By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector
lwilkey@tnbaptist.org
Corinne Rochotte takes a “selfie” of the Millennial and the Dinosaur.
This is a bittersweet issue for me personally. It is the final paper designed by Corinne Rochotte who has been on our staff for the past three years.
When Corinne joined the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board’s Communication Team as a designer, the decision was made for her to design the paper, among her other tasks.
Typical of folks her age, Corinne knew what a newspaper was, but just barely. To her credit, she researched newspaper design, worked hard and before long was cranking out each issue like a pro. Her work has been recognized with several Baptist Communicators Association awards. Just this year, the B&R was recognized as the second best state paper in the Southern Baptist Convention in terms of design and content.
I didn’t know what to expect when Corinne and I were “thrown together” in 2015. She is a Millennial; I’m a Dinosaur.
We had some growing pains. We drove each other crazy at times, but we always worked through any issues that developed. Newspaper design is unlike the design she was taught in college and has done in her brief professional career. When we reached an impasse, she would grit her teeth and defer to me. She understood that I am ultimately the editor.
By the same token, I came to appreciate her God-given talents and gifts and gave her a lot of flexibility. The Millennial and the Dinosaur not only worked well together, we developed a friendship that will last for years to come. I think we taught each other to accept the other as we are. I learned new computer skills from Corinne and hopefully she learned something from me along the way.
Pray for Corinne and her husband Aaron as she embarks on this new journey. She is going to a nationally recognized company that, while not necessarily a Christian organization, reflects Christian values and beliefs. Corinne will be a good addition and fit for them.
I’m grateful that God put this Millennial in the path of an old dinosaur. It definitely has been a blessing for me.
