My name is Caroline Davis. My full name is Caroline Elisabeth Davis, and I sometimes go by Betsy. It’s a nickname for Elisabeth, I promise. Google it! I’m from a small town called Alma. It’s a little less than an hour away from Fayetteville, and has a population of only 5,000. It’s one of those pass through towns that you only see from the interstate where everyone and their mother, cousin, and grandfather know everyone else’s business. In addition to being from Alma, I’m a journalism major at the University of Arkansas with a news/editorial emphasis. My two biggest passions in life are fashion and sports. I hope to one day work for a major fashion publication such as Elle, Vogue, or Harper’s Bazaar. I graduate in just a few months, and I plan on moving to Los Angeles soon after walking across that big stage. My one year old nephew, George, is my favorite person on earth. I love all genres of music, so my favorite hobby is attending concerts. I also work front desk at a Hilton hotel, which makes traveling much easier, so I do it as often as I can!

One of the things I found most interesting when reading the Data Journalism Handbook was when it talks about the importance of data journalists and the need for journalists to simply be familiar with data. If you are familiar with this skill set and have a decent amount of knowledge on the subject, you’re going to stand out against other journalists who do not. You have something that they don’t offer to a potential employer. A strong knowledge of data brings about an entirely separate set of potential stories and ideas on top of ideas you would already have as a basic journalist. This is double the opportunity and double the potential. Not only will data journalism skills help you stand out among the rest, it will further your knowledge overall, helping you see things in a different light.