I grew up in the Glendale/Pasadena area with my parents and three brothers. The Santa Anita Racetrack has a special place in my heart because my grandfather and I spent many a lazy afternoon there, betting on horses and enjoying the peaceful atmosphere.
After college, I covered the crime beat at the Hanford Sentinel, a newspaper in the Central Valley located about an hour south of Fresno, for a year. I then moved onto the Santa Maria Times, where I covered the education beat for two years. Realizing that I needed to adapt to the changes in the news industry, which has largely gone digital, I decided to go back to school to get my master's degree in online journalism at USC. Last summer, I interned for the Associated Press in London, where I wrote articles that got published in the Los Angeles Times and USA Today. Upon my return from London, I came across an advertisement seeking an intern at Culver City Patch. So began my relationship with Patch. The week of my May graduation from USC, I took over as guest editor for Brentwood Patch. When a permanent position opened up with Arcadia Patch, I jumped at the opportunity. I have a passion for journalism and am excited to become part of Arcadia's vibrant and diverse community. I hope to serve Arcadia well. Email: Natalie.Ragus@patch.com Phone: 626-298-3371 Hometown: Glendale, Ca. Birthday: Nov. 6 Beliefs: At Patch, we promise always to report the facts as objectively as possible and otherwise adhere to the principles of good journalism. However, we also acknowledge that true impartiality is impossible because human beings have beliefs. So in the spirit of simple honesty, our policy is to encourage our editors to reveal their beliefs to the extent they feel comfortable. This disclosure is not a license for you to inject your beliefs into stories or to dictate coverage according to them. In fact, the intent is the opposite: we hope that the knowledge that your beliefs are on the record will cause you to be ever mindful to write, report and edit in a fair, balanced way. And if you ever see evidence that we failed in this mission, please let us know. Politics How would you describe your political beliefs?  The conservative side of liberal. Are you registered with a certain party? No. Religion How religious would you consider yourself? (casual, observant, devout, non religious) I'm an occasional churchgoer. That said, I'm Catholic, and plan to raise any future children as such. I grew up going to Catholic schools and attended church every Sunday with my family.   Local Hot-Button Issues What do you think are the most important issues facing the community? The city and school district budget crises. Where do you stand on each of these issues? I do my best to remain fair to all parties involved in every story I write. I feel passionately that ALL children receive a good education, no matter the budgetary climate. Any story I can do that will help, I am more than happy to do.