Some journalists may consider taking a year off as damaging to their careers, but Aleesa Mann discovered that her time away from writing turned her into a better reporter.

As a junior at Howard University, Mann decided to study abroad in Barcelona. She stopped writing for Howard’s student newspaper, the Hilltop, during that time and started concentrating on Mediterranean literature, Spanish and foreign media. Between classes and seeing landmarks, Mann became captivated with Spain – its people and culture.

The more the 21-year-old Nashville native learned, the more she realized that she would stick with journalism – a career path she wasn’t certain of until she left Spain.

“When I came back, it put things in perspective,” Mann said. “ It made me view journalism as something I could take internationally.”

Mann is dedicated to giving readers stories with different viewpoints on lifestyle issues and current affairs. She hopes to take more trips to other countries in the future. For now, though, Mann hopes to be a foreign correspondent or diplomacy reporter after she graduates.

“I really have an appreciation for people who have different lifestyles and cultures,” Mann said. “I think it’s a lot of fun, mostly because as a journalist, I could travel and cover all these important topics.”

When she came back to work for The Hilltop last year, Mann said she became a better writer. During that time she became a leader, too, and will be the newspaper’s editor in chief this fall.

Mann hopes to use the New York Times Student Journalism Institute to learn more about reporting with video and the Internet to move The Hilltop toward a more modern newspaper, hoping it will help with her managerial role at the newspaper.

In New Orleans, Mann said she thinks her time with other student journalists will be just as beneficial to her craft as her time in Spain.

“I really wanted to be in a place where my peers are passionate,” she said. “It’s cool to see people talk about the work they enjoy, and I can see that here.”

– Nate Taylor

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