Meet the Pros Event

Recently, our class was given the opportunity 

to here from speakers Allison Shelly 

and Melissa Turley regarding their 

experiences in South Africa and Haiti.
http://pulitzercenter.org/

The Pulitzer Center is a very well known organization who report on worldwide crisis, specifically crises that are often ignored. On April 26th, 2013 Westchester Community College students were given the opportunity to hear the inspirational stories from speakers Melissa Turley and Allison Shelley.

Melissa Turley adventured to South Africa as a Pulitzer Consort International reporting student from George Washington University. Before South Africa Melissa also interned at the Department of State where she would then focus on projects concerning the expansion of women's rights along with gender equality. Allison Shelley, the other speaker was a documentary photographer and multimedia creator for  The Washington Times. Some of her photos have been featured in TIMES magazine, The New York Times, The Washington Post and many others. Currently Allison is now a freelancer focusing mainly on health issues regarding young women.

With Shelley's photography and multimedia backgrund she took on a project called, "Out of the Sheds: Women Fight Segregation in Rural Nepal." This focued on Nepalese custom which isolates during menstration. Turley traveled to South Africa for her project, "Closing the Gender Gap in South Africa." Her main objective was to report on violence against South African women.

Shelley and Turley discussed their projects and work along with a Q & A session for students following their presentation. Students were also given the chance for a behind the scenes look into the life of a journalist overseas.