Mrs. Tolbert got her start in journalism as the features editor of her college newspaper. She briefly considered a career in the media after completing internships at KDKA-TV and "Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood", but then she fell in love with teaching English. A student publication adviser for over twenty years, she received specialized training in teaching journalism as a 2003 ASNE Summer Institute fellow. An active member of JEA, she recently wrote an article for an upcoming issue of C:JET Magazine.