Ambition, talent, and encouragement—a recipe for success

Remember the name Ellie Sennhenn—you may very well see her byline in a major media outlet in the next few years. The current news editor of The Good 5 Cent Cigar is honing her reporting skills on campus and is looking to build her future as a reporter.

“I can say that my overall experiences with The Good Five Cent Cigar have made me a much better student and person,” said Sennhenn. “When you practice a skill like writing more, you get better. But when you practice your interview skills more, and get hands-on experience that others don’t have, you build confidence.”

Sennhenn did not come to URI majoring in journalism. She thought she would study psychology. In her first year, she signed up to work on The Good Five Cent Cigar and the experience reignited her passion for writing and gave her the outlet to pursue it.

“I have always wanted to be a writer. As a young child, I would say ‘writer’ on all those silly job projects in elementary school,” said Sennhenn. “I started writing small stories, complete with pictures, and printed them out to give to my mom’s second-grade class.”

Now she double majors in journalism and public and professional writing, is in the honors program, and plans to add a leadership minor.

She grew up in Audubon, NJ, with one sister (they are surviving super-preemie triplets) two younger brothers, her mom, a grade school teacher, and her dad working in production. Sennhenn knew she needed financial assistance to get to college.

“I have worked jobs since middle school, saving up for college and life beyond, but as the oldest of four kids, I had to bank on a scholarship to really make my college dreams come true,” she said. “Having a merit scholarship means so much to me, as it shows that the work I put in prior to college made a difference in my life trajectory.

“As for URI itself, I love the New England landscape and the seclusion of the Kingston campus. Since coming, I have loved everything about the Harrington School, from the professors and students to the class work and opportunities.”

Sennhenn credits URI and the faculty with encouraging her to grow personally and professionally. As she has explored new interests, she has become more extroverted and comfortable with freely expressing herself. With the skills she is developing and the connections she is making at URI, she is a woman to watch for in the not-too-distant future.