Jalen S. Taylor

Hello, my name is Jalen Taylor. I graduated from Northwestern University (Medill) in 2024 with a master's degree in Journalism. While I consider myself to be particularly well-versed, I specialize in Social Justice and Sports Media.

As a student at Northwestern, I had the unique privilege of learning from some of the best educators in the business. Over the course of an accelerated one-year program, I rapidly familiarized myself with some of Chicago’s most dangerous neighborhoods, developed an extensive list of sources and worked closely with several nonprofit organizations in the area such as BUILD, Inc, the Boys & Girls Club, Mercy Home for Boys & Girls, Blessings in a Backpack, Nourishing Hope and the Greater Chicago Food Depository. In pursuit of my passion, I conducted extensive research on the city’s most pressing issues, gave countless presentations and wrote sensitive stories about guns, drugs, violence, homelessness, food insecurity and more. Additionally, I was one of 10 Medill students selected to attend Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas to cover media week events leading up to the big game.

By the grace of God, I was awarded the Simmons Family Scholarship for Sports Journalism: A full-tuition scholarship awarded to one student per academic year in partnership with the Bill Simmons Family Foundation. For that, I'm extremely thankful. 

In 2015, I graduated from St. Bonaventure University with a bachelor's degree in journalism and mass communication. Through hardwork and dedication, I was fortunate enough to graduate at the top of my class. If you'd like to hear more about my story, feel free to explore the articles below.