Chasing news, shaping policies
With help from the Missouri Method, Olivia Gyapong of Silver Spring, Maryland, is turning her passion for journalism and politics into a dream career
Contact: Janese Heavin, heavinj@missouri.edu
When University of Missouri senior Olivia Gyapong was exploring colleges, she had an ambitious wish list. She wanted a top-tier journalism program, hands-on experience, research opportunities and the ability to study abroad. On top of that, she aimed to double major in political science.
It’s no surprise, given her upbringing in a suburb outside of Washington, D.C., a city steeped in government and politics. Gyapong grew up surrounded by the pulse of policy and news, but it wasn’t until middle school that she fully grasped journalism’s power to shape society.
“I remember watching Christiane Amanpour on TV and Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown one day, and I was just completely enamored,” she said. “I saw these journalists traveling and telling important stories, connecting me — in Maryland — to people across the globe via the narratives they shared.”
Her passion for storytelling quickly took root. She wrote for her high school newspaper, contributed to a local community blog and co-led her school’s Model United Nations club. Since then, Gyapong’s journey has been marked by acceptance to the prestigious Stamps Scholars Program, international reporting, Capitol Hill internships and in-depth projects while earning a degree in journalism from the Missouri School of Journalism and a degree in political science from the College of Arts and Science. She is also completing the Honors Certificate from the MU Honors College.
Read on for a Q&A with Gyapong about her Mizzou experience.
Why did you choose Mizzou?
One of my journalism mentors told me I should apply to the University of Missouri because they had a good journalism program. I didn’t really know much about the school and didn’t think I was going to go there, but then I got an email from the Honors College telling me I should apply. I did, and got in, and also got tapped to apply for the national Stamps Scholars Program.
During the interview process for my scholarship, I got incredibly excited about the sheer amount of hands-on experience I’d get here. It was great to know that I could get real-world experience at a campus newspaper and later a community newspaper. Knowing that I’d have the opportunity to get research experience on day one was also incredibly exciting. What really sold me, though, was the Brussels study abroad program. Knowing that I could get the foreign correspondence experience I desired as an undergraduate was incredible. I am happy to report that I completed the Brussels internship program during the spring 2024 semester. I had an amazing time working for Euractiv as a transportation policy reporter, attending NATO, weekly European Commission briefings, a European Council meeting, press events and more. I absolutely fulfilled my foreign reporting dream, publishing more than 40 clips and editing political stories while I was abroad. It was an unforgettable experience, and I learned so much.
How did you take advantage of hands-on learning opportunities at Mizzou?
I took advantage of undergraduate research opportunities, including publishing an article this summer in a trade publication about the sociocultural effects of climate change on Finnish reindeer herders. That was the culmination of a project I’d been working on since sophomore year.
My freshman year, I assisted Dr. Yong Volz on a journalism research project to see whether the Pulitzer Prize committee had any biases when it came to selecting awardees. Through that project, I got connected with a Mizzou alumna, who is the news director at Bloomberg Government. Two years later, I landed an internship with Bloomberg Government, where I reported on Capitol Hill and also performed legislative analysis. It was also because of the alumna that I applied to the POLITICO Summer Journalism Institute, which I attended in 2023. I’ve had a couple other reporting internships during my time at Mizzou, and I fully credit the school’s Missouri Method with putting me in a position to be a successful applicant.
I also got involved with Friday Night Sights over at the Missourian and conducted a photojournalism internship at the Arizona Republic in 2023. At the Missourian, I devoted as much time as possible to my beat, K-12 education and youth. It was such an honor to get out into the Columbia community and tell the stories of so many students, teachers and administrators in this amazing town.
Another way I got involved was through Mizzou’s Kinder Institute on Constitutional Democracy. I studied transatlantic history for a week at the UK’s Oxford University and also participated in the annual Society of Fellows conference.
What was your favorite thing about campus?
My favorite things about campus have to be its architecture and study spots. I think Mizzou’s campus is so gorgeous, and I love taking walks around campus when I have free time. I also find so much serenity on the upper floors of Memorial Union and in the quiet nooks of Ellis Library. I love studying and getting work done in these places.
And of course, I love the people here. I love that Mizzou afforded me the chance to meet some girls I’m going to call friends for life. I have met an amazing mix of people here, from my freshman and sophomore year friends in Collegiate Cattlewomen to my friends in the National Association of Black Journalists student chapter to my friends in the Little Sisters of the Gold Rose service sorority.
What’s next for you?
After my graduation in December, I’m going back home to the D.C. area where I will be a policy analyst for a state and local government relations firm. I became enthralled with public policy after taking Dr. Lael Kaiser’s public policy class. It’s evidence that one great class or one great professor can totally change your life and your career trajectory. The legislative analysis portion of my internship at Bloomberg Government really solidified my desire to pursue a career in this sphere. I’m a proud, self-proclaimed nerd, and I love that this job allows me to dive deep into issues, legislation and regulation, and inform clients about them. I think this career makes amazing use of my political science and journalism degrees, and I could not be more excited to get into the office!
Graduate school might also be in the cards for me in the future.
Why are you proud to be a Tiger?
I’m proud to be a Tiger because so many amazing people have graduated from this school. I’m among the ranks of some incredibly inspiring individuals. I’m also proud to be part of an institution that prioritizes preparing its students for life after graduation and supports them as they strive to achieve their goals. There is no way I could have ended up where I am today, having all the internship experiences I had, the study abroad experiences I had, the research experiences I had, graduating with a job in hand, etc. without the support of my faculty, friends and advisors at Mizzou.
Updated: December 12, 2024