What kind of articles would make you pick up a newspaper?

That question is simple, and yet there are countless and equally valid possibilities.

Some readers are attracted to breaking news and crime reports, while others are more interested in features or finding out about what band will play over the weekend.

Finding those stories that excite, inspire curiosity, and just maybe encourage you to get involved is a big part of my job.

Hi, I’m Rachel. I’ll be the editor-in-chief at the Evergreen this summer and fall, and I’m here because I want to tell your stories.

A little bit about myself: I grew up near Pullman, or more precisely in a little town named Albion, where the population has remained at 600-something for the past decade or so.

I know that sometimes those of us living in a small town are lulled into the false impression that there isn’t much going on. Oh, how wrong that assumption is.

When I first started working at The Daily Evergreen at 19 years old, I didn’t know anything about how newspapers worked. I didn’t know what was happening in the Pullman community, and certainly not about any of the other small towns in our region, for that matter. What I found was this:

This region we call the Palouse is full of unique, exciting, heartbreaking and heartwarming stories. There is new, cutting-edge research and technology. There are real people in our hometowns affected by fluctuations in funding for the federal government. There are incredible artists, business owners and everyday people like you and me who have backstories you never would have guessed.

Reporting has connected me to my hometown in a way I could not have imagined, and helped me grow more personally and professionally than any other job could have.

Since I began at The Daily Evergreen, I’ve been given the chance to learn about the lives of those in our community and been touched by their openness and willingness to share their stories.

When I started this job I didn’t know much. What I did know was that I wanted to contribute to, and be a part of, something larger than myself. In that regard, working at the Evergreen has met and exceeded my expectations.

I want this newspaper to represent you, and bear witness to what matters most to readers. Not a few select readers in Pullman, but the full range of people who live on the Palouse.

As editor-in-chief, I hope to give back to readers everything I’ve gotten from them through this job. Tell us about what stories interest, excite and inspire you. Tell us about your stories, or what we are not covering that you think we should.

Have a news tip or questions about our coverage? I’m always happy to talk. Have an opinion you want to share? Send it to us. Think we messed something up? Let us know and we’ll do everything we can to make it right.

You can contact me at [email protected], or call me at (509) 335-3191. I look forward to talking.