A.J. Voelpel, Patch Staff

I'm a 2009 graduate of Hofstra University with a bachelor's degree in print journalism, with focuses on literature and speech communication. I've had the opportunity to learn the ins and outs of journalism under experienced professors at Hofstra and talented professionals at Newsday and the Long Island Press. 

I've written for many different publications over the years, both print and online.  From sports, news, business, entertainment, schools, food, you name it and I've probably covered it.  My videos have appeared on sites such as ESPN.com, Golf.com, Rivals.com, Huffington Post and more. 

In addition, social media is a strong focus of mine and I'm constantly thinking of innovative ways to reach out and engage audiences through Twitter and Facebook.

I'm grateful for all the people who have helped me reach this position and I'm eager to bring West Islip the most accurate news possible.

Away from the computer, I eat a ton of sushi, watch too many college sports, golf, snowboard and enjoy Dan Jenkins novels. 

Thanks for reading.