The Rose

Jessica McLean is a journalist and creative writer from Detroit, MI who wants to serve God by giving others a voice through her writing. She firmly believes every story can make a difference and have an impact, no matter how small.

She established The Rose in 2007 as an avenue to publish her creative writing (specifically, her poetry). She hopes to one day use the website to compile a collection of her poetry for publication and that her AD-Libs can help other writers embark on their own journeys through sharing a few tips and her own experiences.

Jessica is currently working as a lifeguard supervisor at Waterford Mott and Kettering high schools, where she has worked for the past three years. She previously worked as editor of an edition for the Spinal Column Newsweekly in July 2022 and as an enterprise reporter for the Traverse City Record-Eagle as a cops and courts reporter, her first full-time reporting position and beat, from November 2021 to April 2022, a job which involved relocating to Traverse City. The job involved attending daily news briefings at the Grand Traverse County Sheriff’s and Traverse City Police Departments, following up on any police-related leads, writing stories on coronavirus, weather and roads and working on larger, data-based stories.

From November 2015 to June 2021, Jessica worked as a Online Multimedia Journalist and Paginator for Media News Group, the company that owns the newspapers, The Oakland Press, The Macomb Daily, The Morning Sun, The Daily Tribune, The News Herald and The Press and Guide, in Southeast Michigan. Her goals are to become a published author and to someday work for The New York Times.

She began her college career at Taylor University, where she majored in Communications New Media Writing (Journalism) with a Minor in English Studies (Writing). After this, she transferred to Oakland Community College (O.C.C.), where she took some time to rethink her career path (considered [international] news media, social justice, or pre-law) and to obtain an associate’s degree in Global Studies. She completed her bachelor’s degree at O.U. where she is majored in Journalism. She also hopes to complete her second major in International Relations in the future, especially because she loves learning about Asian language and culture.

When she’s not writing, however, you can usually find her worshipping Jesus at her church, Auburn Hills Christian Center, spending time with with family and friends, watching CNN or other news outlets, hunting down the latest story, reading the newspaper, especially The New York Times, coming up with something creative, or talking to her readers, who she thanks profusely for supporting and taking an interest in her work.

She also enjoys quilting, online gaming, cooking, advocating a good and worthy cause, skiing and travelling. Some of her favorite things include: her N.A.S.B. Bible, classical guitar, longboard, Uniball pens, community gardens, adventures, a finished quilt, her sister’s chocolate chip cookies, the first crisp smell of cool air in fall, a good book, researching, speaking Chinese, environmental scanning, and an occasional cup of Chai tea.

Whatever the case, it is clear that she will continue to write. This is evident through her continuous minor publications (such as through Parnassus: Taylor’s Art and Literary Journal) and through privileged meetings with famous and distinguished authors such as Brian Jacques, Christopher Paolini, Karen Kingsbury, and Raj Patel.

Jessica is an ENFP on the Myers Briggs and Keirsey typology tests and a Type 4 on the Enneagram.

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