My Story
In January 2023, I returned home from being abroad and did not know what I would do next.
2020-2021
Online school in the pandemic
My college experience began online from home at Drexel University in the fall of 2020. Drexel gave me a lot. I made some great friends, joined a fraternity, and worked hard as a business major. I liked business but wasn't sure it was meant for me.
My friend Dejan and I stayed back while the rest of our friends went to their colleges that allowed people on campus in the fall. We used the time to get outdoors more in our home of Massachusetts. Here we ventured to Nickerson State Park on Cape Cod for a camping trip.
By the spring of 2021, I arrived on campus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
2022
One co-op and travelling across the world
I worked at a law firm in downtown Philadelphia as an administrative assistant for my co-op in the spring of 2022. Drexel is known for incorporating co-ops, six-month working periods, into students' academic pathway. At the law firm, I filed cases, helped in the mail room, and had lunch with the lawyers to learn what they do. I geared up for embarking on my next chapter.
I spent the summer in Philadelphia.
As the summer ended, I flew to Australia. I studied at the University of New South Wales in Sydney for a semester abroad.
Once classes ended, my friends and I completed a 10-day road trip from Brisbane to Cairns on the east coast of the continent. We lived out of a camper van.
We continued our travels in Vietnam...
...and Japan.
2023
Returning to the States and taking time away from school
We continued our travels in Vietnam...
In January, I flew home from Japan with a broadened perspective. I took a leave of absence from Drexel. I lived with my family. I worked two different jobs in that time. Each experience taught me more about what I wanted for my future.
I moved in with my family in my childhood home in a suburb outside of Boston. I worked at an after school program with elementary school kids and...
...as a bellman at a resort on Cape Cod.
In the fall, my friend Nick suggested I apply to Boston University. I gave it a shot then was surprised to find out I had been accepted.
2024
A crash course in something new
We continued our travels in Vietnam...
I transferred into BU as a journalism major. For the first semester, I learned the fundamentals. Writing always appealed to me. I realized I could write everyday for a job.
The transfer experience had its challenges. I took introductory writing courses to start out while surrounded by freshmen.
I wrote for the Daily Free Press, the student newspaper at BU. Through this hands-on experience, I honed my skills in the craft. I took this picture while reporting on a viewing party at Harvard for the eclipse in April 2024.
The professors encouraged me along the way while teaching me skills in data, broadcast, print, documentary, and other forms of journalism.
2025
Finishing school
In May 2025, I completed my bachelors of science in journalism after a year and a half at BU. There were times where I wasn't sure I would see a degree through. Thankfully, I have a strong support network of family and friends who kept me going.
The transfer experience had its challenges. I took introductory writing courses to start out surrounded by freshmen.
I still have a long way to go as a journalist.
I am grateful to be forever connected to a community that helped me improve at a rapid pace.
This time, I feel confident as I carve my path as a reporter and hope you will tune in.