Snapshot: MIKAE LA WILKES

Past: After attending a Creme magazine event, 11-year-old Mikaela announced she wanted to work in the magazine industry and “sit in one of those fancy big chairs.” The Wellingtonian’s passion for journalism grew throughout high school as her motivation changed from seated splendour to a desire to meet fascinating people and tell their stories. Despite teachers who grimly warned that journalism was no pathway to riches, she took a Bachelor of Communications at Massey University; many assignments were completed in late-night sessions at the Midnight Espresso coffee shop on Cuba Street. A one-month internship at Marie Claire Australia reaffirmed her desire to work in magazines. Present: When NZ Life & Leisure editor Kate Coughlan offered her a junior position as an editorial assistant (covering Cheree’s maternity leave), Mikaela gave up a place in a post-graduate journalism programme (and a part-time position as a cinema ticket-ripper), to ‘get a foot in the door’ and moved to Auckland. Three months in, she is settling into her varied role (that’s often answering the subscription line) but there’s also writing (see her interview with Chris Tse, page 63). On weekends she’s exploring her new home city, forever in search of the next best Hawaiian pizza to rival the version she discovered at Tommy Millions in Wellington’s Courtenay Place (with pineapple of course). Future: This year Mikaela intends to continue learning anything and everything about making magazines from the lovely team at her new role. Europe is next on the travel agenda – she’d like to return to France where she was a high-school exchange student – and she plans to spend the next 10 years writing, eating and adventuring her way around the world.