Alumna Michaela Galligan found a journalism community at FSU and she is furthering her professional studies at Northwestern
By Tessa Peck
Michaela Galligan knew she had a knack for journalism in high school, during an in-class debate.
Her fellow debater was sharing sources he pulled from news articles—except, all these sources were wrong, easily shown through a quick fact check.
This was the moment Galligan became serious about journalism.
More specifically, that was the moment Galligan decided, “if I were to do writing as a career, I would want to do journalism to make sure it's truthful and ethical,” she explains.
Galligan graduated Florida State University at the end of the Spring 2026 semester with a dual degree in English-Editing, Writing, and Media and political science. She began her graduate studies on Sept. 23 at Northwestern University in Chicago. Galligan is pursuing a Master's of Science in Journalism with a specialization in politics, policy and foreign affairs through Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism, Media & Integrated Marketing Communications.
Despite FSU’s lack of a formal journalism program, Galligan did not encounter many obstacles to advance her journalistic skills and gain writing experience when she was at FSU. In fact, she wasted little time once she set foot on campus in her first year: Galligan joined Her Campus at FSU in her second semester.
“Her Campus was such a great way to start because it's a learning publication,” Galligan says.
“The experience gave me the foundation for how articles look and how to get a tone for a piece.”
Galligan did not stop there, however. In her sophomore year, she joined The Political Review, where she enhanced her research abilities. In her junior year, she began writing for the FSView & Florida Flambeau, a student-run newspaper that operates as a professional publication.
“You get thrown into it,” Galligan says, describing how new writers drop right into the fast pace of the news but also how she began to feel like a real journalist.
Galligan did not start at FSU as an English major. She added the degree later in her academic path, but she quickly saw how skills and concepts covered in her English courses strengthened her journalistic abilities. Her political science degree helped Galligan understand systems and research, while her English degree led her to more effectively communicate what she was learning.
The two degrees meshed perfectly to set Galligan up for her career aspirations as a political reporter.
Outside of degree paths at FSU, Galligan discovered and joined the Society for Collegiate Journalists her junior year. She says SCJ shaped much of her final two years, starting with the student organization on the executive board as secretary, then becoming vice president, and eventually moving up to president in her final semester.
“Because FSU doesn't have a journalism program, it's important to have that community,” Galligan says. “We have all these amazing publications, but then you also want the social and the professional community.”
Because FSU doesn't have a journalism program, it's important to have that community. We have all these amazing publications, but then you also want the social and the professional community.
— Michaela Galligan
SCJ provides support to aspiring journalists at FSU, creating a collaborative space for writers to share feedback and tips with each other, while also hosting events and panels with FSU alumni who are now media professionals.
Galligan compares the community she found in SCJ to that of the theater community she had growing up.
“There's definitely a theater-to-journalism pipeline,” Galligan says. “Being in theater prepared me to be more personable. I also want to do broadcast journalism, which has an acting element.
“There's such a fun, great community in theater; everyone's so supportive, and I think we definitely see that mirrored in journalism.”
Her ease of being on camera found its way into her work through FSView, where Galligan participated in Seminole Scoop, a broadcast journalism segment. Instead of performing a character, she was presenting the news.
Galligan explored other opportunities for growth in the journalism field while at FSU. She was a 2025 summer intern for the Osprey Observer, an independent monthly newspaper in the Tampa Bay area, where she grew up. Galligan was also an intern for USA Today, Inc. from August 2025 until August 2026.
She recalls when the Tallahassee Democrat, which USA Today, Co. owns, published an article she wrote for FSView. For her, seeing her work published beyond an on-campus paper was a turning point.
“It made me feel like a professional,” she says.
Galligan spent the months between graduating from FSU in May and beginning her studies at Medill writing articles for the Herald-Tribune Media Group, which covers the Sarasota-Bradenton-Venice, Florida, area.
All these experiences have set Galligan up for her next chapter: graduate school. Medill is one of the top journalism programs in the country. Her decision to continue her education was both practical and intentional. In a competitive media landscape, she considers a master’s degree as a way to further refine her skills and eventually stand out when she begins looking for a job.
Medill’s teaching structure specifically impressed Galligan. The program works with students as working journalists and mirrors the industry she’s preparing to enter, with reporting schedules and deadlines.
Galligan will split her year at Medill between Chicago and Washington, D.C., two cities that align perfectly with her professional interests. Chicago will be a new environment for her to explore, while Washington, D.C. places her right in the action of the political world she wants to report on.
Long before her time in college and her leadership roles at student publications, Galligan loved to write short stories. She enjoyed the way writing allowed her to put her own spin on ideas, in her own voice.
Many experiences at FSU shaped Galligan’s college career, and she now has those memories with her as an alumna. To current and future journalism students at FSU, Galligan shares her advice.
“Yes, FSU does not have a journalism program, but that should not define you,” she says. “You might just have to work a little bit harder for those opportunities, but they're there. You just have to know where to find them.”
She encourages other aspiring journalists to adopt this mindset, to be proactive, and to seek out publications to build connections. The process is not always easy, but Galligan’s success proves that it can work.
Tessa Peck is pursuing a dual degree in English–Editing, Writing, and Media and humanities, with a minor in hospitality management.
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