Senior Centerspread

Bridget McColgan
Bridget is a copyeditor and has been with The Mass Media for one year. Her undergraduate degree is in English and, as part of an accelerated program, she will obtain her master’s next December in Business. She joined The Mass Media for work experience in copyediting, as this is the career-path she hopes to pursue. Bridget enjoys working with the different sections of the paper and having the opportunity to edit a variety of stories and subject-matter. She also enjoys using her “own expertise and knowledge in student-led work.” Her favorite memory from The Mass Media is attending our staff dinner in the fall! Bridget’s best advice for current and future students of UMass Boston is to get involved and attend university events. She encourages students to go to sponsored events, even if they do not join clubs. Students often get free food, among other free items, and it’s a great way to “build friendships that expand outside of school.” She thinks these events offer a casual and fun way to hang out with classmates you might want to get to know more. Next semester she plans to work as The Mass Media’s Head Copyeditor until she graduates with her master’s in December. After this, Bridget would like to pursue an editing position in the publishing industry—specifically book publishing.
Adrienne Harris-Fried
Ady is the Managing Editor and has been with The Mass Media for three years. She will be graduating with a degree in Political Science and Sociology. During her freshman year, Ady enjoyed reading the paper aloud with her friends. When she noticed the paper’s quality dip her sophomore year, she reached out to The Mass Media asking why. Their response was to offer her a position as a copyeditor, and she has been here ever since! Through working with the paper, Ady has improved her writing and acquired new skills such as interviewing, navigating the journalistic research process and accessing police records. Her favorite part of working for the Mass Media is “having a voice…and not having to suffer any consequences from it.” Ady has tackled difficult subjects this year like the break-in at Harbor Point and the UMass Boston rebrand. She’s proud to have been “a student leader and…the voice of the student body.” Her advice for current and future students is to get involved. It can be tempting to push off goals for the next semester, but they will go by quickly. “Join the club,” Ady said. Clubs are always looking for new members and she assures you, you will not be intruding. She emphasizes that “college isn’t just about going to class; you want to make the most of your time on campus.” After graduating, Ady will be working at Cambridge Eating Disorder Center as a residential counselor. She plans to eventually attend graduate school.
Jonathan Hopkins
Jon is The Mass Media’s Sports Editor and has worked for the paper for four years. He is majoring in English, but—in his own words—he probably wouldn’t write that much if he couldn’t write about sports. In high school, Jon even created a personal blog for the Boston Bruins. At his UMass Boston orientation, he accidentally ran into The Mass Media’s Editor-in-Chief, and he soon found his place as the paper’s sports writer. Along with the people he works with, Jon’s favorite part of his job is the joy he finds in covering sports. His favorite memory is going to a journalism conference in Minnesota where he got to cover a minor league baseball game and interview players in the locker room. The article he is most proud of writing this year is an overview of the UMass Boston Cheerleader’s competition in Daytona. It pushed him as a sports writer because he knew “little to nothing” about cheerleading prior to covering it. He urges other students to come to Mass Media meetings and see what the paper is like for themselves, assuring that there “really is no pressure”—you can choose to contribute or not to contribute. “There are a lot of doors that can be opened for someone who joins The Mass Media,” he says. After graduation Jon can see himself living in multiple places—Boston, Tennessee and Florida, for example—and he would like to pursue a career in sports writing.
Phaedra Ferrini
Phaedra is The Mass Media’s Head Copyeditor and will be graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in both Psychology and Theater. She has enjoyed editing since high school and has worked with the paper for a little over a year. Her favorite part of The Mass Media is the camaraderie formed when students work with—and for—other students. She feels a “solidarity amongst [her] coworkers” who “understand what it’s like to be a struggling college student.” Whether it’s life or class assignments making things difficult, Phaedra has enjoyed working with people who can empathize with everyone’s needs. Her advice for other students is to “stay true to yourself and your values—don’t compromise on something you don’t want to do.” She thinks self-care is important, especially in college, and stresses the need to put yourself first in the many aspects of life. This includes school, work, friendships and relationships. Phaedra has genuinely enjoyed her experience at UMass Boston and contributes much of this to its unique location by both the harbor and the city. For at least a year after graduating, Phaedra plans to continue her work as a behavior technician for young kids with autism. She hopes this will provide beneficial work experience and offer insight into her next steps. She also plans to maintain her involvement in performing and theater. This summer, Phaedra and several of her friends from UMass Boston’s Performing Arts Department hope to direct and perform original shows and creative projects.
Abigail Basile
Abbey is The Mass Media’s News Editor and has worked for the paper for three years. She is graduating a year early as a Communications major and Spanish minor. She has always enjoyed writing and joined The Mass Media her freshman year after coming across a sign-up table during orientation. Her favorite part of her job is the people she’s gotten to meet; she’s even sad to be leaving her Mass Media co-workers a year early. Abbey also enjoys covering student-led protests and activities on campus. Her favorite article this year is a piece she wrote about the Black Student Center’s protests that occurred in October. She believes news coverage like this “represent[s] the student voice” and she’s enjoyed “reporting what the students have to say.” As UMass Boston is largely a commuter school, Abbey’s best advice for students is to get involved on campus to build a stronger community. She thinks involvement in clubs and activities makes you well-rounded—which is helpful for resumes—but she also believes “it helps [students] discover things about themselves.” She thinks getting involved in different things on campus is a great way to learn more about your likes and dislikes; it’s a time to explore. After graduation Abbey is planning to take some time for herself, especially after finishing a year early. She’s excited to have time to focus on her hobbies before figuring out her next steps. In the future, she is potentially interested in getting certified in medical translation and would like to pursue some type of job involving writing.
Grace Smith
Grace is The Mass Media’s Editor-in-Chief and is majoring in Communications with a minor in Professional and New Media Writing. She joined the paper her freshman year as the best way to gain work-experience in the field of journalism—a field she is extremely passionate about. Prior to becoming the Editor-in-Chief, she was the Arts & Lifestyle Editor for two years. Her favorite part of working for The Mass Media is the community she’s found in it, as well as the opportunities it has provided for her. She’s covered concerts, Boston Fashion Week, The Boston Ballet’s “The Nutcracker” and other major events in Boston. Grace is most proud of her Opinions piece covering the preachers who came to campus and chanted anti-LGBTQ rhetoric this semester. “It took a lot for me mentally to be able to talk to them and write that story,” Grace said. Her best advice for students is to join at least one club. She believes this is the “easiest way to make friends and get involved on campus.” Grace credits her ability to get through school during a pandemic to the community she’s found in The Mass Media and encourages other students to find that community as well. After she graduates, Grace hopes to work for a “communication or marketing firm that prioritizes philanthropy and giving back to the community in a substantial way.”
Sean Liddy
Sean is one of The Mass Media’s News Writers and is double majoring in Communications and English. She joined the paper this December for the opportunity to exercise her love of writing, and she also works in the Writing Nook as a tutor. Sean’s favorite part of working for The Mass Media is feeling more active in the community and on campus. “I feel much more aware of the school and the city. I love getting to choose…what I get to bring attention to with my articles,” Sean said. Her favorite piece to write this year was an article covering the increase in book bannings across the United States. This led to an incredible opportunity to interview UMass Boston’s English Professor Susan Tan, whose own children’s series was banned in a town in Pennsylvania. Sean’s best advice for current and future students is to not be scared to try the things they’re interested in. She regrets not joining The Mass Media sooner and encourages students not to wait like she did. After graduation, Sean plans to take a year off to work and travel. Her potential stops include living in Rome and working at a ski-lodge in Colorado. Eventually she would like to attend graduate school for English and possibly become a professor. Sean would like to thank Grace Smith and Abigail Basile for the help they have given her this year. She would also like to thank The Mass Media and UMass Boston and wishes everyone the best of luck!