At just a junior in high school, Isiuwa Igodan took a bold step that would change her life forever. Fueled by a burgeoning interest in media, she decided to reach out to 50 professionals across the television, magazine, and radio industries. With a knack for finding emails online, she crafted messages and sent them out, hoping someone would notice her ambition.

Out of the 50 emails, only two responded: Sunni and the City from WPGC 95.5 and a representative from ABC 2 News. Sunni invited Isiuwa to visit the radio station, while ABC 2 News encouraged her to apply for an internship position. She applied and secured the internship.

“I wasn’t going to apply because I thought it was crazy, like, why would I be working at a news station and I’m still in high school? Like, who does that?”

This formative experience laid the foundation for Isiuwa’s career in journalism, showing her that initiative could open doors to incredible opportunities.

While her journey began in high school, it was New York City that truly ignited her passion for journalism and art. “New York saved my life,” she shares, comparing it to her hometown in Maryland.

Among her many achievements, one moment stands out as her most significant. Isiuwa wrote a piece about Shudu Gram, the world’s first digital supermodel. She interviewed Shudu’s creator and the story resonated widely, garnering 100,000 views within a week of publication.

“He put it on his Instagram and that just blew up, then other companies posted it, like, Yahoo posted it, every publication posted it, and they all credited my website,” she recalls. “So everybody was able to go to my website to see the interview.”

Today, as a multimedia journalist attending Pace University and working at BET Network, Isiuwa continues to explore her passions, launching ventures like a book scholarship and a blogging event.

Her story should inspire young women, students, and aspiring media professionals everywhere to dream big and take the first step, no matter how intimidating it may seem.