Name: Vanessa Poulson
Nickname(s): Van, Vannabanana
Age:18
Position: Staff Writer
Extrovert or Introvert? Ambivert. Totally in the middle, depending on context.
Indoors or Outdoors? Outdoors!
Sun or Snow? Snow.
Dogs or Cats? Ah! Too hard! Both, but I lean more toward dogs.
Vans or Converse? Converse club FOREVER.
Coffee or Tea? Coffee!
Adventurous or Laid Back? Adventurous!
Canon, Nikon or Sony? Canon!
Pop or Soda? It’s soda. I promise.
Books or TV? Books! Every day of the week.
Meet Vanessa Poulson, a bookworm journalist who dreams about the days she covers the bustling streets of New York. Poulson was born in Concord, Mass., but her family moved to Celebration when she was just 2½ years old. Eventually, the Poulson family moved to Doctor Phillips and finally to Laureate Park when she was in seventh grade. Her parents were looking into new neighborhoods with a lot of development and growth. They also wanted their children to attend a high school that offered better opportunities. She graduated from Lake Nona High School in the class of 2017 and even worked at Nonahood News through her senior year.
What’s your favorite hobby?
“My favorite hobby would have to be writing, reading or doing anything that’s active. I love biking and rock climbing, especially. I’ve always been a very active kid, even though I’m a bit uncoordinated. I have a really adamant sense of adventure, and I’m always willing to try something new if it gets me up and moving. I also love to go out for coffee, and I do take my camera (his name is Peter) with me almost everywhere to capture the little moments.” (Hi, Peter!)
What’s your biggest dream?
“My biggest dream would have to be to move to New York and work as a professional journalist in the city. I’ve been reading about and admiring the news culture in New York for as long as I can remember, and the opportunity to join some of the major organizations up there would be absolutely incredible. I’d like to travel a fair bit, too. I’ve always had a weird thing for Antarctica, so I’d like to make it there at some point.”
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
“In ten years, I will be just 28 years old, so I’m hoping that I will have made it to New York or another major city, and that I’m writing to the best of my ability. I’d like a dog or two in the mix there as well.”
What’s your favorite book?
“Currently, my favorite book is Save Me the Waltz by Zelda Fitzgerald. However, it’s likely that by next week it will change to something else again. I like to read a lot, so that makes picking an all-time favorite book a bit of a challenge. Other favorites include The Glass Castle, Candide, The Great Gatsby, Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince, and The Bell Jar.
What’s something you’ve done that scared you the most or brought you out of your comfort zone?
“When I went horseback riding in Alaska. I’ve always loved horses, and I’ve ridden horses before, but it was a whole new experience to ride a horse in the mountains, fields and streams of Skagway, Ak. I was nervous because it was an environment completely foreign to me, and I was riding a horse I’d never met before. I never thought that I would be able to have that kind of experience, where you’re so in touch with nature and your surroundings, that it almost doesn’t seem real. I know that it is something I will never forget, just because I had to be brave enough to let things go and get on the horse to ride.”
Describe one of your most memorable experiences:
“In May of 2017, I was able to attend the ProjectHeal nonprofit gala in New York City. I have been working on the National Social Media Team for ProjectHeal since 2015, and most of my work had been done remotely, where I’d never met anyone on the team. It was an incredible experience to not only meet these people I had been communicating via email with for over two years, but also to meet the 70 men and women that the nonprofit has helped send to eating-disorder treatment facilities. It is one thing to see your work exist on a digital screen, another to see the people in the flesh and know that what you did meant something.”
Check back next month to get to know another Nonahood News staff member!
