In this special series, we spotlight alumni from the MoCo Student to showcase the newspaper’s history for our readers and local community. Today, we are honored to feature alumni Yared Kokeb, who was involved in the MoCo Student from 2016 to 2017 as a previous student at Richard Montgomery High School.
What was a memory you remember from your time in the MoCo Student?
A memory I won’t forget was when someone recognized me in class from my graphic in a MoCo Student article; it might not seem significant but to me it felt like I had made the red carpet!
What was your favorite part of working in the MoCo Student?
My favorite part of working in the MoCo Student was the flexibility; the graphic artists could pick between several articles they preferred rather than being forced to make a drawing for something they didn’t connect with, and the collaboration between other artists made for efficient selections.
How have the skills you learned in the MoCo Student guided you in your academic and professional career?
One skill that I never realized this gig fostered was the ability to be selective. Having the flexibility to pick which articles I’d be working on translated well at Hopkins where I also had the flexibility to pick my own major as a freshman. Even after grad school the collaboration that was encouraged in the MoCo Student helped me with engineering projects, where collaboration was key to a successful outcome.
How do you see journalism impact your everyday life? This could be newspapers you read, journalism experience you’ve been involved in, or the importance of journalism in general.
Journalism is a heavily undervalued facet in my life because it allows for raw, unadulterated perspective. The best articles do not paint a picture, but allow the reader to be their own artist, providing enough paint for a masterpiece. I see journalism as a way for people to find their own perspective instead of relying on the perspective of others without thinking for themselves.
—Yared Kokeb
For alumni interested in sharing their experience, please contact editorsmocostudent@gmail.com for how to get involved.
Written by the Editor-in-Chiefs
Photo courtesy of Yared Kokeb