What do you do in your current position?
I am presently a doctoral candidate studying urban affairs and public policy at the University of Delaware, and am in the final stages of writing my dissertation. I have also served as a policy strategist to the City Council in Wilmington, Delaware for more than three years, primarily conducting policy research and writing legislation for Delaware’s largest city.
In addition, I continue to work as a journalist, writing and editing for a regional bi-weekly newspaper in New Jersey. I also frequently contribute to the Christian Science Monitor news magazine, for which I have reported on individuals and organizations across the United States and filed from six countries. I also teach journalism at the College of Political, Administrative and Communication Sciences at Babes-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, and routinely lecture on media and policy at the University of Delaware.
What is your favorite part about your job?
I consider it a true privilege to be able to meet new and interesting people, to learn about them, and to share their stories with my readers. Whether it is reporting on an innovative nonprofit organization or covering local news, I relish the opportunity to delve into a new assignment and explore the complexities of a given issue, phenomenon or problem.
I also appreciate the chance to travel, both throughout the US and abroad, to report on new and interesting developments and to highlight critical issues. In the past year alone, assignments have taken me to Hungary, reporting on an organization assisting migrants amidst the refugee crisis; to Italy, exploring the work of archaeologists at the Pompeii excavation site; and to Romania, visiting a former chemical waste dump that is home to Roma communities living at the margins of European society.
What made you choose journalism?
I have always had an interest in writing, a strong curiosity and a love of learning. And for me, journalism hit all of these points. I have grown to appreciate the vantage point that journalists are afforded with – being able to see and explore things that are often unseen, to speak truth to power, and to serve the public by delivering important news, information and analysis.
Tell us about the importance of getting involved in student media at TCNJ.
The years I spent at TCNJ were pivotal in helping me to launch a career in journalism – both through on-campus reporting experience and eventually writing for area publications as well. It was through the JPW program that I landed my first reporting job at The Times of Trenton, and my professors supported my application to the summer program in Washington, DC which provided me the opportunity to first report for the Christian Science Monitor.
Simply put, getting involved in student media is one of the best ways to build up experience in writing, reporting and editing – all skills which can be leveraged to land positions and forge relationships with newspapers, TV stations and radio stations for internships, freelance opportunities, summer jobs and even that first job out of college.