Downtown Neighbors Alliance Staff Highlight: Layla Joseph
By Olivia Miller
Words are powerful; they have the ability to make connections, build community and impact the lives of others. Since May, DNA Staff Writer Layla Joseph has been harnessing the power of the English lexicon to inform Pittsburghers of important happenings in The Greater Downtown Area.
A New Castle native, Joseph attended Slippery Rock University to obtain a degree in Strategic Communication and Media with a concentration in multimedia journalism.
Yet her love for writing developed far before declaring her major. Her earliest memory of wordsmithing was in first grade when she wrote an assignment so eloquently that the teacher had to check for plagiarism. This interest followed her through school as she headed her high school publication and was assistant news editor at Slippery Rock’s student publication, The Rocket.
Writing has always been a creative outlet for Joseph to peacefully express herself. She says, “I think sometimes it's just easier for me to collect my thoughts on paper than it is to say them out loud. I've always had a really healthy relationship with writing.”
Being able to inform locals about their neighborhood to build stronger communities is a cornerstone of writing for Joseph. She says, “As a journalist, I feel it's my obligation to try to give community members objective, clear and concise information, so they can form their own opinions and be informed citizens.” She accomplishes this not only by writing articles about Downtown Pittsburgh events for DNA but also by freelance writing for the New Castle News and previously writing for her own blog for the Slippery Rock community.
Her favorite projects she has worked on for The Downtowner so far is her Notable Women in Pittsburgh series that will be published this fall. In this series, Joseph interviewed successful female entrepreneurs, business owners and nonprofit executives which proved to be a very valuable learning experience for her.
She says,“It's refreshing to hear these women's stories and how they were once in my shoes- just feeling it out, not really knowing what’s next. They’ve given me advice and words of encouragement. It's a really nice experience to talk to successful women who have gotten to build such great lives in Pittsburgh.”
Whether writing about a cozy Downtown coffee shop or the greater community impact of a non-profit, Joseph believes her personability, passion and quick-thinking combine to create pieces that will leave a lasting impression on readers of The Downtowner.
When she is not at work, you can find her taking care of her cat, Jerry, who is the “light of her life,” tending to her houseplant collection, crocheting or playing video games.
Overall, in all of her work, Joseph is guided by the philosophy that “an informed community is a better community.”
