Claire Ballor, B.A. 2015

Claire Ballor is a breaking news reporter for the Dallas Morning News where she’s covered everything from serial killers and missing persons to the violent ambush on Dallas police in July.  

She came to the University of Dallas to study English with the intention of becoming an educator, but involvement with the campus newspaper ignited within her an unshakable passion for journalism.

Claire added double concentrations in journalism and international studies to supplement her English degree as soon as she realized the professional path she was called to pursue.

Her goal was to mold her UD education to prepare her for the journalism career she had her sights set on.

"Journalism classes paired with philosophy courses taught me how to approach ethical dilemmas. International politics and economics classes gave me professional acumen and perspective. All the while I was learning how to compose narrative by way of the classical giants read in the English curriculum," said Claire.

During her undergraduate years, she had a variety of internships ranging from writing for a Los Angeles beauty magazine to working in corporate marketing communications for an international conglomerate.

During her senior year, she was given an opportunity to intern at the Dallas Morning News as a communities reporter. She stayed in that role for a year before moving to the breaking news team as a full-time reporter.

“I wouldn’t be where I am today without the education I received at UD,” said Claire. “I didn’t come into the journalism world the traditional route through journalism school with a specialized degree. But that hasn’t mattered. The unparalleled well-roundness I received at UD more than prepared me to keep up in the competitive industry.”