Ermen Carreira
Ermen was just casually reading the newspaper at her favorite diner when an advertisement looking for a journalist caught her attention. As much as she was stable working at the factory as an ordinance worker, she still wanted so much more. Her dreams of graduating college and working as a journalist were still there albeit faded. When she read that the qualifications was that the applicant must have a degree in any English or Literature course, her heart sank. She had nothing more than a high school diploma and a pocketful of dreams.
However, she decided to apply for it anyway and decided to send her portfolio full of her writings. To keep herself sane during those days, she spent money on notebooks and pencils and wrote articles, short stories, poems and everything under the sun. As a shy introvert, it was a great way to express her thoughts, feelings and emotions to somewhere other than the wind. She also sent the list of all the Fiction and Nonfiction books she read and all the record of time she spent in LA's public library. She hoped they could compensate for her lack of a college degree.
When John Timberlake, the editor of the LA Times who put out that advertisement, saw her application, he was intrigued. He couldn't tell if she was a brave or reckless girl applying for a job way above her paygrade. Judging from her background as a high school graduate working at a factory, she had no business in Journalism and wouldn't survive a day in the newsroom. He also saw that she was very much of a dreamer by the fact that she straight up told him in her cover letter she hoped to earn enough money to enroll in UCLA's English program and his personal belief was that journalists must take situations at their face value and do nothing but tell people about it. It wasn't their job to change it.
He decided to give her a chance by setting up an interview with her. He was inclined to reject her but was rather curious to know what drove a literal innocent child to apply for a job like this. He also knew that the board of trustees would be pressuring him to reject her and get the best candidate available but he didn't care. As far as everybody knew, this was his newsroom and he wanted only the best for it. Sometimes the best man for the job came in ways or appearances ordinarily overlooked.
He wrote back to her saying:
"LA Times
2300 E. Imperial Highway
El Segundo, California, 90245
15 October, 1943
Miss Ermenjart Marie Carreira
7609 Mckinley Ave
Los Angeles, California (CA), 90001
Dear Miss Carreira,
I would like to inform you that I have received your application to be a journalist for the LA Times and would like to formally ask you for a job interview held here at the headquarters on October 25, 1943. This would be held for an hour and this will be all about your skills, experiences and knowledge so I can make an informed choice on whether you are a right fit for our company. I am hoping for a gracious response.
Respectfully.
John Timberlake
Editor-In-Chief"
When she received the letter, she was overjoyed. Everybody she talked to about this said she was too ambitious for her own good. The editor wouldn't take her application seriously but this didn't faze her. Her dreams were bigger than anybody's fear, doubts and scoffs. Aside from joy however, she was worried; she badly wanted him to hire her.
The day of the interview came and here she was sitting in her best outfit outside of his office scared out of her mind. A million thoughts were in her brain but she couldn't comprehend anything. She was also simultaneously panicking and calming herself. There were no other applicants as far as she knew who were there and this also worried her. How would she make a lasting impression on him?
Soon enough, she entered the office, shook hands with him and sat at the chair across his desk. He then said:
"You are Miss Ermen Carreira?"
"Yes."
"I am John Timberlake, the editor-in-chief of LA Times. First of all, why did you apply to our company?"
"I had dreams of becoming a journalist and I saw an opportunity so I grabbed it."
"What qualifications do you have for the job? You do not have a college degree."
"My writings, the books I read and the time I spent at the LA library speak for myself." Was her confident answer.
"You say you want to use your earnings to enroll in college. Is that not too ambitious for a young woman and a entry-level worker?"
"I have always been a very ambitious woman."
"You are a woman ordinance worker. Do you not think that contributing to the war effort is more important?"
"I have spent the last year working for the war effort. I believe I can start following my dreams."
"You know, I'm impressed with you. I like your bravery, confidence and how you write but I need more than that. I will give you an hour. Write an article about a mundane sight you saw yesterday." He then handed her a piece of paper and a pen and watched her leave the room.
Ermen decided to write about a street musician she saw perform yesterday. She wrote with all her heart and soul knowing this could lead to the fulfillment of her dreams. She concentrated so hard to the point that she only looked up once she was done. She read and reread it a million times until she felt she was ready to submit it. She was so nervous when he saw him read her work.
To say John was impressed was an understatement, he realized he was staring at an extremely talented individual. Yes, she was rough and young but that could be remedied. Higher education could do that well. His only concern was that the board may get mad at him for hiring an inexperienced child for the paper but he knew he could fix her up. Talent and brains was what he needed now.
He smiled at her and said:
"Welcome to LA Times, Miss Ermen Carreira."