By Corinne Arel '24
Senior Ana Pietrewicz, who is graduating from the University of Massachusetts Amherst with a degree in journalism and political science, has been selected as the 2022 SBS Senior Celebration Speaker for the Journalism Department.
Pietrewicz currently serves as the editor-in-chief of the Massachusetts Daily Collegian, a student-run newspaper, and has been with the Collegian since week one of her first year.
She was a recipient of the 2021 Chester Weinerman Collegian Excellence Award and the 2020 Dandley Internship Award. Pietrewicz is also a member of the UMass Amherst chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha, the National Political Science Honor Society.
During the summer of 2021, Pietrewicz was a reporting intern with GBH News, where she wrote and broke stories in the greater Worcester area for the WGBH website. In 2020, she worked as a city desk intern for the Worcester Telegram & Gazette and wrote stories on the Worcester community.
Pietrewicz is originally from the Worcester area. “It was great to report on the city I am so familiar with," she said. "I am so grateful for these opportunities.”
Pietrewicz’s speech was chosen from several submitted to the Journalism Department by graduating seniors and will talk about how the senior class should feel prepared for anything because not only has the class of 2022 persevered during these unprecedented times, but they have also thrived.
“It’s an honor to represent the entire journalism major at the commencement ceremony,” Pietrewicz said.
She expressed her gratitude for the support she has received from the Journalism Department and is thankful for the close-knit community.
“Having the support of the Journalism Department makes you feel like people are rooting for you,” Pietrewicz said. “People are watching out for you and want you to succeed.”
Pietrewicz also found support during the four years she wrote for the Collegian and now emphasizes the importance of getting involved with campus media. “The collegian was another home for me at UMass,” she said. “At a place as big as UMass, it’s important to find your little family.”
Pietrewicz aspires to continue working as a reporter or editor in the future. She is still exploring her options after graduation but has applied to graduate school and full-time jobs in journalism.