Gabby Birenbaum '21
What have you been up to since graduation?
Since graduating, I moved to Washington, DC, to begin working in journalism full-time, building from the connections I made through my Journalism Residency at Vox my senior year! My first full-time job was at The Washington Monthly, a small magazine covering a number of niche political issues, as a digital editor. In 2022, I left to become the Washington correspondent at The Nevada Independent, a nonprofit newsroom focused on government and politics reporting. I’ve covered the 2024 presidential election, a competitive Senate race, Congress, and both the Biden and Trump administrations in that role.
My best friends from Northwestern are still my best friends today. We’ve been on amazing trips together, gone back to Evanston numerous times, relied on one another for career decisions, and always reminisce about our amazing four years together. We all met working at the Daily Northwestern throughout our college careers, and I’m really excited to be reunited this summer to celebrate my friend Andrew Golden’s ’21 wedding!
Who made an impact on your life at Northwestern?
The experience I had at the Daily Northwestern was invaluable, both for the journalism lessons I learned and the lifelong friends I made. From writing my first article as a freshman to eventually becoming a print managing editor, the Daily served as an incomparable training ground for building journalistic skills and learning how to build camaraderie as part of a professional organization. There’s no substitute for learning by doing, and the hundreds of articles I wrote, edited, or contributed to in some way built the foundation for my entire career.
And the Daily, as I mentioned above, introduced me to a group of passionate, thoughtful, and hilarious friends, who challenged me then and now to be the best reporter and person I can be.