Big Impact, Small University

Christina Capecchi ’04 found multiple opportunities at Mount Mercy that wouldn’t have been available to her at larger university, including becoming editor-in-chief of the Mount Mercy Times as a sophomore.

Capecchi used her experiences to carry her all the way from the Hill to the Big Apple to write for the New York Times.

“I was editor-in-chief of the Mount Mercy Times as a sophomore, which wouldn’t have been possible at a big university,” Capecchi said. “I learned so much from that role. Later, interning at the Gazette made me feel like a real journalist. My first article ran on the front page—such a thrill! In many ways, I launched my journalism career in Cedar Rapids."

Capecchi’s double major in English and communications prepared her to move to the Twin Cities and work as a reporter for two years before enrolling in the master’s program at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism.

Capecchi now writes a nationally syndicated column Twenty Something. She has also contributed to many newspapers and online news sites including the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Chicago Tribune, Huffington Post, and the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

“My chief responsibility is sniffing out a good story and telling it well through a lively narrative and robust reporting,” Capecchi said. “The beauty of being a journalist is that it sets me up to be a lifelong learner.”

“The beauty of being a journalist is that it sets me up to be a lifelong learner.”

Because of the opportunities Mount Mercy was able to give her, Capecchi was able to create a solid foundation to work from that has served her well over the years.

“Joe Sheller (associate professor of communication) taught all my journalism classes, giving me instruction and support that were vital,” she said. “I also have to credit Mount Mercy’s excellent English department for enriching my appreciation of literature and sharpening my creative writing skills. I never missed a chance to meet the published author visiting campus.”

Capecchi maintains that, "The confidence Mount Mercy helped instill is a driving force. You have to be a go-getter to succeed as a freelance writer and in self-employment at large, and my years at Mount Mercy gave me invaluable experience in taking initiative."