For the last year, I lived in Chicago studying journalism at the Medill School at Northwestern University. It was a fast-paced and rigorous education that pushed me to report on all kinds of stories, thoroughly finessing my journalism skills. Wake Forest’s journalism program prepared me well for the breaking news portion of the curriculum as I already had gained experience reporting on my own in classes such as Phoebe Zerwick’s Community Journalism. I felt confident writing longer feature stories thanks to previous assignments in Tommy Tomlinson’s Magazine Writing class. Frankly, given the standard of academic excellence at Wake Forest, I felt confident handling the workload throughout grad school. 

I’ve covered stories about fashion, arts and culture, politics, and social issues, but one of the most rewarding projects I worked on at Medill was my Master’s Project, a package of stories examining the homeless experience in Chicago through the eyes of those who live through it. I investigated the realms of housing, food access and employment, learned a general history of homelessness in the U.S. and profiled a woman who became homeless in her late 50s/early 60s. It was a thoroughly enjoyable and fascinating project to work on, and if there is one takeaway I can share, it would be – anyone can become homeless. It can happen to anyone. (Read the profile here.) 

Currently, I’m working as a reporter for an independent human rights news publication called GroundUp in Cape Town, South Africa, for the final quarter of my Master’s Degree. I plan to apply for jobs for 2020 while I’m abroad.