Kate LeBlanc ’22, journalism and political science, was the editor-in-chief of the Good Five Cent Cigar during her time at the University of Rhode Island. During her time in charge, LeBlanc pushed the paper to new heights. After graduating, she worked as a civic fellow at the Close Up Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan civic education organization. Now, she is a Media Relations and Content Specialist at Benchmark Strategies.

Why did you choose to study at URI?

I loved URI after my first visit. After coming to Accepted Students Day in the spring, I knew it would be the place for me. At this event, I had the opportunity to meet with professors in journalism and political science. I also met students who worked at the newspaper, the Good Five Cent Cigar. Those introductions and conversations were integral for me in making my choice; they confirmed URI would be a place where I could be successful and follow my passions. 

What made you choose to study journalism and political science?

I grew up knowing I wanted to study journalism, and over time, I found another interest in politics and policy. From there, I brought these two passions together and studied them at URI. I’m glad I made the choice to get both degrees — each taught me so much, respectively, but they complemented each other well. 

How do you use the skills you learned while you were at URI today?

I am constantly using the skills I learned from the Harrington School. I always say that studying journalism was the best decision I could’ve made. It teaches you how to act on curiosity, how to talk with anyone, and how to distill information and communicate for every audience. I am grateful knowing that this is a strength I have and can lean on throughout my career and everyday life. 

Describe your favorite memory from your time as a student.

A highlight of my career at URI and my time in the Harrington School was the incredible opportunity to sit on a panel about media literacy and disinformation with some esteemed Rhode Island journalists and local leaders. 

We hosted a session during URI’s Media Literacy Conference in March 2022. I was able to answer questions from the audience about what the Good Five Cent Cigar, which I was editor-in-chief of in 2021, was doing to promote media literacy and eradicate misinformation. It was a great opportunity for me to highlight the critical work of student journalism, and it gave me a chance to meet some incredible people from the industry.

What piece of advice would you give Harrington students who are preparing to enter the workforce?

A piece of advice I’ve learned this year that I would tell to any Harrington student: Your first job doesn’t have to be your dream job. In fact, there’s some merit to taking a role, pursuing a fellowship, and doing something temporary that’s different, unexpected and largely out of your comfort zone. 

I took this past year to work on a campaign in my home state of Massachusetts and completed a fellowship in Washington, D.C., at the Close Up Foundation related to civic education. It was not exactly what I thought I would pursue after graduating, but it gave me an experience I may have never considered otherwise. Through my fellowship, I have been teaching and working with students, building a community in a new city, and trying new things.

I’m grateful for my experience; albeit out of my comfort zone at first, now I have new skills and have learned lessons I likely would not have if I had gone in a different direction. Being a recent graduate is often a transitional period in life, and there’s something to be said about embracing that.