Chelsea Murray literally grew up inside a newsroom. When she was five years old the Observer was launched in the dining room of her father’s home. Eighteen months later the newsroom moved into her living room when the Observer expanded to five employees. During the past 18 years Chelsea has experienced every facet of the newspaper business – writing, photography, marketing, production and distribution. She began writing youth columns at the Observer when she was 11 years old. Chelsea won first place in the 2002 Connecticut Society of Professional Journalists annual competition for a column she wrote about a teenager dying of cancer. Her column was chosen over 35 entries submitted by seasoned, professional journalists. Chelsea was just starting her writing career – she was 14 years old.
Chelsea has written a hundred columns and written feature stories about activist Julia Butterfly Hill, writer Elizabeth Gilbert, and the UConn womens basketball team. In addition to writing, Chelsea is an excellent photographer and an enthusiastic salesperson.
After graduating from Marist College in 2010 with a degree in International Communications, Chelsea returned to Connecticut to accept a position as the Observer’s free-wheeling travel editor. She has travelled extensively throughout the world, including Guatemala, Mexico, Scotland, Ireland, Egypt, Greece, Turkey, Thailand, Malaysia and India.
Chelsea can be reached by e-mail at waterburyobserver@gmail.com