As many know, NOVA’s Comms Team piloted the “Meet the Grads” series two years ago and has been excited about the thousands of views of the stories and short films showcasing our graduates in the weeks leading up to Commencement. Student stories are always heartwarming and energizing. However, engaging with students looking toward Commencement and eagerly anticipating their next steps is particularly gratifying. Inevitably, they shower their peers and professors with praise, and it is uplifting to hear.
We recently had an epiphany: Why not get some of our current students to interview their peers? They can learn of other students’ experiences at the College, excitement about commencement and feelings on the future. Students interviewing students will give the stories a new depth and a fresh new perspective.
Enter two Nighthawk “student reporters.” Juthi Syeda and Emma Howard are both slated to graduate in May 2024 and will serve as contributors to this year’s Meet the Grads profiles.
Learn more about them in their own words:
Emma Howard:
Liberal arts/English major Emma Howard is excited to become a contributor for NOVA! She cannot wait to cut her teeth in journalism and tell the amazing stories of other NOVA students. She’s a NOVA Woodbridge student and part of ADVANCE. Although she’s considering a career in media production or communications, she has always been interested in the arts, film and theater. She’s been an actor, stage manager and director. So she’s still considering her path.
In May, Emma will graduate from NOVA and, through ADVANCE, be on a pathway to her bachelor’s in English at George Mason University. Fun fact: she is following in the footsteps of her father and brother, who also attended NOVA and graduated from GMU.
Beyond her academic pursuits, Emma places great importance on mentorship, aspiring to guide others toward success. She emphasizes the universal desire to make a positive impact on the world. “That’s what everyone wants to do in some way in whatever job they do — they want to have a positive impact.” This mentality reflects Emma’s commitment to fostering a supportive community.
Juthi Syeda:
Juthi is a CCI (Community College Initiative) program student from Bangladesh. She arrived in July 2023 and will be graduating this May with a Career Studies Certificate in Web Design and Development.
She brings with her an academic arts background, as well as a professional background in social media and marketing. Here at NOVA, she’s adding to her multi-media background with classes in marketing and communications such as: (MKT-284) Social Media Marketing (CST-126) Interpersonal Communication and (CST-140) Acting for Camera.
At NOVA, she has found a love for coding languages and has taken classes to learn HTML, CSS, Java, Python and Javascript. In addition to being a full-time student, Juthi works at the Advising Center on the Annandale Campus. She is eager to learn more about U.S. media platforms before returning to her home country. She especially wants to give back to NOVA and the community for welcoming her so warmly “and for such a life-changing opportunity.”