Ambrosia Neldon loves being in the know.

So it makes sense that the 22-year-old Niles native chose a career in the media.
“My whole life I’ve always wanted to be the first person to tell everybody everything, so I get to do that in journalism,” said Neldon, a 2009 graduate of Brandywine High School.
Leader Publications hired Neldon last week as its new layout editor. She will be laying out the papers for the Niles Daily Star, Dowagiac Daily News and Off the Water, in addition to reporting on news and events in the area.
“I’m very excited to be here,” she said. “Being in Niles my whole life, I know everybody, so my network is very strong.”
Neldon graduated cum laude from Western Michigan University with majors in English (rhetoric and writing studies) and journalism. She served as managing editor for the Western Herald and interned at MLive/Kalamazoo Gazette.
She’s also been a seasonal employee at Shelton’s Farm Market in Niles for the past four years.
She has an identical twin sister, Jasmine, and a brother, James, 20. Her parents are Sandy Neldon and Floyd Brown.
Ambrosia also enjoys volunteering. She plans to serve as choreographer for Brandywine’s musical this fall and is involved with the Brandywine Community Foundation and Athletic Boosters. While in high school, she volunteered as a member of the youth advisory council for the Michigan Gateway Foundation. In college, she was involved in hall council, the Ready to Read progrma  and the “Save Student Media” group, an effort to save the university’s media outlets.