New York City: the city that never sleeps, literally.
For three days, eight UW communication and journalism students experienced quintessential New York as participants of the department-funded Career Exploration Trip. We networked with alumni pursuing communication careers, learned about the steps they took to land their first jobs, and saw a glimpse of our futures as we begin to decipher our post-collegiate plans.
“This experience really just gave me the opportunity to see what it’s like to live in New York,” said communication student Nicolle Callier. “It really put in perspective for me that it’s not too far off in my dreams to be able to do that and there are people who have done it.”
The trip was a whirlwind — minutes after arriving at our hotel we were whisked off to a networking event at the BMC Group to meet with alumni working at Elle magazine, Facebook, Luxottica, Ernst and Young, and the New York Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment.
We met with folks at the Kairos Center for Religious, Rights, and Social Justice to learn about the importance of communication within the nonprofit world, chatted over lunch in the Hearst Tower with an alum working at Marie Claire, toured the Vice newsroom in the heart of Brooklyn, and learned about the behind-the-scenes process of creating an advertisement during our visit to Saatchi and Saatchi.
The group strikes a pose on their first night in the city with the Empire State Building glowing in the background. (Photo by Troy Bonnes)
That night, we had a taste of PR over food and drink with an alumna at real estate company Zillow.
“It really opened up the field for what you can pursue through journalism and communications and made a lot of us realize that we’re not subjugated to just our specific field,” said journalism student Danish Lookmanjee. “One of the most key things I learned on this trip through people telling me their own experiences is that you’re not limited. It’s something bigger than that and you really have to shoot for what you want.”
For three days, we were New Yorkers.
We saw dazzling inequality — from the posh offices of the Hearst Tower to the Kairos Center’s small office committed to ending poverty. We explored Brooklyn — my grandparents’ once-poor neighborhood and now a hipster’s gentrified paradise — and saw art and culture and homelessness and pizza. So much pizza.
I introduced the group to Jewish deli food and on our last day we explored a castle in Central Park. We heard street music, took way too many Snapchat stories, and enjoyed a quick break from reality.
New York City is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced, and I’m excited. I’m excited to live in a hole-in-the-wall apartment, eat way too much delivery food, and pursue my dreams in the media capital of the world.
I can’t wait to see what’s next as we embark on this next stage of life.
Video and post by senior Nicole Einbinder. To see more photos of the trip, visit our Flickr page.
A very special thank you to all of the UW Communication alumni and other mentors:
Tinamarie Feil (’84), co-founder and President of Legal Services at BMC Group
The group is all smiles while touring Central Park on their last day of the trip. (Photo by Troy Bonnes)
Shailly Barnes, Program Manager, Kairos Center for Religions, Rights, and Social Justice
The Reverend Dr. Liz Theoharis, Co-Director of the Kairos Center and a Founder and the Coordinator of the Poverty Initiative
Lauren Riefflin (’09), Public Relations Manager, Zillow, Inc
Kayla Webley (’07), Senior Editor: Features, Marie Claire
Keegan Hamilton (’07), Evening and Weekend Editor, VICE News at VICE Media, Inc.
Talia Handler, Group Account Director at Saatchi and Saatchi, leading agency’s Chase business and her team: Greg Reiner, Ryan Gifford, Emily Green, Jacob Vogt, Bryan Stuke, Will Danilow
Jessica Heinmiller (’13), Associate Manager, Special Events, Elle magazine
Meghan Peters (’08), Strategic Partnerships, Facebook
Erica Broadwell (’06), Lifestyle Account Manager, Luxottica
Christian Kostal (’15), Ernst & Young
Lindsay Scola (UW Political Science ’05), Director of External Affairs, Mayors Office of Media and Entertainment