Dan Zak has worked at the Washington Post for almost eight years and is currently a general assignment reporter.

“I have always been a writer ever since I can remember,” reporter Dan Zak said. “Journalism allows me to be curious about the world, learn about it, and write about it.”

He was able to experience journalism first hand by working for the teen section of The Buffalo News and his Canisius high school paper, The Citadel.

Zak studied journalism by taking classes during his college years at American University as well as working for the student newspaper.

“I learned the most while I was working on the student newspaper in college,” Zak said. “The journalism classes that I remember taking in college included a feature writing class, an editorial policy class, and an opinion writing class.”

During an internship in the summer of 2004, Zak wrote for The Buffalo News writing local stories and obituaries. The summer after his internship for The Buffalo News, Zak began an internship for the Washington Post, which eventually led to a job.

“My favorite part about journalism is the variety,” Zak said. “I don’t focus on a particular topic so every story is always new to me. You could say that it’s a constant discovery and adventure.”

In 2006, other than working as a general reporter for the Post, Zak also covered local government and crime stories in southern Maryland.

Journalism is a career that can lead to world travels for major stories. There are some places that journalists are assigned to go to that are dangerous while other places can lead to exciting adventures.

“My job has taken me to Iraq, Gulf of Mexico, and inside the Vanity Fair Oscar party,” Zak said. “However, those are just a few of the strange and exciting places that I have been too.

Zak, who is now 29 years old, has been writing for newspapers since he was sixteen. Journalism is an up and down rollercoaster that can either be stressful or a great opportunity for new experiences.

“I would say that my least favorite part of the job is that it sometimes can be agonizing finding the right words to describe what you want to communicate,” Zak said. “There is always a compromise to be made because you don’t get to write a certain way that you would like to. At times, it can be frustrating.”

You can read stories written by Dan Zak on the Washington Post website. Also check out his favorite piece on the Presidential retreat. http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/camp-david-and-thurmont-a-mountain-shared-a-world-apart/2012/05/17/gIQA0zYDXU_story.html