Greta Magendantz
West Hartford, Conn.
Northeastern University, Class of 2025
Journalism and political science
During this first year at college in Boston, I have been writing for the Huntington News and have also been a writer and editor for Her Campus, a digital publication by and for young women. I have reported on topics ranging from the MBTA in Boston to the election of the city’s first female mayor of color.
Speaking with people about the issues that affect them showed me elements of Boston I never knew existed. Reporting gave me the chance to learn a lot about the neighborhoods, small businesses, public transportation, elected officials, and community organizations in the city I now call home.
On campus, I am also a part of the student government association’s committee for diversity, equity, and inclusion, which developed a schoolwide curriculum for freshmen. That means information about different religions, races, ethnicities, gender identities, and sexualities will be presented in seminars during Northeastern students’ first year. The hope is this will allow for an open conversation about diversity.
Before joining the Indie, I spent a month this summer in Panama, writing about gender issues in indigenous communities for a digital magazine being created by two of my professors. I traveled to six different places, ranging from jungle to city. My stories covered transgenderism, spirituality, advocacy, government involvement, and menstrual product access.
I was struck by the raw and emotional stories the women and girls in Panama revealed. I both giggled and cried alongside these sources. Although we live in countries thousands of miles apart, the struggles of people in Panama do not differ so much from those in West Hartford or Boston. And now I know that I particularly enjoy writing about gender and sexuality-related issues.
I am an animal lover and spend time volunteering with my family as a foster fur parent. I love to read and enjoy the outdoors, writing, learning more about astrology, and trying to find the best chai latte a place has to offer.
I am so excited to be spending my summer in a place with such deep ties to the LGBTQ community and cannot wait to take part in conveying stories about all people on the Outer Cape.
