What impact did your graduate experience have on your professional trajectory?

USC’s master’s program had a huge impact on my professional trajectory solely because I was able to specialize in entertainment reporting — something that I didn’t think I was going to be able to do at other schools, and with Los Angeles as the backdrop, there wasn’t a more perfect place for me pursue a career as an entertainment journalist. But I owe my first real job and red carpet opportunity to the USC Annenberg mentorship program where I was matched with Ryan Pearson from Associated Press Entertainment. After just five months in the program, Ryan hired me as a PA for the AP and my first big event was the Clive Davis Grammy Pre Party at the Beverly Hilton. After graduation, Ryan connected me with the London office and I worked for the AP in London that summer. Five years later, I still work for the AP as a freelance reporter for celebrity and fashion events in NYC.

What from your USC Annenberg education best equips you to face the challenges of your field today?

So many things. From the basics of just knowing how to write a good lede and captivating headlines, including mastering SEO headlines (for digital stories). But I’d say one big element that I learned while in school that has best equipped me (especially for digital) is the multimedia skills I gained — being able to take quickly convert a YouTube video, an interview, a social media post into a story, or being able to take a digital story and then report on the story for a video. Digital journalism is all about knowing how to do it all and doing it all well, so I think USC’s program successfully prepared me for the modern-day journo world in that sense.

What advice would you give for someone considering graduate studies at USC?

I think like any college major or whatever you’re studying when you go to school, it’s OK to experiment and try different — in this case, fields and specializations — you don’t have to know right away that you want to be hard news broadcast reporter, maybe you like digital or want to try print writing? But the beauty of a program like this one is that you have SO many options and so much opportunity to experiment and explore – so many amazing classes and professors who are really there to guide you and are always rooting for you. Even today, I get messages, retweets and reposts from professors and that’s such a gratifying feeling.

What is the one thing that a USC Annenberg student ought to take advantage of while enrolled?

I highly recommend taking advantage of the mentorship program because you never know where it’s going to lead you or how that will help impact your future career. In addition, just being surrounded by the USC network and the city of Los Angeles, take advantage of the network and the city — that’s what you’re there for.