Maddie Rosado and Joshua Reichard Managing / News Editor and Asst. A&E Editor
On March 2, Kyla Guilfoil ‘24 returned to Manhattan University (MU) for a Q&A session in Kelly Commons, offering students insight into her journalism career and her transition from undergraduate student to professional reporter.
A flyer shared on social media and posted around campus
ahead of the event.
@MUPRSSA / INSTAGRAM
The event, hosted by the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) and presented in collaboration with the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and Lambda Pi Eta (LPH), the national communication association’s honor society, allowed students to interact with the alumna and learn more about the realities of working as a digital politics reporter.
Prior to the event, The Quadrangle spoke with Michael Grabowski, Ph.D., a professor in the Communication, Sound and Media Arts Department at MU and a former mentor to Guilfoil. Grabowski shared his anticipation for the event.
“This is really an event for the students, so I really am looking forward to Guilfoil speaking… She only graduated two years ago, so you can see how fast her career took off,” Grabowski said.
Grabowski continued to emphasize that he takes pride in watching students go on to their professional careers, creating strong examples of the opportunities available to current undergraduate students at MU.
“I take incredible joy seeing students succeed here and then using that as a model for success in their future careers,” Grabowski said.
Grabowski highlighted the student organizations involved in hosting the Q&A session, noting the effort that went into preparing the event.
“This event is actually run by PRSSA [which was also presented in collaboration with SAAC and LPH],” Grabowski said.
The Quadrangle also spoke with Flynn Myers, a junior English and communication double-major, as well as the event director for PRSSA. Myers further discussed the process of coordinating the event.
“We reached out to Guilfoil because we wanted her to come out and talk about her role at NBC News,” Myers said.
Myers also shared her perspective on the importance of featuring speakers such as Guilfoil.
“I think it’s important for communication majors to see that there’s many different routes that they can go,” Myers said.
During the Q&A session, Guilfoil reflected on her early dream of becoming a news reporter, which later shaped the beginning of her undergraduate experience at MU.
“My dream was always to be a reporter,” Guilfoil said. “I only really looked at schools in New York City because it was where I wanted to be while studying journalism.”
Guilfoil continued by sharing that double-majoring in communication and political science was not always a part of her original plan. However, it was a path that felt natural to her career development.
“It was my first semester… I was always really interested in politics,” Guilfoil said. “I was in a position where one of my professors literally showed me how they [politics and media] intersect.”
Later in the event, Guilfoil was asked what experiences and undergraduate work helped prepare her for her current role at NBC. She pointed to The Quadrangle, describing it as the beginning of her true pursuit in journalism.
“I was a Quadrangle Scholar… I remember writing my first article for The Quadrangle in my dorm, and one of the senior editors tore it to shreds,” Guilfoil said. “So many edits and so many comments were made in that Google Doc., but it was actually a great lesson.”
As Guilfoil gained more experience as a staff member on The Quadrangle, she also noted that writing for Manhattan Caucus helped her develop skills in reporting on national political news.
“[Manhattan] Caucus was my first time writing about national political news,” Guilfoil said. “I really loved it, and I definitely felt a draw towards it.”
Guilfoil’s growth as a student journalist did not go unnoticed. In a separate interview, Margaret Groarke, Ph.D., professor and chair of the History, Political and International Studies Department, as well as one of Guilfoil’s mentors, shared her experience with watching Guilfoil develop as a student at MU.
“She was very professional about her work in The Quadrangle, and I think the quality of the newspaper really showed that,” Groarke said.
Groarke continued by noting the hard work and dedication Guilfoil demonstrated during her time as an undergraduate student.
“She [Guilfoil] had interned at ABC, NBC, CBS and [had a] fellowship at Politico, all while she served in various leadership roles in The Quadrangle, including editor-in-chief,” Groarke said.
When asked how her undergraduate work translated into her current position, Guilfoil provided a brief overview of the demands of her current career.
“Now, I live blog almost every day… especially under the current administration, everything just moves at a rapid pace,” Guilfoil said. “Essentially, when I’m listening to a speech in real time, I’m grabbing bites and turning into posts.”
After the event, The Quadrangle spoke with Guilfoil about her lasting thoughts on sharing her early career journey with current undergraduate students at MU.
“I’m so grateful that I was asked to come back,” Guilfoil said. “I feel like I’ve gotten to do so much since I graduated, and I’m so honored to get to share it with the next generation.”
Guilfoil’s reflections on returning to campus were echoed by Groarke, who emphasized the range of opportunities Guilfoil embraced as a student.
“[Guilfoil] did a lot of stuff on campus and took advantage of a lot of opportunities here,” Groarke said. “She was one of those like ‘all around’ Jaspers, who just did it all with joy.”
Guilfoil left current MU undergraduates with one final message, encouraging students to pursue opportunities freely and avoid limiting themselves early in their careers.
“Find where opportunity is… don’t put yourself into a box when you’re young because it’s gonna make your life so much harder,” Guilfoil said.