Stories We Tell

By: Olivia Brooks

What happens when journalism and mass communication (JOMC) alumni return to N.C. A&T to share their expertise with students in Crosby Hall? A takeover.

From Oct. 30-Nov. 3, JOMC alumni will take over classes and teach for a day, sharing their ventures and knowledge in the  post-graduation world and share helpful tips steps students can take during their time at A&T.

In previous takeovers, returning alumni have come from media companies such as NowMedia, Spectrum News 1 and the Washington Post. 

Jaelen Gilkey, Natalie “Naee” Anderson and Phillip Page are three JOMC alumni returning again this year to share their experiences.

Gilkey is a St. Louis, Missouri, native who graduated in December 2017 has participated in JOMC Takeover since 2018. He’s working as a full-time sports reporter and anchor for WFMY News 2 in Greensboro. 

He believes people interested in journalism must be passionate about it.

“If you don’t love journalism, find something else to do,” Gilkey said. “It doesn’t matter what you want to be; you have to put in so many hours and deal with so much.” 

He advises students to use Crosby’s resources while in school.

 “Prepare yourself as best as possible while you have the resources at A&T,” Gilkey said. “You have more than enough resources to set yourself up for success.”

Gilkey suggests that students in Crosby make time to attend the takeover.

“If there is someone that does something you want to do, you should go,” Gilkey said. “It’s great to build connections…find a way to build a network with these people.” 

Gilkey emphasized just how powerful the alumni network is, especially in spaces such as the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) Convention, which draws Black journalists from across the country.

Anderson, a 2018 graduate from Richmond, Virginia, works in live event production. She has worked with numerous companies such as NBCUniversal, Sundance and Meta. 

Anderson’s work might look familiar. She also has worked with A&T Chancellor Harold Martin as the university photographer, resulting in much of her work being used on the school’s website. 

“The journalism department presents you with a cake,” she said. “It’s up to you how big or small a slice you want to cut for yourself.”

She believes taking advantage of the opportunities provided to students today is essential. 

“One thing I am consistent in, is instilling in students at Crosby is that you are the painter of your own canvas,” Anderson said. 

By taking advantage of resources at Crosby, like the TV studio and the editing labs, students can advance their skills and be better prepared for life after graduation. 

Page is a 2007 graduate from the Triad area. His extensive portfolio includes work as a front end web designer, audio engineer, a DJ, and as a photographer. Page also worked as an adjunct professor at A&T from 2017-2020. 

Today, his focus is professional filmmaking. 

When asked about his path to where he is now, Page describes his journey as non-traditional. 

“You can’t just be sold on one path. There are many ways. Sometimes you have to explore different paths in journalism to end up where you want to be,” Page said. 

“There are many ways in this industry to move forward. If you stick to one way and you only learn one thing, you are not going to get far,” he said. 

Olivia Brooks is a North Carolina A&T junior multimedia journalism student from Greenville, South Carolina.