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Meet Michaela — again! Our newest intern makes a spectacular return to Fox Cities Magazine.

Name: Michaela M. Branagan
Age: 28
Hometown: Appleton, WI
School attending: University of Wisconsin Oshkosh

Tell us about your background:  I have lived in Appleton my whole life and went to Catholic schools through freshman year of high school. I went on to attend UW-Fox Valley for a few years, where I earned just short of an associate degree. In 2020, I went back to school online, finally receiving the degree. This semester, I am continuing my education at UW Oshkosh toward a bachelor’s degree in multimedia journalism online right now. At UW-Fox (now UWO, Fox Cities campus) I reported for and eventually became copy editor of their former student-run campus newspaper, The Fox Journal. I also received a journalism scholarship and won a campus-wide scholarship essay competition for my essay titled “My College Experience.” I plan on writing for UWO’s student newspaper, the Advance-Titan, very soon.

Why did you want to be an intern at FCM?
That’s easy — it’s the best publication in the Fox Valley. This is my second time interning for FCM; I also interned sometime around 2017. The articles are fun, they’re interesting and they also touch on matters important to our community. I am always thrilled to have real-world experience in the field and learn from the editors and other contributors.

What’s your favorite thing about the Fox Cities?
I have a few things to say about the Fox Cities, actually. It’s fairly safe. There are a lot of hidden treasures when it comes to peaceful nature spots. The music scene around here has gotten much larger over the last few years. My family, friends and pets live here. Most of my memories, good and bad, exist within the Fox Cities. The summers are beautiful. What more can I say? This is my home and the place I grew up.

The last book you read: Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood.

Last movie you watched: A Promising Young Woman.

Any hidden talents?  I love to sing, and I’m not terrible at it. In the last few years, I’ve upgraded from strictly shower singing to the occasional karaoke night. I’ve also uploaded a handful of singing videos to Instagram.

What can’t you live without? My parents, my best friend, my two cats, my bunny, basically everything in my room, my car, nature, writing, reading, love, shopping, clothes, jewelry, camping, fishing, canoeing, hiking, Netflix and Hulu, music, warm weather, trying new foods, watching new films… I need lots of things apparently.

What’s the biggest risk you ever took? Allowing myself to fall in love again after getting my heart broken. Multiple times.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? “Deep breaths.”

Describe your perfect Saturday: Every Saturday beginning early afternoon, my best friend and I spend the whole day through the night binge-watching new TV shows and/or movies. We also get takeout and have a nice, fun meal together for dinner. This has been a tradition ever since a few months before COVID started.

Stay tuned here for more blog posts from Michaela!