‘A true calling’

Terry Dickerson, a ‘20 alumna of Paul VI High School, once felt she needed to follow the status quo of her peers and choose a traditional career route in health care or business. But during her four years working on the school’s yearbook, interviewing students and getting to know people on a deeper level, the Lawnside native recognized her true calling in life: storytelling. 

Five years later, the discovery of that passion is paying off big time, as Dickerson, along with 15 of her classmates from Montclair State University, are nominated for the Television Academy Foundation’s 44th College Television Awards. 

While majoring in journalism and digital media at the college, Dickerson and the other students enrolled in the “On the Road: Reporting from the Field” class for Montclair News Lab and traveled to Arizona for a week over spring break last year. Each produced a compelling package for the news program, “Arizona Stories: Border, Water and Politics,” which covered a wide range of topics in the state, including immigration, homelessness, drought and the environmental impact of millions of visitors to the Grand Canyon.  

Upon completion, the program was submitted to the television academy for consideration, though Dickerson never imagined that anything would come of it. Yet in December, she and her classmates received some thrilling news. 

“I didn’t even wake up to my alarm. I woke up to my phone going off the hook,” she said, recalling how all 16 students hopped on a massive FaceTime call to celebrate after receiving word of the nomination. “We were stunned, but we were so happy that the work we did for the project paid off. It just felt so unreal.

“It was a crazy feeling that day.” 

The Television Academy Foundation’s award show recognizes and rewards excellence in student-produced programs from colleges across the country. Winners will be announced by TV stars at the red carpet awards ceremony on April 5 at the academy in North Hollywood. Designed to emulate the Emmys, student entries are judged by academy members, with criteria reflecting industry standards of excellence, imagination and innovation. 

Dickerson will be in attendance on April 5. After all, she served as a director, producer, writer and co-host of “Arizona Stories,” and feels extremely proud of the finished product. 

But her time in Arizona wasn’t without its challenges. Initially, Dickerson went into pre-production with plans to interview a politician for her segment, until her interview request was declined only two weeks before she headed to the Southwest. It was a true lesson in resourcefulness, with Dickerson quickly pivoting to a new topic: how Gen Z planned to vote in the swing state. 

“It ended up being awesome, because I got to talk to people my own age and see what young people are interested in going into what was this past presidential election,” Dickerson explained. “It taught me a lot about how, when you’re in the field, you really do need to be resourceful and you need to know how to pivot, but you also need to go in with a mindset that, if you’re entering a new community, you’re not always going to be the smartest person in the room.

“You have to go in with an open mind and have empathy for people who are about to share their story with you.” 

A highlight for Dickerson was hands-on news experience in a new environment; she had never been out West before. It forced her to go outside of her comfort zone and conduct in-depth research in unfamiliar territory, including on some serious topics.

“It was really eye-opening to see what’s happening across the country, especially when we went down to the border,” remembered Dickerson, who described that experience as harrowing. “The positive of it is utilizing your platform to uplift their voices and identify the struggles that people are going through. I felt really honored to be in a position where I could do that for people at such an early part of my career.” 

Once back in New Jersey, Dickerson’s segments were cut together and the final “Arizona Stories” was viewed by the students, along with family and friends, during a watch party and Q&A session on campus.  

Dickerson, who had goosebumps throughout the entire screening, said of that night, “It was beyond fulfilling.” 

As Dickerson awaits the College Television Awards, she continues to hone her craft in the real world. After graduating from Montclair last May, she was accepted into the NBC/MSNBC News Associate Program. She completed her first rotation as a researcher with “Today” and is now working for the breaking news team for her second rotation.

According to Dickerson, the experience reminds her every day just how important the news – and storytelling – is. Looking ahead, she wants to stay in news, which she described as her “bread and butter.” A major goal is to one day become a television producer.

Still, Dickerson hasn’t forgotten her years at Paul VI, which she credits for much of her writing and reporting skills. The school also allowed her to become a “social butterfly,” a character trait that comes in handy in a field where talking to folks of all backgrounds is key.

Dickerson was homecoming queen during her senior year, part of the African American History Club and a strong advocate for social justice and mental health. 

“When I transferred over to college, I had such a good foundation to jump into journalism, because Paul VI prepared me to be a storyteller,” she noted. “They not only have such a wonderful yearbook program, but I also was in all of the honors and advanced English classes as well that really prepared me to be a good writer.” 

For current high schoolers interested in embarking on a path that goes against the mold, Dickerson has some words of advice: Do what makes you happy, no matter what.

“If you have external obstacles that you feel are getting in the way, it’s still possible to achieve your dreams. You don’t have to let the external get in the way of what you want to do because your life is your own and you have the agency to take it wherever you want,” she said. “That journey of trying to discover who you are is scary and a big roller coaster ride, but it’s also really invaluable.”