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HAMPTON, Va. (June 16, 2020) – Hampton University junior Aviel Brown reluctantly enrolled in a new Business Journalism course with a handful of other students meeting with a first-time professor in the fall semester of 2017.

Three years later, Brown is an associate producer at Bloomberg Television in New York City.

Brianna Jackson was a senior in the same Scripps Howard School of Journalism and Communications classroom which features a Bloomberg Terminal, a valuable tool for real-time financial news and information.

The Business Journalism class also has been a valuable tool.

Jackson now is a newsletter reporter at Bloomberg Industry Group in Washington, D.C.

In the fall of 2018, Jarrell Dillard was finally convinced to take Business Journalism by Professor Edward “Butch” Maier, Jr., an SHSJC Dean B. DàVida Plummer hire who often pitched his JAC 451 course to Dillard while they worked together on the university newspaper, The Hampton Script.

Dillard now is a Bloomberg reporter in New York City.

Brown, Jackson and Dillard are three of the four HU Business Journalism students who have earned Bloomberg internships in the past three years and graduated with excellent job opportunities. Not only that, but students who take the course get to meet with valuable visitors from Bloomberg – including campus recruiters, editors and even a co-founder of the billion-dollar company.

So why isn’t the class overflowing with students?

“I think the word ‘Business’ scares off the journalists, and the word ‘Journalism’ scares off students who are interested in business,” Maier said. “I hope as more students – regardless of major – hear of these success stories and the opportunities provided by this class, they will discover this hidden gem of a course and realize their fears were unfounded.

“Each student gets to write about what they love – whether it’s technology, fashion, food, sports, whatever. Students who enjoy their beat topic tend to stay interested and become better writers.”

Bloomberg interns compile impressive clips to boost their job prospects. Check out theirs:

Aviel Brown Bloomberg articles: https://www.bloomberg.com/authors/AT8YcS_MisU/aviel-brown

Jarrell Dillard Bloomberg articles: https://www.bloomberg.com/authors/AUHPmrGqmQw/jarrell-dillardBrianna Jackson Bloomberg articles: https://www.bloomberg.com/authors/ATsVbFZJ2W8/brianna-jackson

Maier teaches JAC 451-02 Business Journalism at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays this fall. There are still spots left in the class, which has a theme of “Follow the Money.” Brown, Dillard and Jackson followed the money.

Who’s next?