Debbie McHugh ’96 and Melissa Cartright ’95; roommates in NYC.

When Debbie McHugh ’96 graduated from Plymouth State, foremost on her mind was how to put her B.A. in English literature to work. Today, she’s managing editor of Jane, a national lifestyle magazine for women.

“I’d worked as managing editor of The Clock during my junior and senior years,” says McHugh. “I loved the team work and camaraderie that often took us into the early morning hours, and the satisfaction of seeing the paper hit the stands. I couldn’t have had better experience to take with me.” Her love of journalism and the confidence of her experience took her to Warren Publishing, a small operation in Washington, D.C.

The following year McHugh moved to New York City. It was September 1997, and Jane was just launching. McHugh explains, “I knew immediately it was the place I wanted to be, and I’m so fortunate to have been with Jane since the very beginning.” As managing editor, McHugh oversees the entire publication from supervising its 38-member staff to issue-by-issue production and annual content, salary budgets, trouble shooting and, occasionally, a collaborative report or review.

Jane has a primarily female readership in the 18 to 34 age range, although its unique features, music coverage and reviews have garnered increasing male interest. McHugh proudly states, “We’ve been known to break journalistic boundaries at Jane, and our writers insert themselves into their work. The advice we give isn’t trendy, it’s tried-and-true, firsthand by our staff.”

McHugh also loves working with the interns that come to Jane to find that indispensable firsthand experience. One such intern was Katie LeBlanc ’03, now working for Forbes magazine. “The work is hard, but our interns leave here with solid experience in every facet of what makes this business work,” McHugh explains. “Any student contemplating a journalism career should get involved with campus publications and seek out internship opportunities wherever they can.”

Debbie McHugh has come a long way from her days as managing editor of The Clock, yet it seems those days are never far from her mind. “I have dreams that I’m back at Plymouth State managing The Clock, but with the experience I have today. I’d get marketing students involved, communication and tech students. That’s an opportunity I’d really love.”

—KH