Natalie Netzel recently became the newest reporter for The Newberry Observer.

Netzel, 28, is a 2000 Mid-Carolina High grad who earned her journalism degree from the University of South Carolina in 2006.

But she segued from journalism for a while and has been in the banking world for “Just over three years,” or “too long,” she says with a laugh.

Born in San Diego, Calif., Netzel moved to Pomaria when she was in preschool and grew up in Newberry County schools, attending Pomaria-Garmany Elementary School, Mid-Carolina Middle School and then Mid-Carolina High.

She’s lived in Columbia since 2003 and loves hanging out in coffee shops, particularly the new Jamestown Coffee shop in Lexington, “because it’s not Starbucks.”

Netzel also likes writing stream-of-consciousness type free verse poetry and reading, and names Robert Frost and singer/songwriter Jewel as favorites.

The Observer reporter is artsy too. Netzel makes headbands and beaded jewelry —especially earrings— and has sold a few things.

Netzel, who graduated with a minor in psychology, has sympathy for one grade school group in particular. She even considered grad school to work as a counselor for families and teens.

“I was really interested in middle school kids because they’re going through so much,” she says. “And it’s an awkward stage of life.”

Now she’s instead writing on middle school students and recently finished up a story on single gender classes at Mid-Carolina Middle.

She has taken on both the school and Whitmire beats and likes writing on the people in the Newberry County community, she says.

“It feels like I’m actually doing something to contribute to the town…,” she says, “giving back to the community.”