- Hometown:
- Indianapolis, IN
Mary Claire (she/her) is a senior majoring in journalism. She is most proud of having covered the FedEx mass shooting in her hometown of Indianapolis for The Washington Post. For her article, she worked to chronicle the lives of the victims using personal details from her interviews with family members. She spent the summer of 2022 as IU’s Poynter Scholar covering breaking news for the Tampa Bay Times! She regards empathy and curiosity as her defining qualities. “As a little girl, I always asked ‘why?’ Sometimes my parents or teachers didn’t have an answer, but I kept asking the questions, just as I do today as a journalist.” Mary Claire wants to thank Thomas French, her journalism professor at IU, who has been her teacher, editor, and mentor, for his life advice, the stories, and the many “profound nuggets of wisdom” he has shared with her, opening her eyes and heart further to the world around her. She lives by the motto “Feel the fear. Then do it anyway.” What truly matters is what we do despite our fears—how we navigate our way through them and what we have achieved when we reemerge on the other side. In the Wells Scholars Program, she will hold the Wiseman and Mid-Century Club scholarships.