Special Guest Alumna Speaker Kerry Diamond on Campus Nov. 5

The first presentation will be at 12 p.m. when she will be talking about her career at the Hearst publication. Her second talk at 3 p.m. will focus on how to prepare for a job in the magazine field.

While a SUNY Plattsburgh student, Diamond's journalistic activities included working at the college radio station WPLT, the student newspaper Cardinal Points and interning at the Press Republican .

"My responsibilities back then weren't too different from what they are now," she said from her office in New York City. "Reporting, writing stories and headlines, editing - it helped me feel like less of a rookie at my internships and my first job."

Those college experiences opened the door to intern stints at The Village Voice , Spin Magazine and the Staten Island Advance , where she landed her first job.

A few years later, Diamond got her break in the beauty and fashion publication world when she was hired by Women's Wear Daily , the bible of the fashion industry.

"I was a beauty-news reporter and covered the prestige beauty industry," said Diamond. "That led to my job at Harper's Bazaar where we aim to give the reader practical advice and information about the best new products. It's a dream job...  I get to work with great people, including amazing photographers, models and designers."

Diamond has also written a book, Kevyn Aucoin: a beautiful life , which tells the story of the makeup artist of choice for stars like Gwyneth Paltrow, Sharon Stone and Tina Turner. The life and legend of Aucoin, who died in 2002 at age 40 of a rare pituitary tumor, is chronicled in Diamond's book.

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