John Melchior Murphy

***** ******* ******

Highland, California 92346

650-***-****

ac3uvy@r.postjobfree.com

Experience

Freelance sports reporter

Southern California Newspaper Group; Rancho Cucamonga, California I cover games as assigned, write human-interest features as assigned and participate in writing features for the chain which includes 11 newspapers.

Sports Reporter

Kingsburg Selma Enterprise Recorder; Hanford, California I planned, wrote and took photos for the sports section and supervised one freelance writer and two freelance photographers. Notable stories were on iconic, former US decathlete Rafer Johnson; MMA fighter Samuel Fierro; Make-A-Wish youngster Eli Wedehase; and an examination of the volleyball serve. Sports Editor

Half Moon Bay Review; Half Moon Bay, California

Immersed myself in all things Half Moon Bay. Highlights were features on softball sisters Harlee, Abbey and Riley Donovan who live on the Triple-D Ranch, a team trainer with dwarfism, a mixed martial arts fighter and a man who started a wood baseball bat company.

(One award; CNPA honorable mention, profiles).

Paraprofessional

El Granada Elementary School; El Granada, California Assisted a special education student one-on-one. He had attention deficit disorder and was hyperactive and occasionally lashed out at fellow students. By my second year, he had calmed down significantly and became an excellent student, who was liked by peers and staff. Web Content Manager

Prep2Prep.com; San Jose, California

I wrote, edited, assigned stories and mentored younger writers. Most media outlets in the Bay Area and beyond who covered prep sports followed @PrepCat due to all of the breaking news generated.

(Nineteen awards, including 2014 and 2015 top column from California Prep Sports Media Association). Sports Reporter

Riverside Press Enterprise; Riverside, California

Broke a front page, banner story on the best girls' basketball player in the Inland Empire transferring out of state on my first day on the job. Learned an area baseball star who punched out his coach at practice had been expelled by finding out the player's address, knocking on his door and interviewing him. I was the only journalist honored in 2013 by the Inland Empire baseball and football coaches' groups for fair reporting and uplifting stories.

(One award; APSE honorable mention as part of a team for special projects). Sports Reporter

San Bernardino Sun; San Bernardino, California

Wrote many feel good pieces such as a blind track and field athlete who competed with the help of a friend, a baseball pitcher missing two fingers who excelled and a baseball pitcher who starred despite being afflicted with Tourette syndrome. I also wrote some harder-hitting pieces such as a report on a small, private school that was using non-students to compete on its baseball team. Additionally, I wrote a popular blog that both informed and entertained.

(One award).

Education

BA degree, San Francisco State University; San Francisco, California Diploma, Junipero Serra High School; San Mateo, California