Julie Varnau, editor of worlradio.ch and ONAIR magazine, always knew she wanted to be a surgeon—until about a month before university. So she aimlessly studied literature, then human factors psychology and computer science before finally stumbling into her niche in print journalism.

She went to work for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, where her technical background nudged her further and further into the new media realm and there her career has remained, in a crossover role bridging editorial and online content.

She worked primarily in entertainment and breaking news before joining Marketplace, a national public radio business show based in Los Angeles—a city she loves and swore she wouldn’t leave, unless it was for Europe.