Introduction

My name is Nijer (pronounced “nye-jur”) — like the country and river. I am majoring in Journalism and Media Studies with a minor in Women’s and Gender Studies.

Before I decided to pursue journalism I was on the pre-med track (but one semester of chemistry quickly helped me realize that I was not passionate enough, nor cut out for it).
I was originally drawn to medicine because I want to help people, but chose journalism because I’ve always loved writing and storytelling and it’s more true to who I am. However, I still hope that I can help people by going into advocacy journalism after graduation. I’d like to explore social and human rights issues, especially women’s issues (hence the minor).

When I think of a publication that I would love to work for after college, I think of The North Star or Vox, but ultimately I’d like to have my own publication. I currently have a website and podcast that I update with my own content and hope to publish a digital magazine soon. I would love to expand that into a global, print publication. One of my other career goals besides having my own publication is to dabble in filmmaking and TV production. I like cinema, especially horror. I think it would be cool to write and direct a horror movie, and I definitely would want to make a documentary (one topic I think would be interesting to explore is the family dynamic in urban communities). I know it all sounds very ambitious, but almost anything is possible, so why not?

Aside from my academic and professional interests, I love reading, hiking, dancing, traveling, listening to music, and spending time with friends and family. A fun fact about me is that I LOVE astrology (I’m a Taurus, by the way). I just got into tarot reading and I’ve found it to be pretty fun. My dream (after accomplishing all of that other stuff) is to travel the world and eventually move overseas. I haven’t settled on a city yet, but it won’t be somewhere cliché like London or Paris — I want to go somewhere super low key, like Oranjestad.