Maeve O'Connor '28 Selected to Attend New York Times Summer Academy

Mount Saint Mary Academy sophomore, Maeve O’Connor ‘28, a staff writer for Peeks, Mount’s student newspaper, has been selected to attend the New York Times Summer Academy in New York City from July 5 to 17.

Judith Furnari, English Teacher, shared, “Maeve will hone her craft in writing arts reviews and cultural features, interview artists, and performers, and examine how culture is covered in the media. She’ll also attend cultural events across the city and report on them with guidance from professional journalists. Maeve’s curiosity, sharp eye, and love of storytelling make this an exciting next step in her journalism journey. The Mount Saint Mary community proudly celebrates her achievement and wishes her a summer full of great stories.”

Maeve, who selected the “Arts and Culture” reporting track, said, “I’m especially interested in how journalism can explore literature, film, and other forms of storytelling while maintaining strong reporting and interview techniques.”

“I have been interested in writing for many years, but journalism is more of a recent pursuit. A career in journalism would be exciting, and I’m definitely viewing it as a possibility for the future,” said. Maeve. “While I attend the New York Times Summer Academy, I hope to gain polished pieces for my portfolio, develop stronger interview strategies, and learn ways to incorporate journalism more actively into my everyday life.”

At Mount Saint Mary Academy, Maeve is responsible for writing a new column in the Peeks newspaper which is dedicated to book recommendations. She has also written articles covering school events and activities. Her work is also published in several small literary magazines, and she has recently begun exploring freelance opportunities.

When asked about a specific journalist that she looks up to, Maeve responded, “I admire journalists like Christiane Amanpour for her intentional reporting. Anyone willing to put themselves into dangerous situations to shed light on stories often kept in the dark is incredibly admirable to me.”