V
irginia
C
apitol
C
onnections
, S
pring
2014
18
editor for
The Collegian
, the University of Richmond’s weekly
newspaper. In addition, she has spent the last three years interning
with David Bailey Associates (DBA) working as the issues editor for
Virginia Capital Connections Magazine
.
Third Position:
Time
“My mom made costumes for ballet—she still does,” Long
recalled. “Growing up I went to ballet on Saturdays to rehearse for the
Nutcracker or whatever ballet we were working on.”
Long’s work with DBA began with a conversation between
Long’s father and David Bailey.
“My dad was standing in line with David Bailey at an event,” Long
said. “My dad asked he ever needed interns and I ended up sending
Mr. Bailey an email that afternoon. I’d been seeking out an off-campus
opportunity where I could pursue my interest in journalism. I started
working in the fall of my sophomore year.”
Long is currently in her third year with DBA. She says that
working somewhere consistently during her collegiate years has been
extremely rewarding.
“I think it’s very rewarding because over time you receive greater
responsibilities and feel more at home there,” said Long. “I remember
my first year interning I had to wait for someone to tell me what to do.
Now I have whole projects that are my own to accomplish. The people
at David Bailey Associates are so kind. Mr. Bailey has asked me to
come back each year.”
Fourth Position:
Be Proud
“I spent every summer studying ballet or piano,” Long said. “I
started about age eight and continued for many summers after that. The
arts were a huge part of my growing up. It made me very disciplined
and gave me a huge appreciation for the performing arts later in life.”
First position:
Dreams
Many little girls begin their dreaming with
ballerinas, but end somewhere completely
different. Brennan Long began dancing ballet as
a child, but even in elementary school she was
discovering another passion– writing.
“The first time I got a sense of satisfaction out of my writing was
in elementary school,” Long said. “We went on a field trip to the New
River and wrote poems about our experience. When we returned to
school my teacher read my poem out loud to the class.“
As Long grew older, her interests changed from ballet to fashion.
In middle school she realized she wanted to work for a magazine—a
fashion magazine.
“Teen Vogue was the ultimate goal for me,” said Long. “I
constantly cut out pictures and collaged shoeboxes. I loved looking at
fashion magazines, and my mom taught me how to sew. When I was
sixteen I went to a program in NewYork City hosted by
Teen Vogue
. It
was an incredible opportunity. I was able to attend seminars hosted by
several well-known designers and the editor-in-chief of the magazine.
This experience encouraged me to pursue a career in journalism.”
Second Position:
Commitment
“I also played the piano growing up,” she said. “I used to have
this idea that I could dance and play piano at the same time in my own
show. I tried it once. It didn’t work out very well.”
Long’s childhood memories are immersed in the arts. Four times a
week she made the 45-minute drive to a ballet studio in Salem, Va. She
practiced piano for an hour each day and had lessons twice a week.
Summers were spent at ballet intensives with her sister. The busy life
as a child was prophetic of her busy life as a writer and editor to come.
Long is now a senior at the University of Richmond. She majored
in journalism, and has recently finished her position as the features
By Lydia Freeman
Brennan
Long’s
L
essons
from
Ballet
