Dan O'Reilly
My Writing Portfolio
I've always enjoyed storytelling but stories and I have somewhat of a a sordid past. I am dyslexic and for a long time I hated reading and all things related to the written word. If anyone had told younger me that, in my second year of college, I would decide to become an English Creative Writing major, I would have probably laughed. And yet here I am.
I am now a Communications Specialist for Putnam | Northern Westchester BOCES and am responsible for the Mahopac Central School District's communications. I also have written hundreds of articles for the News & Entertainment department at YourTango.com and edited dozens of expert articles.
Communications Specialist Work
Below are some examples of the work that I've done at the Mahopac Central School District as a Communications Specialist.
Weekly Email Newsletter
Every week I release a District email newsletter called "Mahopac Matters," that includes detailed main stories and faster, shorter stories which I cover, photograph, and write. I also work closely with a designer on the layout and graphics of the newsletter and advertise upcoming district events.
MCSD 2023-24 Budget Newsletter
Budget season is a busy time every school year and presenting the proposed school budget to the community is a critical part of the lead up to the budget vote. I worked with designers, administrators, the business office, and editors to coordinate the creation of a newly designed, 2023-24 budget newsletter. We printed 12,500 copies and released it digitally for the Mahopac community. The budget vote passed in May of this year.
News & Entertainment Articles
Some of my News & Entertainment articles on YourTango.com.
Insiya Hemani
David Dobrik Jeff Wittek Accident and Aftermath
Ukraine War Coverage
2022
It was challenging to cover this kind of news without getting drowned out by bigger websites, but this article exemplifies how I sought out, usually lesser covered, human interest stories. These types of articles are great vectors to talk about important issues and are effective for creating emotional investment.