A Cloquet native who attends Harvard and has ties to the region is working this summer as an intern for the Ely Echo.
Harmony Fisher will write news articles and feature stories for the publication through August. Her first pieces appear in this week’s edition.
Fisher is a second-semester junior at Harvard, where she majors in government with an English minor.
She brings experience including work as a staff writer for the Harvard Crimson, the school’s student publication.
“I began reporting for my university’s newspaper this spring and I enjoyed it,” said Fisher. “I hoped to continue writing stories this summer but I wanted to be closer to home, surrounded by trees and a tighter-knit community, rather than concrete and traffic that has quickly taught me these past three years that I’m not very much of a city girl. I’m a big believer in local journalism, so I’m excited to have the opportunity to intern with the Echo here in Ely this summer.”
Fisher took time off from school last fall to work on a political campaign in northeastern Minnesota, and the experience “convinced me that I wanted to permanently place my roots here - despite what I would have told you my senior year of high school when I couldn’t wait to go experience somewhere new.”
In search of a permanent home in the area, Fisher spent her life’s savings on some land near Embarrass where she is building an off-grid log cabin with her grandfather.
“I’m most happy when I’m surrounded by the beautiful woods and waters here up north,” she said. “And postgrad, I can see myself doing any number of things: working remotely for a non-profit, starting a small farm, reporting for a newspaper, launching a local business, racing nearby trail ultramarathons, starting a blog on topics and issues I care most about - or considering that I seem to go stir-crazy if I’m not juggling seven projects at once, you’ll most likely catch me doing all of these things at the same time.”
Echo publisher Nick Wognum welcomed Fisher’s addition to the publication’s news staff.
“Harmony brings a fresh perspective and a passion for the area to our newspaper,” said Wognum. “We’re happy and excited to have her here on staff for the summer.”
