International Multimedia Journalism
2020
As a student at Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Barrett, The Honors College, as well as a lover of travel, Brielle Ashford decided to combine her passions and spent four months abroad in Spring, 2019, creating a senior thesis in digital international journalism. She enrolled in the Center for Intercultural Educational Exchange's Open Campus program for a semester and spent a month and a half each in three countries. Starting in Cape Town, South Africa, she interviewed locals about their lives post-Apartheid. In Paris, France, Brielle found a story in a non-profit that teaches French youth about religious diversity. Lastly in Rome, Italy, she covered the famous, vibrant food culture of gelato at the city’s oldest gelateria. It was the experience of a lifetime and the stories stand on their own... and she made it all happen with little more than the Adobe editing suite and an iPhone X. See the long-form packages for yourself below!
Click the hyperlinked headline above to see the package in full.
Click the hyperlinked headline above to see the package in full.
Click the hyperlinked headline above to see the package in full.
Study Abroad
In my four years at Arizona State University, I committed to studying abroad and immersing myself in new cultures... not once - but four times!
Find blogs about my experiences below. Writing about the challenges and triumphs I faced abroad was one of my duties as a marketing recruiter at the university's Study Abroad Office from August 2019 through May 2020.
The Color of Study Abroad: Part 1
My Experience Choosing a Program as a Student of Color in South Africa
Studying abroad was always something I was passionate about doing, and had already done on a short-term program in the summer after my freshman year. Now, as a junior, I knew I was ready to take on a full semester.
But, was I ready to take it on in South Africa? That was another story.
The Color of Study Abroad: Part 2
My Experience Living in South Africa as a Student of Color
I remember waiting at my layover in the German airport for the last leg of my journey – the flight into Cape Town. It had been a 34-hour trip from my hometown in Michigan. At this point, my excitement – and nerves – were really starting to mount. Once my plane arrived, the first thing I noticed was that I was one of the only people of color boarding the flight. That definitely spooked me a little. For the first time, I was hyper-aware of my race, and that feeling continued the entirety of my time in Cape Town.
Making Myself Stand Out
Accomplishing my Professional Goals in Cape Town, Paris and Rome
I would offer a new idea when thinking about what destination to spend your semester in; one that might sound more exciting to the scholarly professors out there or the nervous parents who will ultimately be signing off. That’s right: it’s the professional reason to study abroad.