Derek McGinty and the Power of Mentorship
In the latest episode of Media In the Mix, host Grace Ibrahim is joined by SOC alumnus, Derek McGinty. McGinty is a journalist, commentator and award-winning interviewer. He got his start at WHUR radio in Washington D.C. and since then has gone on to work for various programs on CBS, HBO, and ABC. He then returned to Washington D.C. to work with WUSA. Throughout his career, McGinty has continued to engage with SOC and support its students in a variety of ways. Last year, he established an endowment fund to support access to experiential opportunities for journalism students of color.ÌýÌý
Ibrahim, a fellow SOC alum, joined McGinty this year as an SOC Alumni Mentor. In the mentor program, current students are matched with alums who are willing to share experience and expertise about finding a job, building a career, or just identifying what the next best step is to help a student find out which field is the right fit – an internship? A course? An experiential opportunity?ÌýÌýÌý
Both spoke highly of the program. McGinty said that students are often hesitant to reach out to potential mentors. McGinty strongly encouraged students to go for it: send the email, pick up the phone, just ask. That said, he also cautioned students to be professional in their approach. McGinty said that, at this stage in his life, mentorship was the most fulfilling part of his career. To him, there is nothing more powerful than passing on knowledge and helping a younger generation navigate their own journeys.Ìý
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