Name: Rachel Dozier McRady
Graduation Year: 2011
Major/Minor: SMAD with a concentration in Journalism, Film Studies and British Communications minor
Favorite JMU memory?
JMU is a fantastic school, but my time spent working for The Breeze far surpassed anything I ever did in the classroom. It isn’t exactly a “fond” memory, but my senior year, a freshman was hit and killed by a bus, and it was our job to cover it while the entire school, including our staff, was grieving. As Managing Editor, I was incredibly proud of my entire staff and felt that we handled the situation with respect and dignity and were able to show the school that we were grieving right along with them. It was an incredibly challenging and rewarding experience.
Current Job/Position: Web Editor, Us Weekly
HB: How did you first get started?
RM: I took a big risk and moved to New York without a job. A contact I met suggested I just go for it because I hadn’t been hearing back while applying to jobs from Virginia. It was probably the scariest thing I’ve ever had to do, but it was one of the greatest decisions of my life. After two months of job searching, I got hired at an entertainment startup called Wetpaint.com.
HB: What is your favorite article that you have written?
RM: When I started my first job, I was assigned the task of finding out what had happened to the cast members of Laguna Beach who didn’t go on to be famous. Instead of writing generic statements, I actually scoured social media and found all of them. It ended up being one of the site’s top-searched pieces, and I managed to become friends with some of the cast members I spent years watching.
HB: What were your biggest challenges in trying to achieve your dream?
RM: My biggest challenge was not really having lots of connections. It was frustrating feeling like you had done everything you needed to in school and in your extracurriculars, only to find out that someone with less experience had landed a job simply by knowing someone in the industry. It was also hard growing up and going to school in Virginia because no major publications are based there, so I didn’t have the same internships some of my competitors had, simply due to my location.
HB: Who was your favorite celebrity that you have met while in the city?
RM: That’s a tough one. Like a total nerd, I’ve kept a running list of all the celebrities I’ve met since I moved here two years ago. Three really stand out — 1) I bumped into Sarah Jessica Parker while grocery shopping, and seeing her just naturally walking around New York was so shocking for someone who has worshipped Sex and the City for years; 2) I met Lauren Graham at a book signing in the city and she was one of the sweetest, most beautiful celebrities I’ve ever encountered. 3) I got the opportunity to photograph Beyoncé at the premiere of her HBO documentary, and it was possibly one of the most out of body experiences I’ve ever had.
HB: What is your favorite thing about living in the city?
RM: Everything is at your fingertips. You’re never bored, there’s plenty to see, and if you want to have a three-course meal at 3 a.m., I know of several places less than a mile away from my apartment!
HB: What advice do you have for girls trying to make it in NYC?
RM: Don’t move to New York on a whim. It’s expensive, challenging, and it can be disheartening. But if you really want it and are determined to work hard, go for it. The worst thing that can happen is you have to move back home, but at least you’ll know you gave it your all.
Thanks for the great interview Rachel! You can follow her fabulous NYC life on Twitter, @rachelmcrady.