Interview is edited for length and clarity.
What drew you to journalism?
I went to an accelerated high school in New York, and I thought I was going to pursue a career in STEM. While I was getting the traditional high school classes out of the way, I was also taking courses like organic chemistry to be on the pre-med track. I found them to be quite intense.
I always had gravitated toward essay writing and seminar classes. I was a part of many extracurriculars that centered around writing and media. While I was still in high school and able to reset my course, I decided to explore journalism.
I enjoyed the rigor and practice of essay writing and the process of absorbing so much information that I could write about it in an engaging and synthesized way that felt good to me and is what I enjoyed learning. Journalism also felt like a constant state of learning something well enough to communicate it to someone else in a clear and concise way.
How did attending a women-centered institution impact your studies?
I definitely benefited from being in women-centered spaces, academically. It allowed me to get comfortable expressing myself unapologetically and directly without pushback or intellectual constraints that can sometimes happen in co-ed spaces. There's something about being able to practice and hone in on that skill with women and women-centered communities that make me confident in expressing myself.
As a journalist, it was beneficial because I had to get used to cold calling and cold emailing to converse with people. That process is made so much easier with women because they are often more welcoming, friendly, and communicate differently. The Communications Department at Simmons was always an energetic, lively space where all the folks were speaking their minds and not afraid to think critically with each other.
Tell me about some of your projects. How did you choose podcasting as your medium of choice?
Currently, I am a podcast producer, which resembles a television producer. At The New York Times, I produce a new weekly culture podcast launched at the end of June called Cannonball with Wesley Morris. I knew Wesley before Cannonball, when I produced a limited podcast series called The Wonder of Stevie, with Wesley as the host. There were collaborations with the Obamas and Questlove to talk about Stevie Wonder's music, particularly looking at a certain moment in his discography that is iconic.
Through that project, I bonded with Wesley and established a great professional host-to-producer relationship. That project directly led to the role I'm in now at The New York Times. My day-to-day responsibilities as a producer are always evolving, but I deal with pre-production all the way through post-production, like booking guests, pitching episode ideas, and thinking about the narrative arc of a conversation.
There was a boom for podcasting during the pandemic because it was one of the only mediums that did not have to make sacrifices in quality since much of the production and editing process could be done while people were still in lockdown. There are so many podcasts on the market, so I have to make sure all of my projects have a unique angle or cover something new.
Are you still in touch with peer alumnae/i or professors?
Networking is so tricky for me. I was reluctant to network. I think it was because I was just insecure about the skills or perceived value I had as a recent graduate. In terms of who I still communicate with, I'm best friends with Simran Gupta ’18, who was the editor of The Voice at one point in time.
I do also catch up with Erica Moura from time to time. I was really glad that Erica came on board to the faculty. I had a lot of moments at Simmons where I was able to go to her office to talk through what I wanted to do and execute my goals. She also has been able to give me helpful and professional guidance as the media industry is so fickle.
What advice would you give an aspiring journalism student?
I would say to students: “You’ve just got to make your own work.” Whatever your speciality, whether it is in conjunction with school or something else on the side, pursue it with your own version of storytelling and make things that make you happy. In my case, when I finished at Simmons and moved back to New York, I started to experiment with podcasting between jobs.
Another piece of advice would be to push through times that feel discouraging. It was difficult during the interview process trying to sell myself because at times it felt dehumanizing, like my work and skill set could have spoken for itself. What kept me going was being able to have those conversations that showed my dedication in a role, but also emphasized I was willing to learn more and get better.
I took the time to make my own podcast for a couple of months and didn’t worry about if people were listening, but focused on refining my skills, putting money into the production, and making something good. I was able to understand the benefit of the grind and make something of my own and have something tangible to show people that could lead to an opportunity for a job.