Photo credit: Aldo De Leon, ’21
You may recognize Jenna Nabors from the byline of many of our articles over the past two years. As communications intern in the Office for Institutional Equity and Diversity, Jenna has held many titles during her four years at NC State. From Park Scholar to University Ambassador to community tutor, Jenna has packed a lot into her undergraduate career.
A communication major with a concentration in media and minors in journalism and international studies, Jenna will head to Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication next fall with a fellowship to earn a master’s degree in mass communication. Jenna’s immediate plan is to continue an internship this summer in corporate communications with Greenbrier.
We asked Jenna for some of the major things she’ll remember from her time with OIED, and she said it was the timeliness and impact of her work, and that everything she wrote about carried weight. “It means a lot to me personally and professionally to do meaningful work. I enjoyed working in OIED because it complemented skills I was learning in my classes, and I’m grateful that I had this opportunity.”
She says she has grown as a student and as a person during her time at NC State and has gained empowerment through her communication work and studies. “I learned the importance of using my voice — I had been scared of speaking out against things, but now I’m comfortable to do that when I need to.”
As advice for younger students, Jenna says to be confident in pursuing your interests, and don’t let others affect what you do. “I came to a STEM school and questioned my interests, but I love that I studied communication and found friends with common interests.”
She advises students to make the most of what is available at NC State. “Take advantage of all the opportunities you have. For example, studying abroad is transformative, and it really impacted my college career for the better.”
Going forward, Jenna hopes to travel again after the pandemic ends and see where life takes her. “I am really passionate about diversity, equity and inclusion and hope to integrate it into all the work that I do. This job has made me question the world around me. I’ve learned what NC State is doing in regard to DEI, and I like to think the articles I’ve written have helped make an impact.”
Her hope for NC State after she leaves is that diversity, equity and inclusion work continues to have more visibility, and that more community members collaborate with the office in its efforts. “Greater visibility of our office could only benefit everyone,” she says.
We thank Jenna for her thoughtful persistence in educating the campus community about the important work that we do and wish her the best in her future as a communicator.