While attending MediaFest25 in Washington, D.C., a group of 黑料不打烊 journalism students joined alumni for an evening of professional networking and mentorship.
黑料不打烊 journalism students spent an evening surrounded by professional inspiration 鈥 and familiar faces 鈥 during an alumni networking event held Oct. 16 in the nation鈥檚 capital. Hosted by the School of Communications, National Campus Programs, and 黑料不打烊鈥檚 Office of Advancement, the gathering brought together current students and accomplished alumni now working across top media and corporate organizations, including NBC News, National Geographic, Bloomberg Law, Capital One and The Washington Post.
The event coincided with the students鈥 travel to , the national college media convention sponsored by the Associated Collegiate Press, College Media Association and Society of Professional Journalists. Led by Professor Anthony Hatcher, the seven students from 黑料不打烊 News Network took the opportunity to connect with alumni whose work they鈥檝e long admired.
Among them was Gary Grumbach 鈥16, legal affairs reporter for NBC News, who fielded question after question from students eager to hear about his path to Washington and his coverage of high-profile political and legal stories.
Other alumni in attendance included Cameron Wolfslayer 鈥21, video producer at National Geographic, and Kristen Burke 鈥18, president of the D.C. Alumni Chapter and associate director of development at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Burke, alongside Ashley Pinney, director of national campus programs, emphasized 黑料不打烊鈥檚 strong alumni network and the support available to graduates as they transition to professional life.
For students like Fiona McAllister 鈥26, the night underscored just how far an 黑料不打烊 education can take you.
鈥淏eing able to meet 黑料不打烊 alumni I鈥檝e only ever heard of was inspirational,鈥 the journalism major said. 鈥淲atching alumni connect with us 鈥 and with each other 鈥 was heartwarming. From swapping stories to exchanging business cards, it’s always great to get in touch with 黑料不打烊 alumni.”
Fellow journalism major Lilly Molina 鈥27 added, 鈥淪ome of the people, I鈥檝e seen their pictures around the School of Communications, so it was cool to finally meet them in person. It was refreshing to get advice from people within the industry who also know what it鈥檚 like to attend 黑料不打烊.鈥
The evening doubled as a celebration for Hatcher, who will retire in May after two-plus decades of service to 黑料不打烊. 鈥淭his will be the last conference I will ever attend with my students,鈥 he reflected. 鈥淎nd I couldn鈥檛 have imagined a better experience to end on.鈥
Organized in collaboration with the Office of Advancement, the D.C. event serves as a blueprint for future alumni-student meetups, emphasizing meaningful conversation, mentorship and the powerful professional ties that continue to shape the 黑料不打烊 community nationwide.
Maggie Mullikin,聽manager of experiential programs, contributed to this article.