An incredible amount of talent and love goes into each edition of Shore Local Newsmagazine. Our “Meet The Team” series was created to share the stories behind the Shore Local storytellers. Each week, we will introduce you to one member of the Shore Local team as we honor and celebrate every individual that makes Shore Local possible. Written by Krystle J Bailey
28 year-old Steffen Klenk grew up on the beach in Ocean City. Raised by a single mother, Steffen grew up with Asperger Syndrome, which brought with it a fair share of challenges for Steffen including delayed speech and sensitivity to loud noises. Now working as a full time journalist for Shore Local, Steffen has evolved exponentially since his initial diagnosis. He credits much of that to his mother who has been his biggest advocate.
“She is caring and compassionate. Having that figure in my life has really shaped me,” shares Klenk in reference to his mom.
Steffen always envisioned his life as a meteorologist. As a school aged student, Steffen would often deliver the weather report to his classmates and spend his time recording pretend weather reports on his mother’s camera.
After graduating from Ocean City Highschool in 2011, Steffen was unsure of his life’s path. In 2014, he attended a job training program at Jewish Family Services in Margate, where he found a path to journalism. He began as an intern for a local media outlet in the graphics department and began working in marketing for a local dog walking company.
Everything began to change for Steffen in 2017 when he was introduced to Cindy and Bob Fertsch, founders of Shore Local Newsmagazine. It was the early days of Shore Local when Steffen met the Fertsch family at an event for their non-profit organization, Heart of Surfing.
Steffen began taking pictures for local events and had his visual work published in Shore Local within the first two months. Steffen shares that being involved with Shore Local has pushed him outside of his comfort zone and helped him to grow in so many ways.
“It has allowed me the opportunity to go out into the community and talk to people I hardly even know, which is something that was foreign to me. I can’t even describe what this experience has meant to me,” explains Klenk.
Within six months, Steffen submitted his first article that featured monarch butterflies. That opened the floodgates for Klenk, as he began to find his passion in writing and photography.
These days, Steffen Klenk writes about a variety of topics in each Shore Local edition. He most enjoys writing about non-profit organizations in his community such as Gilda’s Club, the HERO Campaign, and Humane Society of Ocean City.
In addition to weekly articles, Steffen is a guest on the Shore Local radio show, Shore Local Live, each Friday night, as the entertainment guide.
“If you would have told me 10 years ago that I would be talking to so many people and have my voice heard each week, I would have definitely said that was not for me. Now I have so much appreciation for this field,” shares Klenk.
When Steffen is not busy writing for Shore Local, he spends his time listening to music, attending local concerts, and hanging out with his family. He is an avid hockey fan and loves the Philadelphia Flyers. Recently, Steffen was honored to be a judge for the Art in the Park festival hosted by the Somers Point Arts Commission.
“It means a lot to work for Shore Local. This is my first real job. I don’t know what my future holds or where I’m going next but I know I am getting a great start right here. We’re all here together and that is a big deal.” – Steffen Klenk
