Sewidan

Nada Sewidan

Intern

Hermiston Herald

When and why did you move to Hermiston?

I moved to Hermiston only a few days ago. I was awarded the Snowden Excellence in Journalism, which pairs me with an Oregon newspaper in order to learn and grow as a journalist. It’s how I ended up working as an intern reporter at the Hermiston Herald and East Oregonian.

Where is your favorite place to eat in Hermiston?

I have not had a chance to go out and eat in Hermiston yet due to COVID-19, but my back patio is as good a place as any to eat a breakfast burrito and drink coffee.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

I’m an avid reader, especially nonfiction works and comic books. I also enjoy traveling and exploring new places and possibilities.

What surprises you about Hermiston?

Its beauty. It is the sort of place where you can look out onto the fields and feel endless.

What was the last book you read?

“Oceanic” by Aimee Nezhukumatathil

What website or app do you use the most?

Instagram and the Apple News app

If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?

It changes from time to time, depending on the current environment. Some days I long for Portugal or Greece. Today though, I’m missing my hometown in Alexandria, Egypt.

What’s the funniest thing that’s ever happened to you?

The only thing that comes to mind is my most embarrassing moment. I was on a date, and after using the restroom, I had a long piece of toilet paper stuck to my boot. I walked back to the table, and my date kept pointing at my shoe. It was a classic awkward girl moment. We laughed it off, though. I wish I could say that was the only time I walked out of a public bathroom with toilet paper stuck to my shoe.

What is one of your goals in the next 12 years?

I want to become a foreign correspondent someday, reporting for a national newspaper. I also want to publish the book I’ve been working on for the past two years.

What is your proudest accomplishment?

Where I am now. Getting to work in a newsroom and learning about an unfamiliar city.