About Teresa
Teresa Bryan Peneguy Paprock is an award-winning writer and editor with 25 years of experience in the journalism and marketing fields.
She was born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She graduated from Brown Deer High School in 1982, and from the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse in 1986 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mass Communications and Psychology.
She married John-Brian Paprock in Queens, New York. Teresa, John-Brian and Christopher live in a suburb of Madison, Wisconsin. John-Brian is the priest of Holy Transfiguration Orthodox Church in Madison and a chaplain at HospiceCare and the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics; he is also an artist, photographer and writer.
While in college, Teresa produced a radio program about date rape, which included an interview of a victim who had chosen not to go to the police but wanted to share her story with other women. The program resulted in an award of special recognition from the Mass Communications department.
After graduating from college, Teresa spent the first 10 years of her career as a reporter at daily newspapers, first at the "Marinette Eagle-Star" and then at the "Beloit Daily News." During her seven years at the BDN she covered "hard news" as well doing photography and business, education, and feature writing.
At the BDN Teresa "broke" the story of a strong, current presence of the Ku Klux Klan in the Beloit area, a city that has a significant population of African-Americans. Her work resulted in the public exposure of the individual who regarded himself as the region's "Grand Wizard."
Over her first decade as a reporter, Teresa developed a reputation as a journalist who could interview people about sensitive and personal topics, and who could be trusted to provide readers with accurate accounts from those interviews.
Teresa won several journalism awards while at the BDN - one for a humor column, and two for education-related stories. She was also named one of the Stateline Area’s Favorite Reporters two years in a row. See a list of awards Teresa has won here.
After a stint as editor of the "Janesville Messenger" and the "Stateline Shopping News," she moved to Madison where she joined the then brand-new employment publication, "Now Hiring." She began her tenure there in advertising sales and eventually became editor of the publication; several years later she worked for the same publisher as marketing coordinator for "ANEW" magazine.
Teresa managed internal communications at TDS-CS and later worked as a writer and project manager of EDS. She was an editor and the marketing coordinator at the Energy Center of Wisconsin (a nonprofit organization that promotes wise use of energy resources) and then at Easter Seals Wisconsin (which helps children and adults with disabilities integrate into society and gain independence).
In 2004 she joined Capital Newspapers, the publisher of the "Wisconsin State Journal" and "The Capital Times," as the editor of one of its niche publications, "Dane County Kids." Two years later, she was promoted to the position of Speciality Publications Editor of Capital Newspapers. In this position she organizes, coordinates, and edits more than 70 specialty or niche publications every year.
Around her full-time work, Teresa has maintained her freelance business, words & stuff, since 1996. As a freelance writer, Teresa has specialized in personal profile features, as well as in the topics of mental health and addiction; health and wellness; marriage, children, and family; and religion and spirituality. Access a selection of Teresa's published articles here. You can also see a list of her clients here, and comments from clients (and people she's written about) here.
In addition, Teresa collaborated on two books with her husband, Rev. John-Brian Paprock: "Sacred Sites of Wisconsin" and "Sacred Sites of Minnesota." For both books, her husband did most of the research, the couple visited hundreds of sites together, and Teresa compiled the information and wrote most of the text.
As a member of the board of directors of Clinic at a Time Inc (website under construction at www.clinicatatime.org), a local nonprofit organization dedicated to improving conditions in health clinics in Ethiopia, Teresa has created marketing materials on a pro-bono basis for the organization.
In addition to Clinic at a Time Inc., Teresa's current memberships include:
In her spare time she enjoys watching (and pondering) films, because she believes that "film is the ultimate art."
