Monica Sager joined Susan Davis International (SDI) as a spring intern in January. Currently a student at Clark University in Worcester, Mass., Monica’s hometown is Pottstown, Pa.
She is spending the semester in Washington, D.C. as part of her school’s Washington Semester Program through American University, on the Journalism and New Media Track. She expects to graduate in May 2021.
Monica is well-traveled, having already visited 19 countries outside of the United States. She’s also an avid musician who plays bass guitar and is part of the jazz band at Clark University. Her family needles her for her love of reading saying there’s no bookstore she can pass without going in.
Here’s more about Monica:
What’s the best book you’ve read in the past year, and why?
“Redefining Realness” by Janet Mock. I was assigned to read this for my Stigma and Health psychology seminar. It was one of the first books t I was required to read that I enjoyed. Mock’s story about finding herself and becoming who she is today as a transgender woman is so powerful and well written. Even without holding many of her identities, I was able to relate to the book and make connections to my own life. I read it really quickly!
What is your favorite thing about Washington, D.C.?
All of the free museums and events I get to go to and explore.
What is your major and why did you choose it?
I am a double major in psychology and self-design journalism with a minor in English. I’ve been set on these for a while actually. Psychology allows me to understand people’s backgrounds and why things happen. I get to use this in journalism, which I hope to go into one day, and English allows me to have more writing and critical reading experience.
What’s the best piece of advice that you’ve ever received?
Ask—the answer is always no if you don’t.
If you could interview any living person, who would it be?
The Queen of England. She’s lived through so many different decades and has seen a lot happen. She also seems pretty cool from how she portrayed herself in the London Olympics Opening Ceremony.
What do you hope to learn from your internship at SDI?
I want to be an investigative journalist. I decided that for my semester “away” in Washington, D.C., I could learn more about the other side of journalism: where the press releases are coming from, how you do research for organizations, and how events are put on and journalists are informed of them.