Christine DiGangi ’11 was so eager to get into journalism that she emailed The DePauw’s editor-in-chief during the summer before starting at DePauw University.
So began four years of work on the student newspaper that culminated as editor-in-chief. DiGangi, who was a media fellow, tapped skills she developed at The DePauw to pursue a career as a writer and editor covering personal finance; these days, she is the senior editorial director of The Balance, a personal finance website and one of 14 internet brands in the Dotdash group.
Journalism, she said, “was always part of the plan,” but finding a job covering finance “was very much a right-place, right-time sort of thing.” During a brief and unappealing stint in marketing, she got a call from a former colleague at The DePauw, who asked if DiGangi knew of anyone who might be interested in a writing job at Credit.com, a consumers’ website.
“I said I would actually be interested in that,” DiGangi said. “And I remember being very nervous because I didn't know anything about personal finance, other than my own experiences as somebody who had to manage my own money. And I worried that that meant I was not qualified. But she assured me, no, you'll figure it out.”
She did figure it out, and stayed four years before being laid off and moving to become managing editor at another digital financial publication. About 18 months later, another DePauw alumnus who worked at Dotdash was looking to hire an editorial director. She interviewed for the job, “and here I am.”
Her time at The DePauw “was an eye-opening experience for me” during which “I learned what journalism was. I learned how to do it.” She also met her closest friends and her husband, Matt Welch ’11, there.
She structured her class schedule around her newspaper schedule, especially in the semester when she was editor-in-chief and ultimately responsible for getting the paper out twice a week. “I spent more time in the newsroom than I did in class,” she said.
“My world revolved around it,” she said. “… It was my life.”
DePauw Magazine
Spring 2022
Lessons in accountability
Stories people care about
A watchdog
Eye-opening experience
Ethical decision-making
A way to give back
Confidence-builder
A solid foundation
Collaborative spirit
A sense of identity
Freedom to experiment
Meeting Jimmy Hoffa
The DePauw at 170
The book seller
The reader
The publicist
The children’s book publicist
The ad director
The sales director
The literary fiction editor
The nonfiction editor
The assistant editor
The literary agent
The illustration agent
The ghostwriter
The niche publisher
The accidental author
The self-published author
The children’s author and illustrator
The bestseller
The fiction author
The nonfiction author
From Inkling to Ink: How a book becomes a book
The memoirist-in-the-making
DePauw Magazine - From Inkling to Ink: How a book becomes a book
DePauw Stories
A GATHERING PLACE FOR STORYTELLING ABOUT DEPAUW UNIVERSITY
Browse other stories
-
Academics
-
Directors named for ethics institute, media center
-
Rising senior is lone undergrad presenter at scientific conference
-
Back on Track
More Academics
-
-
Alumni
More Alumni
-
Arts & Culture
-
The DePauw at 170
-
The power of expression through art
-
University Band featured on renowned broadcast
More Arts & Culture
-
-
Athletics
-
Women's Lacrosse - Kennedy Selected Academic All-America® First Team
-
Men's Tennis - Metzger Named Arthur Ashe Leadership & Sportsmanship Winner
-
Softball - Henry Selected Academic All-America® First Team for Second-Straight Year
More Athletics
-
-
On Campus
-
DePauw appoints new student affairs leader
-
Leadership doesn't wait
-
CNBC anchor Jon Fortt ’98 to give commencement address
More On Campus
-
-
News
-
Awards: Faculty members honored for teaching, student and colleague support
-
Alumni news roundup - June 8, 2022
-
Alumni news roundup - June 1, 2022
More News
-
-
People & Profiles
More People & Profiles
-
Have a story idea?
Whether we are writing about the intellectual challenge of our classrooms, a campus life that builds leadership, incredible faculty achievements or the seemingly endless stories of alumni success, we think DePauw has some fun stories to tell.
-
Communications & Marketing
101 E. Seminary St.
Greencastle, IN, 46135-0037
(765) 658-4416News and Media
-
News media: For help with a story, contact:
Mary Dieter, university editorial director/director of media relations.
marydieter@depauw.edu
765-658-4286 (o)
or 317-809-5417 (c).