Jessie Sawyer, Patch Staff

I  knew that I wanted to be a writer back in elementary school when writing prompts began and my school encouraged students to write and illustrate books in the school publishing center.

That interest was heightened when I took a journalism class my senior year at Farmington High School. My biggest story was a feature about a contestant on The Bachelorette who was a former Farmington High School student.

I went on to become a reporter and editor for my college newspaper, The Bates Student's arts and sports section. In 2009, the Patrick Dempsey Center for Cancer Hope and Healing had its one year anniversary, and I covered it for my last edition of the newspaper, including a full interview with Patrick Dempsey.

I graduated from Bates College, up in Lewiston, Maine, in 2009 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English, a creative writing concentration and a Spanish minor. For my senior thesis, I wrote a novel called Please Pardon My Spanglish, which includes several Spanish dialogues. I also worked for sports information and the Bates Alumni Magazine within the Bates Office of Communications. 

Massachusetts-born and a Farmington resident for most of my life, I have grown up in the Farmington Valley,  gone through the Farmington school system, played soccer in Farmington and in the surrounding towns, gone to Regionals and All State for my performance playing French horn, shopped in the valley and witnessed the evolving coverage in the area.

My first job ever was at Healthtrax in Avon as a fitness specialist. I hostessed for my first part-time job out of college at Avon's Ninety Nine Restaurant and Pub, which closed on Dec. 24, 2010. I have always gone to Avon for shopping, appointments or to play soccer at Fisher Meadows.

During the summer of 2007, I interned at The Hartford Courant for the former Avon Bureau in the Hartford news room. My story about a local musician who sold an original song to the Marshall Tucker Band was picked up by the Associated Press, and the story appeared in major publications, such as The Boston Globe.

The job market was brutal when I graduated in 2009, so I spent the year doing odd jobs and internships for published authors, an online magazine and Connecticut Public Broadcasting Media Lab. A short video I helped produce was featured in a Connecticut Public Television segment called, "The Last Bipartisan," which aired Oct. 24, 2010.

After freelancing for the Litchfield County Mom, a Journal Register publication, I landed my first journalism job in June 2010 at The Register Citizen in Torrington, covering local news in New Hartford, Barkhamsted and Harwinton. I covered town news, municipal meetings, events, police and courts and wrote the occasional feature story. I produced two to six stories a day, and most of the time did my own photography and videography to enhance my stories. The company taught me the value of digital first reporting.

Soon after, I was hired as a local editor for Patch. I am excited to give the town I grew up next to strong coverage and believe that every person has a story. I am looking forward to finding as many as I can.

If you need to get in touch with me, please contact me at Jessie.Sawyer@patch.com or 860-356-6339. Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/AvonPatch and "like" Avon Patch on Facebook at facebook.com/avonpatch.