Blake Rozelle ’20 has always had an artist’s eye for detail. He first fell in love with filmmaking when he was still in middle school thanks to his grandmother. “We made a lot of fun videos together, and it was like a side activity,” he told us. It’s when Rozelle got to high school that he started getting serious about filmmaking. “Teachers began to compliment my work, and I started going to film summer camps. I learned more with experience, and starting doing my own side projects and movies.”

Now, Rozelle has his own YouTube account filled with videos like a behind-the-scenes look into what it’s like on the set of his many projects. (Spoilers: it takes a lot of work and patience.) He’s also the president of WPAW, Pleasantville’s official radio station, an assistant in Pace’s Media Lab, and owner of BR Productions, a self-run business offering Rozelle’s filmmaking skills for a variety of events.

“I like the process of watching an idea turn into production, which eventually turns into a final product,” he said. “Film allows any story to [come] true. I like that it is a combination of the arts and technology, which have always been my favorite fields.”

It was only natural that he would pursue a digital cinema and filmmaking degree—but how did he choose Pace? “I felt like I would get more of a personal experience coming to this school versus other ones,” Rozelle explained. “I was also impressed by the film department’s [...] space and equipment. I still think those same thoughts today; I don’t feel like just another student at a school. I really get to know my professors and peers.”

Of all the classes he took, we weren’t surprised to hear Rozelle’s favorite was the one taught by Professor Maria Luskay, EdD. It’s called “Making the Documentary,” where students get to be involved in creating an actual documentary film. They’re part of every step of the process, even getting to travel abroad. “It was the most involved class I had ever been part of,” Rozelle said, having worked on Puerto Rico: Hope in the Dark last year in the wake of Hurricane Maria. “There was a lot of dedication [necessary] to pull everything off, and it was certainly worth it.”

Although his official roles were camera/gimbal operator and assistant editor, Rozelle—and his entire class—wore many, if not all hats during production. “We literally created a story in front of our eyes,” he said, and went on to detail a particularly impactful moment while on location.

“My group and I were filming an interview, and the man we were interviewing took us on a trip. After a long drive, the man showed us a house that had completely toppled over. It was upside down, near the bottom of the mountain. That was the most impactful thing that I personally saw while there—seeing all of a person’s belongings just destroyed. We passed so many signs from people asking for help [who] hadn’t had electricity for literally six months.”

Rozelle is currently very busy as WPAW’s newly elected president, a role he’s slowly worked his way up the ranks to obtain. He started out as a general member, eventually became treasurer, and then received a promotion as DJ manager. “I really care about WPAW, and wish that more people knew about it,” he told us. “Having a radio station on campus is wonderful and should be used more. Everyone learns from the people that did the job before them. I was taught how to DJ from the original manager, and now I am here a year later teaching others how to do it.”

And he could certainly teach a whole lot of people what he knows. Rozelle also runs his own business, having taken on a variety of commissioned work over the years; from shooting a wedding to music videos to commercials to—yes, this is real—a rave. “I find that you won’t get work unless you are looking for it,” he advised. “By just reaching out, I got a few projects [booked] and planned more for the future.”

In the meantime, Rozelle is keeping up with his hobbies outside of making movies. His mother runs a dance studio, and he’s taken dance lessons since he was just two years old. Also? “I played piano, saxophone, drums, sang, acted, and did karate all for more than 10 years,” he told us. With as many new projects as he takes on, it makes sense that he’s always on the go!

If Rachel Skopp-Cardillo ’20 had an IMDb profile (and she should), her list of credits would be long. She’s a digital cinema and filmmaking major on the Pleasantville Campus, former assistant director for PaceDocs, recent associate producer at Fusilli Films, and even an intern at PBS Kids, among many other roles. She’s also an event director and staff writer for Her Campus and attended the Women’s Convention on behalf of CCAR last year. This rising filmmaker is one busy student!

She was still in high school when she started interning for Linda Simensky, the senior director of programming at PBS Kids. “I thought it was interesting to see people creating and producing educational children’s shows [without] an education degree or background [in] working with children,” Skopp-Cardillo told us, explaining that many of the people she worked with had graduated with communications or film degrees. That unique experience inspired her current aspiration: to one day work in the same capacity—with a graduate degree in education to boot. “I hope to one day make children’s educational television programming for kids with learning differences like me.”

That was a huge factor when it came down to what college Skopp-Cardillo chose. “Out of all the universities I toured at, Pace didn’t make me feel like a number. They made me feel like I was a person and not just a statistic.” She met with the Office of Student Accessibility Services to make sure they could accommodate what she calls her superpowers. “I have learning differences like ADHD, dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, mixed receptive-expressive language disorder, auditory processing, and short-term memory processing.”

Eager to make her mark at Pace, she jumped in with both feet by taking Producing the Documentary, a class taught by Professor Maria Luskay, EdD. They traveled to Puerto Rico last year to document the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, an experience that left a lasting impact on Skopp-Cardillo. “The news wasn’t really paying attention to this topic,” she told us. “We reported a power outage in San Juan before NBC News sent out an alert. You constantly had to be on top of your game.” These were all lessons she said couldn’t be learned in the classroom, as unpredictable and ever-changing as they were.

Despite how challenging the job was, Skopp-Cardillo persevered. “For me, being the first assistant director meant sleeping was just a suggestion—but having ADHD helped me juggle and multitask my responsibilities.”

Filmmaking also runs in her family. Her mother, Lauren Cardillo ’80, is an award-winning filmmaker too. For the past five years, they’ve been working together on Learning to Fly, a documentary about a swimmer based in their hometown of Alexandria, VA. “Her name is Cassidy Bayer, and we’ve been documenting her journey to try making the 2020 Summer Olympics for the past five years.” The mother-daughter duo will be launching a Kickstarter soon!

“I love film so much because it’s a visual story,” Skopp-Cardillo told us. “Writing a story is hard for me to do, and I sometimes have a hard time processing when reading a story. Film has a way of connecting with the audience that no book or article can. Film brings stories to life—and I love being a part of that.”

She does write, however—and exceptionally well. Skopp-Cardillo signed up as a contributor for Her Campus after seeing their panel at the 2017 Women’s Convention that she attended thanks to CCAR. “The panel was about how women both should not be afraid to write and should create a safe place for [other] women to feel confident in writing,” she said. Her articles cover topics from women in film, women film history, society awakenings, and women history stories. Check them out!

Did you know she’s a third generation Pace student, too? Her grandmother, Irene Maruzzella Cardillo, graduated from Good Counsel College in 1951 with a degree in chemistry. For those who don’t know, Good Counsel is now Pace’s Law School. As for her mom? “She gave the Commencement speech at the 1980 graduation ceremony. She was also [the] Editor-in-Chief of New Morning,” Skopp-Cardillo said, which was Pace’s then-student newspaper. Talk about awesome legacies!

Precious Hose ’20 is all about campus involvement. She’s a student assistant at the Environmental Center (who got to introduce President Krislov to the animals on an exclusive tour), peer educator for Pace FIRE (Fighting Ignorance, Racism, and Rape Through Education), peer leader for UNV 101, student representative for the Middle States Accreditation Study, and much more. With all those titles under her belt, you’d think Hose had her sights set on Pace from the get-go. That wasn’t the case.

“Even though Pace wasn’t my first choice, it became one of the most important choices I’ve made,” Hose said, describing how she was initially drawn by the Criminal Justice program and ideal location of the Pleasantville Campus: a small town feel close to major cities. It was the Pace Community, however, that really solidified the decision for her. “[Everyone] is so welcoming and the diversity of our student body made me feel unique, but connected. There’s always an event happening on campus and I love that the faculty and staff always have their office doors open.”

It was her major (you guessed it: criminal justice) that Hose already felt very strongly about. “I was always fascinated by crime from a young age,” she told us. “I believe [everyone] has rights even if a person commits a criminal act. Most people don’t commit an act of crime because they have a desire to do so.” Wise words. She hopes to one day become an attorney specializing in criminal law.

Several of the faculty members in the Criminal Justice Department have since left a huge impact on her; namely, Professor Robert Matarazzo, Associate Professor Margaret Fitzgerald, and Lecturer Maryellen Martirano. “Their lectures are not really lectures,” Hose explained. “They engage the students by turning the lesson plan into a life lesson for us to think beyond what was taught in class. One day, I hope I can lead by example as they do for me.”

Hose is certainly leading by example for her peers. She’s taken advantage of almost every leadership opportunity at Pace since she arrived. From Orientation Leader to Pace FIRE educator to president of the Freshman Honor Society to senator for the Criminal Justice Society, the list goes on! What motivates her to get so involved on campus? Hose answered with a question of her own. “There are so many people that have helped me get to where I am today. Why not pay it forward and help other students like the first-year version of me find their way around Pace?”

Why not indeed.

She had a chance to do just that when she addressed the incoming class of 2021 last year. Hose was chosen as the student speaker for Convocation. “To me, speaking in front of over a thousand people felt like an honor,” Hose said, who shared her story with all of them in hopes of inspiring her audience. “I have a lot of weight on my back as a first-generation student,” she continued, explaining how it was challenging to adapt to an entirely new culture and environment in New York. “[But] I found amazing friends, got involved on and off-campus, and valued the support my professors gave me.”

In her free time, Hose expresses her creativity by making jewelry and—get this—actual stained-glass lamps. Talk about art deco! She also collects shells at the beach. Sounds like a great way to unwind after a long day for this soon-to-be criminal attorney. We can’t wait to see where Hose goes next!

Mariah Simpson ’20 is part of the Business Honors Program, serves on the executive board for the Pace University Marketing Association (PUMA), is currently a Resident Assistant (RA) two years running, and even finds time to mentor young women at her church, Hillsong NYC. She’s also a major fan of the music industry—all the way back to her time attending numerous concerts during middle and high school.

That was when her friends began pointing out to Simpson that she frequently focused less on the performers and more on the goings-on backstage. “[I had] a fascination with the marketing of artists,” Simpson said. She wondered about everything from the production of a concert to how much money an artist made from a hit single.

When it came to researching colleges, she thought she had it all planned out. “I was obsessed with the city, and out of ignorance, I thought NYU was the only university that I would like. My mom ended up convincing me to tour Pace, and I fell in love the second I stepped on campus.” Simpson explained that her passion for the music industry and desire to break into that business perfectly aligned with the courses offered for arts and entertainment majors. “Pace gave me the incredible opportunity to do just that with a strong business background of core classes.”

As harmonious as Simpson’s interests are with her major, it’s her double minor in marketing and women’s and gender studies that really elevates her work to new heights. “I’m so passionate about intersectional feminism,” she told us. “I think it’s really cool to be an ally for others in the world of business. I hope to be able to write my senior thesis about gender inequality in the music industry and to highlight the alarming statistics about women being paid less than men for the same work.”

That passion to help her peers motivated her to pursue becoming an RA, not to mention her work as a mentor for PUMA and Hillsong NYC. Being a positive role model—particularly to first-year students—is very important to Simpson. “College can be extremely hard at times, and I Iove getting to serve as a resource to my peers,” she explained.

Currently, Simpson is interning at Viacom in the music licensing department, which means she mainly gets to work on shows at MTV such as the VMA’s, Catfish, and Are You the One? She’s also been involved with a few Nickelodeon shows as well; namely, everyone’s favorite SpongeBob SquarePants. “The company culture at Viacom is so fun,” Simpson enthused. This past Halloween, the entire office was transformed with spooky decorations and everyone dressed up. Talk about a fun place to work!

She’s also interned for Sony Music in retail marketing, noting that her favorite moment was getting to see the President of RCA Records present on the future of the music industry. “I’m a huge music industry nerd, so getting to listen to someone so important in the business talk about revenues, predictions, and statistics was the absolute best!” Simpson said.

When she graduates next year, she has high hopes of working at a major record label while volunteering her free time to help other women in the industry. We look forward to watching her take the industry by storm!

Roxana Saravia ’20—also known as “x0roxy” or just “Roxy” to her followers—always knew she wanted to attend college in New York City. Pace’s Lubin School of Business seemed a natural fit, especially since she’s been running her own personal brand for several years now. It’s no wonder she chose business management as a major. “I think management is so vital in any field you are in. If you can’t manage yourself, how can you manage others?” She said, going on to explain that, “I feel like I’ll be able to use what I learned in my business management courses [in] almost any field I go into.”

Saravia certainly has already. With a minor in fashion marketing, her skills in the industry are on full display over at her YouTube channel. One of her videos even inspired high schools to check out and ultimately apply to Pace. “It’s taken me some time to reach this level of confidence,” Saravia said, explaining that she was timid when she first launched her brand. “One of the biggest tips I can give someone else is to be confident in whatever you’re doing (even if you don’t know what you’re doing). Work as hard as you can because although you might not see growth right away, it will eventually pay off.”

Not only is Saravia adept at creating all kinds of digital content, having published a number of articles on The Odyssey in addition to her YouTube channel, she also makes a point to boost the work of other creators in several collab videos. “As someone who is always looking forward to the next project, it’s hard for me to take a step back and see how far I’ve come,” she explained.

That kind of motivation can be difficult to keep up for some people, but not for Saravia. “I feel like living in NYC is truly what motivates me,” she told us. “Every person I meet here is trying to accomplish their goals, and everyone is so driven. It’s a blessing and a curse; it definitely helps me stay motivated, but [it can] sometimes become overwhelming.”

Setting up lights, putting together a tripod, filming and editing videos—Saravia does it all and much more, which is something the team working on The Wendy Williams Show saw instantly. She’s a wardrobe intern now, an experience she calls “surreal.” In particular: “Attending the grand opening of the Daniel Wellington store in Rockefeller Center was definitely one of the best experiences of my life,” Saravia enthused. “So far, working at the show has been everything I’ve ever wanted.”

As for the future? Saravia is hoping to one day launch her own business venture. But in the short term, she’d like to pick up sailing lessons again—something not many people know she’s actually quite experienced in. “I took a sailing summer camp for two years and I miss it a lot,” Saravia told us. “I would definitely love to do it again sometime.” We’re sure she’ll continue to be at the helm of a successful brand, just as she is now.

Marquise Steward ’20 is all about ambition and succeeding in a competitive environment. It’s part of the reason why he always knew he wanted to go to college in NYC. “It was a dream of mine to live and thrive in [this city] while interning and working at the top companies of the world,” Steward told us. Naturally, he found his way here. “Pace really wants me to succeed, and will use every resource it has to do so. I felt it was a wise choice to attend.”

It was that ambitious, sometimes ruthless nature of advertising that initially sparked Steward’s interest in pursuing a major in advertising and integrated marketing communications. “You have to really work in order to make it in advertising,” he said. “If you slack, your competitors will come in and knock you off the top. [That] matched my competitiveness.”

Steward’s keen eye for leadership is exemplified in his current positions at Pace: President of the Residence Hall Association as well as President of the Pace University Marketing Association (PUMA). What keeps him motivated? “I am truly grateful to surround myself with many inspiring individuals who work for the same things I do. They motivate me to keep pushing boundaries and bringing the best ideas, events, and opportunities to Pace,” he said.

His tenure in these positions has provided Steward with a unique perspective into what makes a good leader and, in his opinion, it all comes down to valuing your team. “You can define the success of a CEO by the success of the employees,” he explained. “I try my best to take care of my members and give them the opportunity to exercise their greatest power: their voices.”

Recently, Steward had the opportunity to meet top representatives at a number of influential companies like Coca-Cola European Partners, FedEx, and The New York Times—all abroad. “This was a class that could not be replicated or translated in a classroom setting,” he said when discussing the marketing faculty-led study abroad course he signed up for, which took him all the way to London and Brussels.

Led by Professor Dennis Sandler, PhD, and Clinical Professor Paul Kurnit, the class enabled students the singular opportunity to meet with representatives and visit advertising agencies on-site. “It left a great impact on me because it helped me develop as a citizen of the world and a distinctive candidate in the job market,” Steward continued.

For all his many accomplishments including marketing internships at Aflac and Statista, Steward still struggles with accepting praise. “I never do something for the applause of others, but rather the satisfaction of the accomplishment,” he told us, detailing a moment on the job when two of his supervisors pulled him aside to let him know just how much they appreciated his hard work.

His bosses had some advice, too. “[Because] I often underplay or overlook my accomplishments, I was advised to soak in the moment and smell the flowers,” Steward said. “They encouraged me to really value my worth as an asset to the team and to celebrate the wins when they come. I now make sure to celebrate my victories and praise my team members to continue the cycle.” Needless to say, Steward will make an incredible boss someday. We’re excited to see where he ends up next!

Julia Fatum ’20 is all about science. She’s the vice president of the Chemistry Club, head science tutor at the Learning Center, and has conducted research with two professors—all leadership positions that have cultivated her relationship with both professors and her fellow students in the Science Department here at Pace.

Originally, she came to the NYC Campus with an eye on the forensic program, but it was the supportive environment she encountered here that really convinced her to put down roots. “I had peer leaders and tutors who mentored me. They helped me through my classes and were always there for anything I needed. I am grateful that I now get to do the same for others,” Fatum told us.

Fatum has always known she would be heading to medical school someday. “The human body is an extraordinary thing that we will never fully understand,” she enthused. “There will always be things to learn and medicine will never cease to advance.” Beyond her interest and skill in science, Fatum was also drawn to the medical field because it meant she would be helping people. “I have experienced a lot of trauma in my life, but I have always had people there to pick me up and help me through it. I want nothing more than to be that person for someone else. The best doctors are those that can comfort their patients and connect with them,” she said.

Professor of Chemistry and Physical Sciences, JaimeLee Rizzo, PhD, was one of Fatum’s many mentors who worked hard to connect with the students in her class. At first, however, Fatum was terrified to sign up for her two-semester organic chemistry course. “[It’s] feared by most science majors because it tends to be a ‘weed-out’ class. I was terrified to go, but when I was done, I was just sad that it was over,” she explained.

She did so well that Professor Rizzo invited Fatum to work on a research project with her—one that’s received quite a bit of attention. They’re experimenting with Manuka honey, aloe vera gel, and essential oils to create a natural and effective antibacterial remedy. “It was very interesting learning that these surfaces could be used for things such as enhancing wound healing and helping diabetes patients,” Fatum said.

It hasn’t been all smooth sailing, however. “When I began my research, the first problem I came across was that the honey would not mix with the essential oils,” she explained. “I had to consult the internet for a substance that would make the layer homogeneous, and that turned out to be aloe vera gel.” Fatum will be presenting her research along with Professor Rizzo at the American Chemical Society (ACS) in Orlando, Florida, this month.

If that wasn’t enough, Fatum is also currently raising money for a trip to Panama with Global Brigades. She wants to bring necessary medical care to underdeveloped communities who desperately need it, but also, to raise awareness about this very real issue. “Although it is extremely difficult to come up with the money to attend, I will do everything I can to raise the money for my part because their lives matter. I want to make sure they know there are people that care. I know that these trips greatly improve the quality of life and can help save someone’s life. I want nothing more than to be a part of this.” We’re so proud of everything she’s accomplished!

Student-athlete Jana Ciric ’20 has cultivated quite the broad range of interests and accomplishments. She’s an active member of Pace’s swimming and diving team, as well as a computer science major with a passion for mathematics and programming. That was what initially drew her to Seidenberg. “I have been really influenced by the positive effect technology has had on humanity in the recent years,” she told us. “When it came to making a decision about what I [would] be majoring in, I knew I wanted to be a part of [that].”

On the athletics side, Ciric is in it to win it—literally. She’s earned the Northeast-10 Conference Women’s Swimming and Diving Sport Excellence Award two years running, and she broke six—count ‘em, six!—of Pace’s swimming records. “Ever since I was a little kid, I loved being in the water,” Ciric explained. “Thanks to swimming, I met my best friends, visited many different places, and even came to the US. These reasons always remind me why I love being a swimmer and why I am always grateful to have chosen this sport. It has presented me with many great opportunities and taught me many valuable skills like time management, incredible work ethic, determination, and perseverance.” Ciric’s family, she says, who live 5,000 miles away in Niš, Serbia, “are always cheering me on and following all of my meets.”

As an international student, Ciric has cultivated a broad perspective that’s only strengthened by her impressive professional background. She’s interned at a number of different industries in a variety of different locations; from a mobile app developer in Serbia to a financial firm in Connecticut to working with EDI (electronic data interchange) in nearby Purchase, NY. Not to mention the fact that she’s also an intern at Seidenberg, as well as a tutor at Pace’s Learning Assistance Center. “All of these experiences taught me different skills, embedded different values within me, and made me grow as a person,” Ciric explained.

She had some important advice for anyone looking to land a new opportunity, too. “Take on challenges. If I hadn’t gone out of my comfort zone and accepted that first internship, I am not sure I would have had two more after that.” Hear, hear!

In her work as a mathematics tutor, Ciric has shown a demonstrated interest in teaching—something that started at home. “Both of my parents are professors, so I guess [that] passion for teaching runs in my family. I love helping out other people and tutoring enables me to do that.” Her approach to assisting her peers with their work is a seemingly simple one, and yet, can be applied to any leadership role. “In order to adjust to the learning abilities of each student, I first try to get to know [them],” Ciric told us. “During the session, I like to create a motivating environment for learning and to be flexible. These strategies assist me and the student [in] having a great, mutually beneficial relationship! They also enable students to become independent learners.”

When asked about what fun facts most people might not know about her, Ciric said she writes her signature using the Cyrillic alphabet and, like all of us, is an avid binge-watcher. “I have [seen] The Officeseven times,” she explained. Big mood tho.

It’s clear Ciric’s dedication and passion for so many subject areas will serve her well in the future. We’re excited to hear about all the records she continues to break!

Like any experienced professional in the film industry, Will Giuseffi ’20 wears many hats. He’s a digital cinema and filmmaking major, having worked on last year’s award-winning PaceDocs film, Hawaii: Living on the Edge in Paradise. That’s what initially drew him to the Pleasantville Campus. “I chose Pace because not only does it have a spectacular film program, but also [for] the social environment. Pace has many options such as school clubs, a close-knit community, and [access] to everything that’s around Pleasantville and White Plains.”

Originally, however, Giuseffi had his sights set on majoring in business. “Math was my strong suit,” he said, a strength that would help him a great deal when he switched to the arts. “The industry usually puts the priority of money in front of creative decisions, [and] that makes business a very important and knowledgeable skill for filmmaking.” But it was his passion for “creating something from the end of a whole process” that truly set him on the path toward a career in film. He has a love of assembling snippets of video and reshaping them into a cohesive whole—a very useful skill, and one that has served him well in his time at Pace.

That passion came in handy when Giuseffi worked as an editor on PaceDocs’ latest documentary film, Hawaii: Living on the Edge in Paradise. Led by Professor Maria Luskay, EdD, PaceDocs is an award-winning Media, Communications, and Visual Arts production course that allows students to film and produce their own documentary on location. “The experience is mind-blowing,” Giuseffi enthused. “Every student had a part in almost every roll that went into this film.”

It was quite the demanding project, considering Giuseffi was also juggling a full load of 18 credits that semester. And yet, he had nothing but positive things to say about the experience. “[It] was an eye-opener into a completely different culture. [We] interacted not only with the land but the people as well, and it gave an emotional [depth] to the meaning of paradise in Hawaii.” He told us, “That experience has shaped my expectations for the hard work ahead in my field of study, including all the fun that it rewards.”

Not one to sit idle, Giuseffi also went on to land one of Pace’s most coveted summer-funded internships at Arc Stages, a theater arts center in the Pleasantville area, and it brought up old memories of when he attended a theater camp as a child. “Coming back years later on the other side of things, I got to experience more of what actually goes into planning and staging a play,” Giuseffi explained. He assisted with the production of six different shows across six groups of actors—quite the feat for a summer season!

“Seeing how things are run from the administrative end of a theater camp has given me more respect for the craft as well as more insight [into] how plays are really put together,” he said. And his team certainly appreciated his help—they started calling him “Will-tern,” a fun little nickname that speaks to the home theaters can so often become.

It’s that sense of home and belonging that Giuseffi struggled to find in the early days of his college career, however. “I never really found a group of students at Pace that I felt close to,” he confessed, speaking specifically about his sophomore year. Then he met Mitchell Lew ’19, the past president of Alpha Chi Epsilon (AXE). “I never wanted to join Greek Life when I entered college,” Giuseffi explained, and yet, he agreed to meet the fraternity at Lew’s urging. “I got to know all of the brothers and spent a few nights spending time with them. I pledged [that] same semester. My only regret is that I didn’t meet them sooner.”

Giuseffi also trains in martial arts, not to mention he’s an Eagle Scout—two activities that pair well, in his opinion. “[It] helps me grow my leadership abilities,” he said. We’re excited to see what he works on next!

Kamari Stewart ’19 has worked for some heavy-hitting companies. She’s interned for the likes of Viacom, the Brennan Center for Justice, and The New Food Economy; acted as the managing editor for Pace’s Spoon University chapter; written for multiple digital publications; and most recently, landed a coveted internship at NBCUniversal for the TODAY show.

Before she began taking the Pleasantville Campus by storm, though, Stewart was unsure about whether she would attend Pace. It took a conversation with then-Dean of the Pforzheimer Honors College Susan Dinan, PhD, at a PaceBound event to really solidify Stewart’s decision. “She told me, ‘You’re not going to make a bad decision, you just have to make the best one.’ That is something that has stood with me for the past four years. She wasn’t trying to convince me that all of these others schools were bad—just to do what was right for me.”

What’s right for Stewart is also, as it turns out, writing. “For as long as I can remember, writing has been something that I’d loved to do,” she told us, explaining that her involvement in her high school student newspaper was what initially sparked her interest in journalism. “I chose digital journalism [as a major] because I like that it targets the digital aspect. We are in a digital world and it’s important to know how to adjust to that.” Not one to miss an opportunity, Stewart also set her sights on double minoring in politics and public relations. “I’m a person who likes to have as many options as possible,” she said. She felt that both areas of study have helped her navigate spaces in both communications and the news cycle.

And Stewart is all about research. Her recent feature for The New Food Economy regarding the rate of Amazon reviews in relation to food that’s too sweet was particularly compelling—and not to mention timely. “[It] was my second summer with them and it was even better than the last,” Stewart enthused. As their editorial intern, she hand a hand in a variety of tasks; from social media to the newsletter to feature writing and editing. “It’s a small newsroom so there’s a lot of moving parts [and] several pieces in rotation to be produced. My favorite task [was] getting to write for them. The editor who I was working with, Karen Stabiner, [was] just amazing. I was so nervous to write anything for them at all, and she made sure I put out the best quality work possible.”

It was that incredible ambition and work ethic that caught the attention of the Emma Bowen Foundation, where Stewart was awarded a fellowship. Its mission, to provide students of color multi-year internships in media, aligns perfectly with her passions. “I think media and newsrooms should be reflective of the world we live in,” she told us. “There is so much talent out there and foundations like the Emma Bowen Foundation give everyone an opportunity to succeed.”

Her advice for students looking to follow in her footsteps? “Stay focused and keep working toward your goals. You might face a lot of nos before you get one yes—but that will make it all the more worthwhile. You deserve to be here.” Also, she adds: “Use your resources! There are so many people at Pace who are here to help you. I wouldn’t have gotten to where I am now without the immense support I got from staff members, advisors, and faculty members.”

We can’t wait to catch Stewart’s next amazing project in the digital landscape. It’s sure to make waves!