From Where I Stand

Audio essays by students in Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Robin Fisher’s narrative journalism class. Photo portraits by David Bergeland.

July 1, 2015

Project Credits and Info

Visuals

David Bergeland

Words

Aiden Jackson, Chinedu Onyemaobi, Dina Sayedahmed, Emina Lukarcanin, Erin Jerome, Evan Leblanc, Haminah Johnson, Josh Spear, Ken Downey Jr, Khadijah bint Costello, Ogechukwu Gbanite, Rhesa Mae Bernal, Zeinab Said

Location

Newark

Ogechukwu Gbanite is a Nigerian-American journalism major at Rutgers University-Newark. A dreamer, Oge believes she can do it all and tries. She acknowledges that growing up in America has distorted her perception of what it means to be Nigerian, a notion engrained into her by her parents, because now she believes she can be anything she wants to be.

Haminah Johnson was born and raised in Newark and stands proud at Rutgers University-Newark. She considers herself living proof that it doesn’t matter where you come from but where you are going. She is the first in her family to attend college.

Evan LeBlanc is a senior in the Journalism and Media Studies program at Rutgers University-Newark. He appreciates the dynamic power that a genuine story can convey. Having learned to write a unique and illustrative piece of narrative journalism is something that he will always hold dear to his heart.

Dina Sayedahmed is a junior studying Political Science and Journalism at Rutgers University-Newark. She is an avid storyteller and collector of narratives. During her free time, she enjoys cliff diving and roller coasters.

Khadijah bint Costello is a senior studying Journalism and International Affairs at Rutgers University-Newark. She is an activist in women’s issues and a street photographer. During her free time she likes to write short stories.

Josh Spear is a non-traditional senior studying journalism at Rutgers University-Newark . He is a veteran stand-up comedian with extensive experience talking about himself. He enjoys hanging around but never has free time.

Zeinab Said is a pre-med student majoring in Journalism and Media Studies at Rutgers University-Newark. She is the Editor-in-Chief of RU-N’s Scarlet magazine and aspires to become a pediatric doctor who continues to work in narrative journalism.

Rhesa Mae Bernal is an Asian-American and a Journalism major. She is the first in her family to go to college in America. She can’t wait to graduate and make a name for herself so she can thank all the journalism professors who have changed her life.

Aiden Jackson was born in Livingston and raised in Newark. Aiden is an athlete who played varsity soccer and basketball in high school and soccer at Rutgers-Newark.

Erin Jerome is a senior studying journalism at Rutgers-Newark. She is a lover of the arts and hopes to one day be read nationwide.