Get to know some of our College of Media students! Rikkie Gunawan is a class of 2027 journalism major.
What excites you most about being a journalism major at the University of Illinois?
The most exciting part is how many opportunities there are as a journalism major. Students can get involved in The Daily Illini, WPGU 107.1, UI7 Newsroom, and even Illinois Public Media. Since it’s a small college, you end up getting to know other journalism students and your professors. I like that and the fact that I’ve gotten to meet several of the upperclassmen in journalism and connect with others who have similar interests as myself, which has made my time here at Illinois a great experience.
What sets the journalism program here apart from other schools?
After doing lots of research on schools, I decided to apply to Illinois because their journalism program is versatile. Illinois is inclusive and offers more options of paths to take in the industry. I originally only wanted to do print, but after taking some of the more broadcast-focused classes offered here, I realized broadcast could be pretty fun as well and I could also see a future in that area.
How early on did you realize journalism was the general career path you wanted to take?
My older sister was working for my high school’s newspaper, and they were in need of graphic artists. She knew I liked drawing and encouraged me to join the newspaper team, so I was involved for all four years.
In the beginning I knew I liked writing and drawing, but I didn’t know much about newspaper writing, or really journalism in general. I ended up taking a journalism course in high school and became an editor for the newspaper, and the intersection between reporting and visuals was really fascinating to me. I know a lot of people take in information visually, so that aspect of journalism always really interested me.
What goals have you already accomplished or hope to accomplish at Illinois?
I had this really cool opportunity last year to do an independent study with associate professor of journalism Charles “Stretch” Ledford. He did a global documentary trip to Sierra Leone, West Africa. Although I didn’t go on the trip, I was able to work alongside him to produce a comic for it.
I adapted the story they had already shot into a comic form that focused on the topic of period poverty. Professor Ledford sent me pictures of girls from Sierra Leone holding my comic, and it was just one of the coolest things I’ve been able to do.
What advice would you give to incoming freshmen?
It’s important to put yourself out there. There are so many opportunities at this school to take advantage of. At the same time, don’t always say yes to everything, as it’s very important to set those boundaries and figure out how to manage your time and prioritize what you really want to do. Some things just come your way and it’s important to take the chance.
—Interview by Jaedynn Clark, New Voices Intern
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