Today, a voracious and eclectic reader turns the page on one chapter of her life, becoming a member of the class of 2011 at Emerson College.
Since 1989, Anne O’Leary has considered a number of career options, notably auto mechanic, veterinarian, sous-chef and (lately) broadcast journalist. At Emerson, she found herself more comfortable behind the camera than in front of it, and she has learned to write, edit and produce stories about everything from avant-garde theater projects to the plight of the homeless during a record-breaking cold snap.
Anne grew up in the greater New York area, loved baseball from a young age and developed an early appreciation of the most successful team in that sport’s history. This pained her father, who was born in Massachusetts and favored another franchise.
But during the 2003 American League championship series, Anne gained a greater appreciation for the team from Boston, and that fall declared her allegiances forever changed. With her support, the 2004 Red Sox rallied against said New York team and went on to win their first World Series title in 86 years. They repeated as champions when Anne moved to Boston in 2007 to attend Emerson.
Declaring her work with the Red Sox complete, Anne turned her attention to sports journalism. At Emerson she found herself behind the camera for interviews with the likes of quarterback Tom Brady, pitcher John Lackey, third baseman Mike Lowell and forward Paul Pierce. Oh, and she met LeBron James, back when he still played for Cleveland.
These days, a number of things have to go right for publishing and media companies to survive and prosper. Among them: talented people need to see the industry as viable, interesting and rewarding. Today, as Emerson sends more than 500 talented young women and men into our world, we can celebrate with a new hope.
