Alumna, honored among Forbes 30 Under 30, credits support as key to her success

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A Penn State alumna who helped contribute to the journalism community through her mentoring organization was selected for the latest Forbes 30 Under 30 list.

Adriana Lacy, who graduated in 2018 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and African American studies, is a freelance product management and audience strategist, digital and audience engagement editor at Harvard, and a journalism professor at Brandeis University. She co-founded Journalism Mentors alongside Caitlin Ostroff.

Journalism Mentors is a networking organization dedicated to advancing early career journalists through mentoring and paid media opportunities. The mentors in the program have volunteered to offer half-hour, one-on-one sessions to share advice, offer guidance or answer general questions about navigating the media industry.

“It was great to be recognized for something that me and my co-founder put time into and helped a lot of people,” Lacy said.

Lacy has always had a passion for helping people share their stories, especially growing up in Rochester, Pennsylvania. Her experiences played a big role in her life because she witnessed inequalities that took place in an area that was predominantly black and low-income.

“I shed light on the disparities as it was instilled in me at a young age,” said Lacy.

During her time at Penn State, she directed her passions and created "The Underground,” a multicultural student-run media outlet dedicated to sharing stories across the University. She also served as a campus tour guide for the Penn State Student Advisory and Recruitment Team.

Lacy’s overarching motivation is to help journalism become accessible for everyone, regardless of gender and race. She wants to make the media industry more diverse and inclusive.

“Success is bringing other people with you when you achieve,” said Lacy. Lacy puts her words into action by mentoring students and bringing them into the industry. When teaching, she emphasizes the skills that are needed for journalism.

Lacy previously worked as a senior associate for audience and growth at Axios, an audience engagement editor at the Los Angeles Times, and a senior news assistant at The New York Times. Those big-time opportunities and legendary brands allowed her to put her passion for accessible journalism into practice. For her, that has meant being brave and nimble with her career.

She remains involved at Penn State by participating in mentorship programs, speaking at events and volunteering. Lacy gives a lot of credit for her education, involvement and success on campus to the support she received in the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications.

“(Assistant Dean) Gary Abdullah was super impactful and so many people, like Dean Hardin, were great. Plus, the combination of classes and outside mentorship helped me learn so much in the classroom and through opportunities outside class,” Lacy said.

Lacy did not arrive on campus with a clear career path, and since graduating she has worked in many different parts of the media industry. During her time at Penn State, she was an education major for two years and switched to public relations during her junior year. She decided to become a journalism major in her last year at the University.

She imagined she would work in a traditional newsroom. Instead, she took a different route that led her to digital opportunities and then back to the classroom — this time as a faculty member.

“Don't be afraid to switch, because there are opportunities, and it is never too late," said Lacy, who advises students to embrace the many opportunities and experiences available at Penn State. “The experiences, guest speakers and all of it really helped make me a better journalist and person.”

Her future goal is to become the dean of a journalism college and teach full time.