Shaping Stories: Andrea Swalec’s Journey
through Poetry to Journalism.

By Madeline Moss

On any given day, Andrea Swalec ‘05, will pitch stories, adapt TV content for digital platforms, pursue original stories, and manage an internship program.
As a digital editor and breaking news writer, at NBCWashington in Washington D.C., Swalec maintains a consistently demanding schedule. And she attributes her education as an English major at K as a valuable foundation that continues to support her to this day.

A key responsibility in her job is to transform television stories into engaging online content for publication on social media and the NBCWashingon website. Swalec’s passion for storytelling is the driving force behind her work: “I am thrilled anytime I can tell a great story, whether it started with my own reporting, or if I am supporting another reporter with their reporting.”

Her knack for storytelling derives from her innate curiosity about the world, leading her to describe herself as “a sponge for news.”
Outside of career as a professional journalist, Swalec’s a mother to two young children, as busy as her life gets, she always makes time to “voraciously read, watch, and listen to news and storytelling. My favorites include The Washington Post, NBC News, and New York magazine. I’m always reading a few books at once and listening to a few podcasts a day,” she said.

Beyond her professional responsibilities, her motivation to stay updated on current events can be summed up by her statement: “I pay close attention to what people care about. I pay attention to what stories aren’t told.”

Her beat encompasses breaking news, politics, and culture. She loves writing Washington D.C. -based breaking news stories the most because they “provide a good test of multiple essential news skills. [Being able to] write an evocative, accurate, interesting story fast, making the most of the information [I] have and building upon it,” she said.

Swalec takes pride in a story she covered on the local election held in November 2023, delving into the heated debates surrounding school board decisions and highlighting the importance of residents’ votes. This piece is a testament to her expertise in multimedia journalism, displaying her adeptness in conducting interviews, crafting narratives for digital publication, and writing scripts for TV segments.

Originally from Macomb County, Michigan, Swalec chose K for its close and intimate environment. She studied English and French; served as the creative nonfiction editor of the Cauldron, the college’s literary magazine; studied abroad in Dakar, Senegal; and went on a “study tour” to Japan where she studied Japanese culture, women, and politics. Her experiences traveling, writing, and pursuing foreign language expertise at K have given her a more global perspective evident in her current career.

While at K, some of her most memorable times were sitting in poetry class with Diane Seuss, who was Writer in Residence for three decades at K. Seuss recognized Swalec’s writing potential early on. “I remember being blown away by everything she did—essays, journalism, and poems. I noticed a sophistication in her writing that was rare for such a relatively young writer,” she said.

The dynamic in Seuss’s classes, with an emphasis on constructive critiques, mutual support, and collective celebration of achievements, greatly influenced Swalec’s approach to writing. “I remember sitting in small classes with Di and listening to her teach what a poet is doing, line by line. How did they use language and why does it work? That same attention to detail helps me today in news headlines and app pushes. How can I use language powerfully?”
Following graduation, Swalec successfully applied for a U.S. Fulbright scholarship, a prestigious grant that facilitates a year of cultural exchange for graduate studies, research, or teach to English abroad. In the summer of 2005, employing her skills in English and proficiency in French, Swalec traveled to Morrocco to study the literature of Moroccan women written in French. She recalled, “[it] was really just a wonderful experience.”

After her Fulbright year, Swalec was uncertain of her next steps and at first considered becoming a professor. This meant she embarked on a literary project, only to realize over the years that academia was not her desired path. “I didn’t quite know what to do with myself. I lived in New York for about six months, trying to get a job there. I didn’t get the kind of job I wanted,” she said.

Swalec relocated to Washington D.C. and immersed herself in international development, dedicating three years to coordinating educational programs for youth across the Middle East and North Africa, where she was able to use her French skills from K.

While living in D.C., Swalec had a roommate who was actively involved in a local community paper as a reporter and editor. This connection presented an opportunity for Swalec to explore a new avenue: journalism. “Turns out, I really loved reporting and writing news articles,” she said.

Swalec wrote for community papers for about a year, and her passion led her in 2009 to enroll in the City University of New York’s Graduate School of Journalism. In 2010, after completing her master’s degree in multimedia journalism, she stayed in New York and worked for four years as a freelance journalist for publications such as the New York Times blog and the New York Press before returning to Washington D.C. in 2014 to be with her partner. Also, according to her, “it’s a really great news town and I love it here.”

Having obtained a master’s degree in multimedia journalism, Swalec remains ahead of the curve, well-prepared for the dynamic landscape of the industry. Reflecting on her career, she noted, “I’ve been a journalist since 2011, I’ve spent my whole news career in digital journalism. I just figure that everyone is online, on their phones and computers.”

But equally as important is Swalec’s rootedness in poetry. Both journalism and poetry require her to “say something powerful and evocative in a short space.”
Seuss confirmed the connections across genres. “All writing is writing. What makes vivid poems makes for vivid prose. The capacity to build characters in stories cannot help but translate to journalistic profiles and interviews…The divisions are inventions, really, and now more than ever, they are becoming mutable.”

Reflecting on her academic journey, Swalec expressed contentment with her decision to major in English, viewing the degree as versatile and applicable to many careers. “Being an English major teaches you to be a good writer, and those skills truly will serve you in so many fields,” she remarked. Additionally, she emphasized the significance of effective communication “Your ability to communicate your ideas is important in every field.”

Despite not initially envisioning herself in journalism, Swalec now finds fulfillment in nurturing aspiring journalists–a role she once couldn’t imagine for herself. Leveraging the interdisciplinary nature of her English degree, she plays a pivotal role in managing an internship program at NBCWashington. “I really enjoy helping cultivate early-stage journalists and train them in our profession,” she said.

Currently, Swalec remains engaged in writing breaking news stories, translating TV stories to digital, overseeing an internship program, and now, she contributes to curating one of NBCWashington’s triweekly email newsletters, the 4Front. This newsletter is dedicated to “Delivering the news you need to stay at the forefront of today’s world,” perfectly aligning with her fervor for storytelling, knowledge, and English as a discipline.