Hey there Keizer. My name is Quinn Stoddard and I am the newest reporter joining the Keizertimes.
I pursued this position to help inform our community about what happens in town so we can all have the information we need to make the best decisions we can. I will do this by working to ensure no question goes unanswered, and no lead is left cold.
Before I expect anyone to take what I say seriously though, let me tell you a bit about myself. I am a family-oriented parent and veteran who has been lucky enough to gain enough of an education to mess me up for the rest of my life.
My life journey began on the east coast in Norwich, Conn. and at the age of 19 I enlisted as a medic in the Army. I first arrived at Ft. Drum in New York in 2011—where I deployed to Afghanistan—then eventually transferred to Rose Barracks in Germany in 2015 where I had the chance to continue to travel around much of the world both for the military and in my personal time.
I honorably exited the military in September 2018 as a Non-commissioned Officer and left Germany to stay with family in Florida. While there I formulated my plan to cross the country and attend school in Oregon, a state that stuck in my mind since childhood when I read the book Sasquatch by Rowland Smith.
I arrived in Oregon that November and enrolled at Portland State University. I have since earned a graduate degree in Health Communication where I focused on understanding the issues surrounding veteran mental health and how to increase their rate of seeking out treatment.
In the years I have lived in Oregon, I have been able to live throughout the state learning and loving more of it as time goes on. I lived in Beaverton, Lebanon and now Keizer, enjoying the countervailing combination of nature and society in each town.
I enjoy hiking in the forested areas Keizer has to offer and can often be found at any one of the parks enjoying the scenery with my family.
I value truth, fairness and supporting the people in my community. I believe in civically engaging with my community, learning about it and trying to help make it into something that can better serve us all. I also value science, facts and reason and will ensure those things are forefront in a story instead of my opinions.
The power of personal experience is not something lost on me though, as everyone is an important part of this town’s story and adds to what makes us such an interesting tapestry of citizens. In addition to telling you all about who I am, let me take this opportunity to make a promise as well. A promise to remain equitable and truthful in everything I research, write and present to you all.
Service to my community has been a cornerstone in every pursuit I have taken up in my life and I view this position no differently. Helping create an informed community means you help create a community that knows how to attain goals and if we can do that, there is no limit to what we can achieve.