Shannon Brock has always loved magazines. As a teenager, she’d read them cover to cover, starting at the back page of each new edition.  

When Brock’s high school English teacher asked her to pick a career path, the choice was obvious. As a young girl from Pineville, Ky., Brock sent her one and only college application to UK’s School of Journalism and Media.  

“Journalism was the only major I ever thought I would have,” Brock said.  

At UK, she spent three years writing for the Kentucky Kernel and built her way up to becoming assistant editor her senior year. After Brock graduated in 2007, she had an impressive eight-year career in community journalism, writing and editing for publications like the State Journal, Anderson News and the Spencer Magnet. 

Although Brock loves news coverage, her love for "people stories" is what ultimately led her to pursue magazines.  

Now, she serves as the editor of Kentucky Living magazine, published by Kentucky Electric Cooperatives. Kentucky Living is the highest-circulating magazine in the state, reaching upwards of 1 million people a month. Brock’s been with the magazine since 2015.  

“We do a lot of really interesting reporting on personalities, travel, lawn and garden,” she said. “I get to learn a lot.” 

She credits her success to the late nights and early mornings in the newsroom, the times when she's doubled up as a photographer and graphic designer and, of course, her mentors at UK – Mike Farrell, the late JAM School director, Chris Poore, the former media advisor that introduced Brock to the Kernel and Professor Al Cross. 

“It really is a dream come true to work for a magazine that gets to tell stories about my home state,” she said.