Episode 20: Heidi Stevenson, Curiosity-Driven Media & News Researcher ’25

What does it look like to discover your academic calling after taking an unexpected path to college? In this episode of One Cool Story: Tales from the University of Oregon’s School of Journalism and Communication (SOJC), fourth-year journalism student Ethan Donahue sits down with Heidi Stevenson, a recent SOJC graduate whose journey took her from community college in Pennsylvania to presenting original research at national journalism conferences. Heidi shares how a cross-country move during COVID, a transfer-student seminar, and her work with the SOJC’s Catalyst Journalism Project sparked a shift from journalism to media studies, opening the door to research on how people engage with news in new and interactive ways. From studying global vaccine coverage to designing experiments on news games, Heidi explains how curiosity and supportive mentors reshaped her career goals. She also reflects on navigating imposter syndrome, finding community through the SOJC Honors Program, and why she’s pursuing pre-doctoral research before applying to PhD programs. Stay to the end for Heidi’s one cool story—a moment of hope and reflection at a national academic conference. 🎧 Listen to hear: How research for the Catalyst Journalism Project helped Heidi pivot her career path. What news games are and why they’re changing how audiences experience journalism. How SOJC’s culture of mentorship and support helped her thrive. Subscribe to the One Cool Story podcast: https://journalism.uoregon.edu/podcast  Learn about the UO School of Journalism and Communication: https://journalism.uoregon.edu/  Apply to the UO School of Journalism and Communication: https://journalism.uoregon.edu/admissions