Dean's Letter

It is with profound sadness that we share the news of the passing of Hope Cartwright, of the Class of 2024. She was a beloved alumna who was taken from us far too soon in a tragic accident on February 16, 2026, in Richmond, Va. The senselessness of her loss weighs heavily on her classmates and many of us who knew her.

Hope embodied everything we hope our graduates will become — curious, compassionate and driven, and her time here left a lasting mark on her classmates, faculty and the broader community. Hope had been working for the past two years as an assistant editor for Virginia Living magazine. Before that, she was an editorial fellow at Washingtonian magazine.

Medill Senior Lecturer and Executive Director of Multimedia Technology & Innovation Ivan Meyers was Hope’s adviser at Medill. “Hope was quiet but competent, smart and endearing, proactive and communicative, and inquisitive and comprehensive,” he said. “This leant to her excellent Journalism Residency work with Washingtonian Magazine.”

Read our tribute to Hope.

So much of what we teach starts with asking, “What stories aren’t being told, and why do they matter?”

The lead story in this issue of Medill Magazine follows students who partnered with WBEZ Chicago Public Radio and the Northwestern Prison Education Program (NPEP) to tell the stories of incarcerated students on a radio show called "Prisoncast!" The class was structured so that incarcerated students pitched story ideas, shaped the reporting, and served as co-authors — with the Medill students using their access to equipment and outside sources to support that shared vision.

The course is a compelling example of community engagement journalism. The stories that aired, from mental health advice during the holidays to reentry challenges, were told on the terms of the people living them.

A companion piece in this issue looks at a documentary filmmaking course that also grew out of an NPEP partnership. Videography students spent a semester learning the craft of filmmaking while also navigating the ethical dimensions of documenting real people in complex circumstances. One result is “Hey Hugo,” a film about Hugo Ocon, a man serving a 45-year sentence that won best documentary at the 2025 CineYouth film festival and screened at major festivals in Chicago and beyond.

The films matter because they do something the justice system rarely does: Treat incarcerated people as full human beings with families, humor, grief, and stories worth telling. With over 50 screenings, real-world impact has followed — men featured in the films have gained new legal representation, and at least one Medill student was inspired to study law.

Also featured in this issue is a look at a course built around the Freedom of Information Act, one that brings together law and journalism students who work with partner organizations to file requests and help clients navigate a complex and laborious process.

We're also pleased to introduce the 2026 Hall of Achievement class in this issue — 10 alumni who have built media and marketing careers that reflect, in different ways, the range of what a Medill education can lead to.

Finally, this issue includes an essay by a Medill student currently enrolled in the Integrated Marketing Communications certificate program which prepares students to work across media, content and marketing platforms. The certificate program enrolls 219 students from across the university and has enjoyed incredible success since its founding in 2009.

Sincerely,
Charles