Marshalltown has always been home to me, no matter where I lived. I think it was mainly in part that it was easier to point out on a map but also because most people I talked to knew where it was compared to the town of Gilman where I actually live.

But Marshalltown to me is more than just a place on a map or a general landmark near my home, Marshalltown is where I was born and now where I spend my first summer home from college (Go Cyclones!). As I come to the Times-Republican for my first ever internship, it is a true homecoming and a chance to look back on how I’ve grown.

Marshalltown is where I learned to love reading and where books opened many doors for me. Whether it be re-reading Harry Potter for the 12th time or enjoying one of the many new Star Wars novels, books have a special place in my heart. I have definitely come a long way from reading dinosaur books at the Marshalltown Public Library.

Marshalltown is also where I learned to love to write, and no I didn’t start out as a journalist. My first go at writing was like most people, writing essays in the classroom, but I learned I really loved the feeling of creating a story — so I kept going. I have written more short stories than I can count and plenty of poetry to go along with them, but one of my best achievements is becoming a journalist for my college newspaper and writing more than 40 stories my freshman year. You could say I have definitely come a long way from writing one page stories, which I felt were masterpieces, in elementary school.

Marshalltown is where I learned to love community and all the diversity that comes with it. This community is quite unique in that it is one of the strongest I have ever seen. I wasn’t present for the tornado but watching the videos still made my heart freeze. I am so very proud of the Marshalltown community and how tight-nit it is, especially how in coming together to help everyone no matter the race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, ability or socioeconomic status.

The best part about my homecoming is that I get to share it with hundreds of readers. I get to show all of my hard work and provide a service at the same time. I get to dive deeper than I ever have before and lay my findings out to the entire community. Community journalism is truly amazing and I am so excited to go along this journey with one of the best communities out there.

How to get in touch with me:

Email — lmetzger@timesrepublican.com

Phone — 641-753-6611 ext. 210

— Logan Metzger, summer news intern