The Writing Connoisseur of FSC: A Profile on PCM Professor Agata Boxe

Out of all the professors PCM students meet on their academic journey, there has been one professor that has left a lasting impact on many in the major. One of the most devoted, inspiring, and ambitious people on this campus, I’m referring to Professor Agata Boxe! 

Beyond her lecturer position, Boxe wears many hats. She’s a jack of all trades, if you will. Boxe’s dive into the world of writing occurred when she was just a little girl who discovered her passion for reading and writing. “As a kid, I was an introverted loner who would spend her days reading books — often several at once”, is what Boxe describes as she reflects on her early days of writing. 

The first forms of writing she dabbled in were poetry and short stories. Her love for writing only grew as she entered adolescence. This sentiment continued far into college, as Boxe studied for her undergrad, she knew deep down all she wanted to do was write. That saying “do what you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life”, couldn’t resonate more with Boxe.

She knew that she wanted writing to be a major aspect in her professional career, so that’s when she decided to apply to the Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY. As a student there, Boxe published an article with the campus’ student news service. That sole article she submitted, held much more value than she could have ever imagined. “I published an article with our student news service. It was a wonderful opportunity to get my first clip, which became the foundation of my freelance writing career. Once I started pitching magazine editors, I was able to use that clip as an example of my published writing.”

Post-graduation, Boxe noted that acquiring her first writing job wasn’t too much of a hassle. “I was very fortunate that CUNY’s Newmark Graduate School of Journalism had provided me with a stipend to complete a summer internship at Psychology Today.” Immediately after graduating, Boxe received an offer for a paid internship at a science news website titled Live Science. After working there for several months, Boxe finally landed her first “real” journalism job at the health desk of CBSNews.com. The editors there were extremely impressed with her internship work, which resulted in her joining the CBS News staff! “The editors hired me because of my internship experience. The conclusion here is: internships, internships, internships! Do as many as you can.” 

While Boxe did enjoy working as a freelance writer, she does emphasize it is becoming more and more difficult to execute. However, she mentions a key difference among freelance writing vs a full-time writing position is that freelance writers have more leeway regarding the topics they cover. Freelance writers also reap the benefits of selecting the publications they yearn to write for. Boxe also believes she can be much more thorough in her reporting as a freelance writer. 

Now you may be wondering, how did Professor Boxe wind up in academia? Well in 2016, Boxe worked as a freelance writer, and decided out of the blue to apply for a part-time position as an adjunct lecturer at a college in the Bronx. Boxe secured the job, and it didn’t take long for her to enjoy teaching college students, and collaborating with other faculty members. Funny enough, her father originally wanted her to work in academia, and after her own journey through freelance, that’s exactly where she ended up.“I realize I often end up doing what my parents would have liked me to, not necessarily in a conscious way. I just put my own spin on it.” 

Once she completed her first academic year, she was promoted to a temporary substitute lecturer position that lasted a full school year. However, this position required teaching five classes per semester. While being a substitute lecturer, Boxe proceeded to apply for a permanent full-time position at the same college; though things would hit a wall when Boxe wasn’t scheduled for an interview.

 Despite the initial negative outcome, Boxe still managed to see the positive in the scenario, “It was a very humbling experience that provided me with an invaluable opportunity to become more resilient.”

 Boxe returned to adjunct lecturing once her one year as a substitute lecturer concluded. Playing the waiting game, Boxe kept applying for faculty positions at other institutions. Well as they say, all roads lead to Farmingdale! Boxe would go on to obtain her current position here at FSC as a full-time lecturer. 

At this point, Boxe had two entirely different career paths under her belt; freelance writing, and lecturing. When comparing the two, she shares they both involve an adequate amount of writing. This is what Boxe has to say pertaining to the differences among the two, “I am a very different person in my job as a journalist versus a lecturer. I would say that I am probably much more diplomatic in my lecturer role. At Farmingdale, I have also learned to be more administrative when necessary.” Boxe also mentions the advantages and disadvantages both careers carry. For freelance writing, she liked to interview interesting people, learn, and enjoyed writing about topics of interest. The pitfalls of freelance writing she states are lack of stability, lots of rejection, and the occurrence of writer’s block. 

As a lecturer, Boxe appreciates being a part of a beneficial union called UUP, she cherishes the company of her supportive, and mentor-like colleagues (shoutout to Dr. Vicki Janik, and Dr. Noel Holton-Brathwaite), the impactful and everlasting change she can make in students lives, especially through her advisory role. She accredits Dr. Charles Adair for teaching her the ins and outs of operating Degreeworks. Boxe also admires the genuinity of the students, and the exciting impromptuness of the PCM Department! Like any job, being a lecturer does have its flaws. Boxe emphasized having a heavy workload is one of them; teaching five classes at a time, advising, supervising interns, attending recruitment events, and managing the department’s Instagram is a lot for one to have on their plate. Of course we are all aware of the fact Degreeworks is a hassle within itself as well. Working as a fairly new, untenured faculty member can also be a bit strenuous too. 

Were you aware the PCM Department has an Instagram account?! Did you know Professor Boxe runs it alongside the social media interns? Indeed she does! The Instagram account has been doing so well, Boxe and her team of interns have received numerous compliments on their spectacular work! Despite being bogged down by other responsibilities, Boxe is still determined to keep the account active, as it is a part of the PCM brand now. The interns typically create content for the account, while Boxe edits their content and manages the entirety of the account. Boxe states people work best when not micromanaged, so she gives the interns a lot of fluidity with their content so their creative juices can flow. Boxe and the team utilize Canva for their account, and like most social media managers, they love it! “It is extremely user friendly.”

Dale News peeps, listen up. The advice Boxe has to give for students working on a student publication is “Establish a clear editorial process. Every writer needs an editor, whether it is faculty, or another student reviewing their work. Learn from constructive criticism. Your editor works hard to help you improve.”

Here is some career advice you can take away from the professional herself! If you want to go down the social media management or freelance writing route, Boxe suggests to keep getting those internships.“Focus on building a skill set rather than getting all As. Grades don’t mean much on the job market. The fact that you have a college degree, relevant work experience, and skills matters much more than your GPA. My last piece of advice for these two positions would be to take classes that will teach you the marketable skills you need. And, of course, take as as many writing courses as you can. ChatGPT is great, but it is not a person. Human experience that shines through a piece of writing cannot be replicated.” Well said, Professor Boxe.

For those of you who are interested in freelance writing, “This career path is not for the faint of heart. You need to become mentally and physically strong. For me, working out regularly has helped a lot with that. Other tips for the lecturer role: Learn to not take things personally. Realize that you can only control your own behavior. There is nothing you can do about other people’s actions. Finally, building a supportive network of people who will help you without you having to ask them to is incredibly important.” 

Thank you Professor Boxe for your words of wisdom, and taking the time to interview with us! You can keep up with all things PCM by following their Instagram account @pcmfarmingdale 

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