outside the U.S. twice with Principia—to study cross-cultural leadership in Switzerland and to explore societal crossroads on the Japan Abroad, where he interviewed citizens for a research project on post-Fukushima nuclear issues.
Colby’s interest in journalism runs deep. After his freshman year, he interned at The Christian Science Monitor, writing articles and working in the op-ed section. During the summer after his sophomore year, Colby interned in the U.S. House of Representatives on both sides of the aisle—first for Congressman Joe Kennedy (D) and then for Congressman Lamar Smith (R). And last summer, he was an editorial intern at National Journal, reporting from Capitol Hill each day that Congress was in session.
Along with print and electronic news formats, Colby enjoys broadcast journalism; he’s hosted and produced Principia Internet Radio programs all four years. Of particular note this year was the recent live radio program “Looking Back, Looking Forward,” which he worked on with others in the Advanced Radio class. Broadcast from the dining room during lunchtime, the program featured music, Principia trivia, and interviews with athletic team captains and graduating seniors. “It was really fun to work with my classmates to develop and execute the show and to put into practice what we’ve been learning all semester,” Colby said.
“I’m very grateful that I came to Principia,” Colby comments. “I’ve truly valued the whole man experience here, and the atmosphere has reinforced my love for Christian Science.” After graduation, Colby will begin a reporting fellowship at Greenwire, a top source for energy and environmental news, published in Washington, DC.