He’s been up north, he’s lived down south. He’s been a part ofmajor cities and tiny towns.

In Brookhaven, he may have finally found the perfect fit.

New DAILY LEADER Staff Writer Chad Lederman, 23, joined thenewspaper’s this week direct from the University of Mississippi,where he majored in broadcast journalism and public relations andwrote for the student publication, the Daily Mississippian. Aftergraduating in May 2010 and spending the summer in Sumrall, theup-and-coming reporter was impressed with his first few days inBrookhaven, saying he’d “be stupid not to take the job” – his firstin the so-called real world.

“It seems like a great place to work and a terrificopportunity,” Lederman said. “I like the town. Everyone seemspretty hospitable.”

For all the people Lederman will be seeing and reporting on inthe coming weeks and months, there’s one thing he needs to get offhis chest up front – he’s a yankee.

His journey is a long one, starting with his birth inPhiladelphia, Pa. As the only brother to five older sisters, he wasraised in southern New Jersey and only arrived in Sumrall to beginhis freshman year of high school.

Lederman admits to experiencing culture shock when he arrived insouthern Mississippi in 2001.

“I don’t know if it was the accents or the three gas stations,”he said. “They finally put in an extra turning lane at thefour-way, so I was excited when I got to see that.”

The culture shock has worn off now, however, and Lederman isquite used to the slow-rolling action of southern life.

“I’m pretty simple. I’m fine just going to a restaurant orwatching football on Saturday and Sunday,” he said. “That’s onething I like about Brookhaven so far – in Sumrall, baked goods arereally hard to come by, so me being a little on the chubby side,I’m glad there’s some good places to eat in Brookhaven.”

Life may speed up a little for Lederman next summer. He’sengaged to be married on July 9, 2011, to his Ole Miss sweetheart,Ocean Springs’ Rachael Latil.

Until then, he’ll be on duty for The DAILY LEADER, workingnights and weekends to get the facts and report them to thenewspaper’s readership audience.

“I just like to write stories, to help inform and hopefullyentertain the readers,” Lederman said.