Professional Writing Brochure November 2013 | Page 4

Hannah ETTEMA
Staff Writer &
Development Assistant
at the National Forest
Foundation
Missoula, Montana

Hannah Ettema, a 2011 graduate of the Professional Writing program and the
Residential College of Arts and Humanities, is a staff writer and development
assistant at the National Forest Foundation (NFF), a position that allowed her to
relocate from East Lansing to Missoula, Montana.
She manages the organization’s social media presence, writes content for Your
National Forests (NFF’s biannual publication), creates short videos, composes web
content, and assists with coordinating and providing administrative support for the
development department, which includes tasks like helping to plan events. “I love
the diversity of it. I’m always learning new things,” Ettema said.
How does one come across such a great position in a hip, eco-minded city, located
at the epicenter of no less than four mountain ranges and ?ve major rivers? Ettema
can thank her mom for this one—a basic Google search of “Writer + Montana” turned
up this gem. “She knew I wanted to be out west,” Ettema said.
Ettema advises patience for those beginning their job search: “You have to be
patient, and you have to use your existing relationships. You have them; you
probably just don’t realize it. You have to be bold and get beyond the awkwardness
of feeling like you’re not supposed to be asking for help or for a conversation.”

Check out Hannah’s online portfolio