Beaver Reflections:
I graduated in 2007 and look back on my time at Beaver very fondly. It was somewhat of an adjustment going to the smaller class sizes and environment. That ended up being something that pushed me as a learner and was one of the reasons I came to Beaver in the first place. I loved the inclusivity and diversity, and how they fostered progressive ideas. I learned you can work very hard and excel, and also have an enjoyable high school experience.

What is #happeningnow in your life:
After graduating from college, I moved to the Middle East to pursue a career in journalism. I was there on and off for about 5 years. I lived in Cairo and Istanbul and also traveled across Egypt and covered the wars in Syria and Iraq. During those 5 years, I went to graduate school and did my master’s in public administration. Now I am working from home in Jersey City as a national security correspondent for The Daily Beast. Fortunately, with the pandemic, I have not experienced a furlough or a layoff as many others in the media business have.

“As a journalist, it can be frustrating to have to adapt to an environment where your story will matter one hour and not the next. However, that is just the environment that we work in. The best reporters understand that this is the time and age we are living in and are able to churn out high-quality work in a shorter amount of time.”

– Erin Banco ’07

Advice to Beaver students:
Although this sounds like a cliche, studying hard is very important. When you go to college you will encounter people with a wide variety of educational backgrounds. I think that practicing and working that muscle of being committed to your work and to your studies is very important.