Interview is edited for length and clarity.
Why did you choose to study journalism and political science at Simmons?
I had gone to accepted students days at a couple of schools, but Simmons was the one that felt like it fit well. I was excited to go to a school in Boston for the opportunities it would provide in terms of internships and access to things in the city. I liked the energy of Simmons. I liked the campus. I felt that I could envision what my time at Simmons would be like.
I had gone into Simmons being interested in journalism, marketing, and political science. I had an idea of what I wanted to study, but I knew I also wanted to broaden my horizons. Simmons let me try out different things, like being part of the radio, which is something that I never thought I was going to do. I also worked for The Voice [the student newspaper] and did social media for various groups on campus, like the Community Engagement Office where I did social media as a work-study. The opportunity to try all of these different things was part of the reason why I wanted to go to Simmons.
I fell in love with journalism and political science. I’ve always been interested in looking at how political systems operate, and that fits well into journalism if you're reporting on politics. I was going to minor in political science, but I loved taking the classes so much that I took enough to major in it as well. I was grateful for that.
I had great experiences and learning opportunities through political science. I worked as a research assistant for a project with two former Simmons professors about the Black Muslim political experience, which was interesting. I had wonderful opportunities. And then I minored in radio operations and performance, which fit well with communications and was a bonus coming in to work at WBUR.
What was your internship experience like?
I started applying for internships during the second semester of my freshman year and my sophomore year. I didn't have much under my belt, so I didn't get any.
But I kept applying for different roles and trying new things. I applied for the Gwen Ifill Journalism Fellowship for PBS NewsHour during the pandemic. The role had initially required that you go to the station in DC. Everything had transitioned to being online, so they opened the fellowship to be remote.
Going to Simmons gave me an edge because I was familiar with the Iffil name, her mission, her successes, and the way that she operated and viewed journalism and her tenacity as a reporter. I used that to my benefit and talked about her and the way I wanted to hopefully have a little piece of all the amazing qualities of her.
For all of the internships that I applied for, my professors were willing to write me letters of recommendation or coach me if I needed somebody to read a cover letter or a resume. The Communications Department, and more broadly, Simmons professors, were there to help me.
I had that first fellowship with PBS NewsHour and moved into working at GBH as an Emerging Platforms Intern, working on their TikToks and social video products.
Then I went to the Boston Globe as an Audience Engagement Co-Op. They had offered me the position, but I wasn’t sure that I could take the position because Simmons doesn’t offer a traditional co-op program. But Erica Moura convinced me, saying, ‘Yes, you can do this.’ Let's figure this out. She helped me set up so that it was able to work with my classes.
What makes the Communications Department at Simmons special?
My ability to learn so many different forms of media was beneficial. When you're going into a career in journalism, especially early in your career, one of the things that's a bonus is versatility in what you can do.
So making social media content, writing well, reporting, being able to do audio reporting, and video reporting. It's helpful to look at a job description and think, ‘Oh, I could do this.’ Jobs will require you to do multiple things. Simmons gave me a lot of tools to take into my career, and that was helpful.
Then just how supportive professors were, and how willing people were to go out of their way to teach new skills and be encouraging. The encouragement was important. Even in times when I wasn't sure that I was going to be able to get that internship, having encouragement from Erica Moura, Luke Romanak, and members of the Communications Department helped me.
It was important to have somebody believe in me even when there were times when I couldn’t fully believe in myself or see the value in my work. That was important for me as I was in the second half of my college career, and moving into my career.
What impact did attending a women’s-centered institution have on you, both personally and professionally?
At Simmons, you see people who aren't traditionally elevated in leadership positions. It is valuable to see leaders who have different skill sets and different backgrounds. When you enter your early career, you can see gaps where there's not the same level of women leadership or gender-diverse leadership. Hopefully, then you can get to a place where you can potentially create those phenomenal environments that Simmons showed. I benefited from that.
My voice was appreciated and heard at Simmons. Feeling valued, and feeling that connection with the people around me, made me a better communicator, made me a better writer, and helped me push further in roles that I didn't see myself in, like being the general manager of the radio station. Being in an environment where I did feel valued and comfortable and excited by all the people around me, was beneficial.
What is your favorite memory from Simmons?
Being at Simmons gives you friends for life. I am still best friends with the people who I met in the first days of orientation. I live with them now, and I am so grateful to be friends with them.
I’ll also always remember when I was at the radio, DJing move-in day of my sophomore year. The radio always plays music for the incoming first years. I was so excited that I was able to bring a little bit of joy and energy into people’s lives.
What advice would you offer Ifill students preparing to enter the workforce?
You are going to get everything out of Simmons that you had hoped for. And you are going to go to places that you always thought you were going to go to. It’s not always going to be in the way that you imagined, but that’s OK.
You can do it, and I know you can, because Simmons has equipped you with skills that are incredibly valuable. All that you have learned at Simmons will take you far.
You can do it. It was always important for me to feel that encouragement from the members of the Simmons community. Even if you don’t always believe in yourself, there is someone out there who believes in you.