ʃiː ɡɹˈædjuːˌeɪɾᵻd fɹʌmðə wˈɛst dᵻvˈɪʒən hˈaɪ skˈuːl, ʃᵻkˈɑːɡoʊ, wˌɛɹ ʃiː ˈɛdɪɾᵻd ðə skˈuːlz nˈuːzpeɪpɚ kˈɔːld ðə vˈɔɪs, dˈʊɹɹɪŋ wˌɪtʃ tˈaɪm ʃiː kˌɔːɹɪspˈɑːndᵻd wɪð dʒˈeɪmz sˈɪdni mə kˈʌlʌf, ɐ jˈʌŋ ˈaɪɹɪʃkɐnˈeɪdiən hˌuː wʌz ˈɛdɪɾɪŋ ɐ kˈɑːlɪdʒ nˈuːzpeɪpɚɹ ɪn tɚɹˈɑːntoʊ.
She graduated from the West Division High School, Chicago, where she edited the school's newspaper called The Voice, during which time she corresponded with James Sydney McCullough, a young Irish-Canadian who was editing a college newspaper in Toronto.