‘Be curious. Be memorable. But Be Yourself.’

Class of 2025 honors broadcast journalism major Areta Odiah—who will soon go from delivering the student address at Suffolk’s College of Arts & Sciences Commencement ceremony to 4 a.m. wake-ups in her new job as a multimedia reporter for a western Massachusetts news station—has a tip for the next crop of Suffolk students:

Get yourself into rooms with people you want to know and strike up a conversation. 

“Obviously think, but don’t overthink it,” she advises. “I’ve gotten so many opportunities just from talking to somebody random in the street, at events, and at my internships.”

“Be curious. Be memorable. But be yourself,” has been a mantra for Odiah. It’s evident from the unforgettable way she punches the syllables of her first name when meeting someone new to the gentle tone she employs to put interview subjects at ease. 

When Odiah landed an internship working at WCVB-Channel 5 last summer, she made it her mission to meet everyone. “I went to sales. I went to promotions. I went to the control room. I went to [teams working on different shows]. I went to every single department and I asked questions.”

Her experience is a master class in network-building; one driven by genuine curiosity and kindness. It gave her a wealth of future contacts, and perhaps most importantly, insight that is helping her refine her future plans in the business.

It’s hard to imagine now, watching Odiah pivot from class to events for her many student groups, that she spent her first year disengaged and “doing nothing” on campus. She remembers how she’d begged her parents to let her come to Suffolk, then tried to force herself to pursue a conventional “doctor/lawyer” path to meet the expectations of her traditional Nigerian immigrant family. Not being true to herself took a toll.  

“I felt like I was stuck, like I had to carry through with the plan,” she recalls. “But then I realized if I made a change I could still be on track to graduate."

So she put her natural inquisitiveness to good use, analyzing her strengths and asking faculty members and other students about their departments. “I discovered journalism is right up my alley. So I just went out on a limb, and I changed my major sophomore year. And then that kind of started World War III with my parents.”

Determined to make them proud, Odiah took a position as a resident assistant on campus to cover her housing costs and landed a studio internship at GBH. In her junior year she earned a coveted spot as a Suffolk in the City student reporter, appearing on NECN from Studio 73 on campus. 

“Doing on-air reporting, going out to shoot a story, turning it around to go live, is exactly what I will be doing post-grad,” she says. “Getting to practice those skills at Suffolk while being mentored by NECN staff was beneficial for my network and career.”

Odiah worked with Studio 73 Director of Broadcast Facilities Jerry Glendye to craft important stories during her time at Suffolk in the City, like covering a local protest and conducting interviews at a gala event presented by the Museum of African American History and hosted by comedian and actor Anthony Anderson.

Reflecting on her busy Suffolk career—including her role as president of Suffolk’s chapter of the Alpha Alpha Alpha (Tri-Alpha) Honors Society for first-generation students, working with the Center for Community Engagement as a service learning trip leader to Maryland, Ghana, and as part of Suffolk Serves Puerto Rico, and serving as a diversity peer educator in the Office of Student Diversity and Inclusion, among many other things—Odiah says she’s most proud of an episode of Cityline she produced while at WCVB. 

“I was head producer of a show I called, ‘Women of Color at the Intersection’ that focused on how gender and race impact women of color in the workforce, healthcare system, and carceral system. I worked all summer to research, interview, write and bring this show together.”

The program aired multiple times on Channel 5, she says, and proved that there is opportunity to use her talents to shine light on the issues she cares about. 

In a time when journalism faces many threats—from budget cuts and consolidation, to political attacks and public distrust—Odiah remains hopeful. After all, her hard work has already won over her toughest audience. Her parents recently attended her recent induction into a D-9 sorority, proudly shared pictures of her receiving the SGA’s 2025 outstanding senior of the year award, and will celebrate with her at Commencement. 

“They were worried [about this path] at first, but I’ve shown they can trust me. Now they are so proud of me for pursuing what I love,” she says.