2023 Medill Journalism Convocation Livestream

Join us virtually on Sunday, June 11, 9:30 a.m. as Medill undergraduate and graduate journalism students receive their diplomas and we hear from this year's graduation speaker--screenwriter and television producer Mara Brock Akil (BSJ92)

Graduation Speaker Bio

Mara Brock Akil has written and produced 400+ episodes of television, leaving a tremendous impact on Hollywood. Akil created the seminal television series Girlfriends, a witty and honest exploration of the multi-faceted nature of Black womanhood, and from there, went on to develop the spin-off series The Game. Since then, she has produced multiple culture shifting series that celebrate the complexity and vulnerability of humanity. She was honored with the prestigious Brandon Tartikoff Legacy Award by NATPE in 2019, and in 2017, inducted into Northwestern’s Medill Hall of Achievement. Other accolades include: Essence Visionary Award; Variety and The Hollywood Reporter Showrunner Power Lists and Women in Entertainment Power100. In 2020, Brock Akil signed a deal with Netflix to exclusively produce television shows for the streaming platform under her new banner, story27 Productions, where she continues to expand her accomplished legacy and uplift the talent of tomorrow.

Student Speakers

Andrew Rowan (BSJ23), a journalism major with minors in data science and business institutions, is the 2023 Medill convocation undergraduate student speaker. Andrew was the News Director of the Northwestern News Network and also served as an executive producer, reporter and anchor. He held leadership roles at Northwestern Hillel and in the Medill Undergraduate Student Advisory Council.

Chelsea Zhao (MSJ23), a journalism masters student in the health, environment and science specialization, is the 2023 Medill convocation graduate student speaker. Zhao was a Medill Student Ambassador and a member of both the Chicago Journalists Association and Asian American Journalists Association. She was a member of the first cohort of Chicago Reader's Racial Justice Writer's Cohort and a freelance contributor to many publications including South Side Weekly, Cicero Independiente and Chicago Health.

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