Photo courtesy of Taylor Pardue

The Tribune’s Taylor Pardue with his girlfriend Brooke Dinkins of Boonville at the 2012 Pumpkin Festival in Downtown Elkin.

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Taylor Pardue is the Tribune’s newest reporter.

Pardue is a native of Jonesville and a graduate of Starmount High School.

Following his graduation from Starmount in 2008 he attended North Carolina State University, where he completed his undergraduate degree in Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology. He is planning to pursue a master’s in communications. He currently lives in Jonesville.

Faith is very important to Taylor. A self-described “proud and professing Christian,” he was raised by a Baptist pastor and has grown up in church since birth. He first attended Fall Creek Baptist Church in Jonesville where is father was the assistant pastor.

He originally planned to live in Raleigh, but following college he made the decision to move back home.

“I never thought I would move back,” he said. “But a few doors closed there, and a few opened here, and it just made sense.”

He said the move had been for the best and that he was very happy to be back, adding that Jonesville felt like home. He hopes to stay in the area, citing a serious relationship.

Although the birds are not as plentiful as in the eastern part of the state, Pardue is an avid duck hunter. He credits his time at NC State with getting him into the sport. He had several friends who did, and as he became more interested he brought his love of river hunting back to Yadkin County.

Some of his favorite spots are Harker’s Island and Emerald Isle.

Some of his previous jobs include electroshocking fish for the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, stocking shelves for Nabisco, and 36-38 hours a weekend (not week, weekend) at a small town-lake south of Raleigh while in college.

When he began his undergrad he was excited about the aspects of a biology-based career, but as the semesters progressed he realized writing was his true passion, he says.

He then began thinking of ways to use his degree but still write, such as freelancing for hunting and fishing magazines. Several fiction writing and journalism courses caused him to reconsider, and he eventually decided to focus solely on writing. He writes fiction and freelances for magazines on the side.

To contact Taylor Pardue call 336-835-1513 ext. 15, or email him at tpardue@civitasmedia.com.