Meet Fadel Allassan, a political science graduate who received a Black History in the Making award in 2018. On campus, Fadel sought out journalism opportunities by writing for the Commonwealth Times. These days, he is an associate editor for Axios local news. Learn more below.
What was your career/life journey after graduating from VCU?
After graduating, I went on to intern at CNN, and then I started as a news apprentice at Axios, back when it was still a baby startup, before going on to be a breaking news reporter and then a breaking news editor.
What are you up to now?
I'm the editor of Axios' local news outlets in Richmond and Northwest Arkansas — the company started its local news push in 2022, so I'm among the first editors we've had for this. Soon, I'll be starting as a weekend news editor for CNN.
What is your favorite memory from your time at VCU?
I loved covering VCU as a reporter and editor at The Commonwealth Times — it was such a unique experience to have the freedom to cover whatever I choose. From covering the protests standing up for racial equity that shut down the campus, to breaking news that VCU was one of the first universities in Virginia to add all-gender restrooms, which was revolutionary at the time — every story I wrote taught me something new about the school, my peers and Richmond.
What was the impact of winning the Black History in the Making award?
It's always nice to be noticed and awarded for your work, and it gave me a lot of confidence moving forward with my career. It was very heartwarming to win an award recognizing my achievements in the context of my race, because there are such few Black people in my field generally, so it can be hard to navigate through inherent bias and a lack of connections in the industry.
What is one piece of advice you have for current students?
For journalism students specifically, I'd say to read and write as much as possible. It's by far the best training you can do as a journalist. For Black journalism students, or prospective journalists — a lot of current Black journalists are always happy to help those who are still in school. So try to leverage your connections!