Rebels Rising in the Real World: Journalist Sarah Bracy Penn

Every year, thousands of students graduate from the University of Mississippi and a few of the students stand out from the crowd. Those are the ones who have gone above and beyond during their time at Ole Miss and distinguish themselves from the general student population.

Photo by Marlee Crawford

Of those students graduating this May, Sarah Bracy Penn is one of the brightest in the Meek School of Journalism and New Media. Originally from Shreveport, Louisiana, Penn planned to attend another SEC school before realizing she did not see herself fitting in as well after visiting. Her mother encouraged her to visit Ole Miss on the drive home where she met with students and professors from the Meek School and was convinced to not only attend Ole Miss but become a journalism student in a total of 10 minutes.

Majoring in journalism and English, Penn has big plans for the future. Currently, she is waiting to hear back from graduate schools in New York City and plans to study magazine journalism. She dreams about becoming the editor of a national women’s lifestyle magazine.

Over the course of the last four years, Penn has been an incredibly busy woman.

“My friends would describe me as a very busy bee who’s put together on the outside, but on the inside, my brain is going crazy with all kinds of different ideas,” Penn said.

Last summer, she interned at Hearst Corporation as a marketing editorial intern for Veranda Magazine, Elle Décor, and House Beautiful. As an intern, she had a hand in picking the products that were featured in the magazines, pricing, and describing the products.

Despite graduating in May, Penn explained that “the feeling of Ole Miss is always there.” In Oxford, there is an aspect of always knowing someone or always having a connection and that’s what Sarah Bracy will miss most.

“Luckily, Ole Miss is an incredibly social school, as is Mississippi a social state, and no matter where you are, Ole Miss people will always find each other,” she said.

Penn’s experience at Ole Miss has taught her the importance of never being afraid to reach out to someone or introducing yourself. “The school teaches you how to get out of your comfort zone and I wouldn’t be in the position I am with my career if I had been afraid to ask for help.”

“It is also so important to create relationships with your professors,” Penn said, “It really does make a difference because these are the people who will refer you to a future employer or help with graduate school applications.”

She explained that professors can enhance your experience at Ole Miss not only for academic or job help, but when you’re having a bad day, these are the people you can talk to.

“I have always dreamed of a career in the magazine business,” Penn said. While working on the depth report on food in the delta for a class taught by Senior Overby Fellow, Bill Rose, Penn said that the moment when she realized her childhood dream could become a reality. “I owe a lot to him [Bill Rose] in my college career,” Penn said. Additionally, she explained that no matter what class she was taking, the professors aided in any way possible to help her in achieving that dream. Sarah Bracy’s experience with the Magazine Innovation Center and Dr. Husni “gave me hope that those dream careers in the magazine world still existed.”

While working hard in school, Penn has managed to find the time to develop a blog that focuses on travel, food and style.

“At first, I always said I would never write a blog but now, I love it and it has become the easiest avenue to get my work out there,” Sarah Bracy said. She explained that she didn’t know how far the blog would go but it’s a simple way to market herself.

Sarah Bracy has a great path ahead of her with so much to look forward to. Her motivation and desire to succeed will prove to be invaluable as she moves on with the next chapter in her life. Ole Miss and the Meek School of Journalism and New Media is lucky to have had such an outstanding individual who will continue making a name not only for herself, but for the University of Mississippi.

“The University is respected, but Ole Miss is loved. The University gives a diploma and regretfully terminates tenure, but one never graduates from Ole Miss.” Frank E. Everett Jr.

Lindsey Andrews is a HottyToddy.com staff reporter and can be reached at lnandre1@go.olemiss.edu.