By: Rana Nejad

Edited By: Edu Kenedi

Reflecting on my time at SAIS—both in Bologna and in D.C.— I remember days and nights spent writing policy papers on U.S.-MENA relations or drawing makeshift PPF curves for economics class (no matter how hard I may try to forget).  But more than anything, I reminisce about the days when I felt inspired to write about something completely offbeat that I might have come across in The Atlantic or heard during my morning podcast-and-get-ready routine. The SAIS Observer (TSO) gave me that opportunity, and for that, I’ll always be thankful.

Writing for the Observer during my time in graduate school allowed me to explore my passion for writing and for the world of journalism more broadly. Realizing I could jot down my fleeting passions and unique interests (beyond my journal), share them with a group of readers, and even entertain them, completely changed my perspective on writing—it went from feeling like a chore to being enjoyable. After 2 or 3 articles, I thought to myself—maybe I can make a career out of this. 

So, I treaded the dark waters that all graduating students inevitably have to tread and submitted applications to every newspaper and publication I could think of. With the help and guidance of my Fall 2023 “News, Media, and International Affairs” professor, Patrick Pexton, I sent my applications into the abyss that was ‘entry-level journalism positions that paid more than minimum wage’. 

The first couple of months were dismal. I hadn’t heard back from a single human being, nor a hiring software, and morale was low. It wasn’t until Thanksgiving break that I got a brief and exciting email in my inbox from none other than the Washington Post. “THE WASHINGTON POST WANTS TO INTERVIEW ME!?” I ran around the house like I had just seen a mouse, looking for a family member, but of course no one was home. Not even my dog. “Okay,” I thought, calm down and stop dancing like you are in a Madonna video. Answer the nice lady and prep for the interview like you’ve never prepped for an interview before. Eventually, one interview became three, and I met with who would eventually be my Editor in the Opinions section at the Post. Life was great, I thought, as I landed a job at a publication I’ve religiously read every day since I traded cartoons for news.

The few weeks after I secured the internship were probably the most confident I’ve ever felt in my life. In my eyes, I had made it. In my parents’ eyes, I would be working for a good newspaper, “but it’s not like it was the New York Times or anything”. 

It’s like the universe felt their disappointment, because weeks later—out of nowhere—I received an email from yours truly asking for an interview for the Editorial fellowship. “Oh wow,” I thought to myself, as I felt my imposter syndrome already settling in. This is major. My two dream publications are both interested in me. It felt sort of like I was the prize in a duel, except one of the knight’s would make me move 200 miles away and pay double in rent if they won. Ultimately, I decided that I wanted to stay in D.C. and remain near my friends and loved ones. This city, and this school have given me a lot, and allowed me to realize that I could make a career out of something I actually enjoy. 

Writing about animal language decoding, the love lives of dictators, tennis in Italy, conspiracy theorists, and protests in Iran and D.C. during my time at the Observer has been a pleasure, and a great learning experience that I will take with me once I graduate. But writing what I wanted to write wasn’t everything, the Observer this year was filled with talented and passionate individuals that taught me so much about the world. Whether it was a deeply thorough film review from our talented in-house critics, a heartfelt op-ed on the war in Gaza, a Taylor Swift-inspired sports piece, or a criticism of tipping culture in the U.S., I was amazed by the talent and passion for writing my fellow classmates displayed. 

All in all, SAIS and the Observer need each other. In a hub of brilliant foreign policy minds (and no bulletin boards), TSO stands tall as the student voice beyond the classroom, where ideas find their stage and voices ring free. Yes, our readership may not be enormous, but at least we can say that we played a role in securing microwaves and fridges in the new building for our fellow classmates. 

So I am writing this article today not just to reflect on my time as a student journalist in a policy graduate school, but to advocate for student publications everywhere. The world will be a better place if you keep writing about important topics, or topics that are important to you, and do so with good evidence and sharp analysis.