The Pierce County Journal is pleased to welcome a new part-time reporter and journalism student to its staff, Riley Dorau.

Dorau will start by covering features in the Prescott and Hastings area. A 2020 Prescott High School graduate, she is pursuing a journalism degree at University of Minnesota Twin Cities. She grew up in and currently lives in Prescott. She has an older sister named Madison and a younger brother named Aidan.

“I started college at North Dakota State University with a dead-set major in Business Administration,” Dorau said. “However, since the discovery of ourselves is never-ending, my path led me to journalism and to a new university.”

Dorau went into journalism because writing helps her to better understand the world, and the people.

“There is so much freedom in being heard, for myself, but also to learn and allow others to share their stories is rewarding and empowering,” Dorau said. “Journalism matters. In local communities, it is important to acknowledge small businesses and give credit to those who help form a community.”

Dorau hasn’t followed a traditional path, and that is just fine with her. As a freshman in high school, she launched her own photography business.

“That same year, Sarah (Nigbor) interviewed me for my business, and I was on the front page of the Pierce County Herald,” Dorau recalled. “In that article, I emphasized the importance of collecting moments, not things. Fast-forward to now, it truly is a full circle feeling.”

After that fateful interview with the Herald, Dorau became a freelance photographer for the newspaper. She covered events from Prescott Daze to Elmwood UFO Days, pep band performances and more. She was part of the group who collected a first place Wisconsin Newspaper Association award for its Prescott Community Guide in 2019.

“My relationship with Riley began when she began submitting photos to our Photo of the Week contest when I worked at the Herald,” Nigbor said. “She was enthusiastic and it was obvious to me that she was talented. Her photos could have been in magazines. After I interviewed her, it solidified my belief that she is truly an old soul with a special spark.”

For a lot of her life, Dorau felt misunderstood. She was necessarily interested in the things that excited her peers.

“While kids my age participated in sports, I was in search of fulfilling my purpose, through words and photographs,” Dorau said. “Living in a small town, it is easy to sink into the normality of the typical upbringing. The misconception of who others thought I was has inspired me to be courageous to break the barriers that I once felt put in. The creative opportunities I have had so early on in my life, have validated my career path.

I want kids to believe in themselves; I see the societal pressure put on the minds of our youth to be like everyone else and I hope and pray that my story inspires someone else to take the road less traveled. Especially now, so I can write about it!”

Follow RKD Photography on Facebook to see examples of Dorau’s professional work.