Being the first in your family to get a college degree is an accomplishment. Though the journey was difficult at times, Meggin Clay kept dusting herself off. Now that the dust has settled, Meggin is casting a keen eye on media studies as a graduate student.
She is fascinated with the ways individuals are influenced by television. In 2005 Meggin participated in a Comedy Central show called “Dog Bites Man” though a media literacy course. The experience left her with mixed emotions. Understanding messages from the media and the implications of those messages are Meggin’s calling.
Her work in communication landed her two top internships. In 2005 Meggin interned with Senator Avel L. Gordly. She archived Gordly’s important documents, which were awarded to the Portland State Library and the Black Studies Department. Meggin later served as Gordly’s legislative assistant until the Senator’s retirement in 2009. She also interned at Oregon Economic and Community Development, a program interested in trade opportunities between Oregon and West Africa. Working closely with the City Commissioners Office, Meggin helped develop a sister-city initiative between Portland and Cape Coast, Ghana. In the summer of 2009, she travelled to Ghana to deliver the city of Portland’s letters of intent.
The savvy intern advises people to approach their education with an open-mind and to value the resources that Portland State has to offer, particularly faculty expertise and exposure to new ideas. “Don't sleep on us,” Meggin says, while strongly challenging people to view the world from different perspectives.
Meggin is looking forward to a time where there’s more diversity in the media. Her goal is to improve matters in the media, as well as improve matters at home.
“I want to save the world one media message at a time."
Story and photo by Melissa Shavlik |
