A Familiar Face on RU-N Social Media, Graduate Learned the Power of Storytelling

As roving reporter—and prankster—for Rutgers–Newark’s social media, graduate Agnes Boateng surprised Political Science students by interrupting class and singing Disney tunes; hyped RU–N’s first homecoming in a decade; and danced to Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” dressed as Raider, the campus mascot.

“I’ve always wanted to be in a mascot costume,” said Boateng, who helped promote the launch of RU–N’s rebranded Scarlet Raider mascot while sending off its old incarnation, which resembled a squirrel but was supposed to look like a fox.

A Journalism major and half of the duo known as A&M—her co-anchor was Mariam Njie, Program Manager for Student Engagement at Braven Rutgers–Newark—Boateng has been an intern in the Rutgers–Newark Office of Communications since 2024.

Much of her role involved playful man-on-the-street-style interviews with students about campus life. It taught her a lot about appealing to followers. But she also learned about editing, photography, how to write for social media, how to collaborate and how to feel comfortable in the limelight, despite being an introvert.

Cosplaying as Raider wasn’t what she had in mind when she became a Journalism major, but it taught Boateng valuable lessons about marketing and communications.

“It opened my eyes on how to engage people. We had to engage an entire population of students, staff and faculty,” she said. “It pushed me out of my comfort zone and taught me to not only look through the lens of a student but as an employee of the university as well.”

She also learned what it’s like to be something of a campus celebrity. “I’d be walking around, people were like, ‘A&M! A&M! A&M!’ At Stonsby Commons, the cafeteria workers would say, ‘I saw your video talking about homecoming.’ In a way, it kind of made me more popular.”

Now that she has her degree, Boateng is working as an Executive Communications intern at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation this summer. Later this fall, she will transition into a one-year fellowship role at NJPAC, an opportunity she attained through the BOLD Women’s Leadership Network.

Her  introduction to journalism began with a fifth-grade current events assignment, which piqued her curiosity about news and reporting. In high school, Boateng, who is from Irvington, decided it was a career she wanted to pursue.

Boateng's commitment  deepened during the COVID-19 pandemic. Watching the rise of fear and confusion, spurred in part by the real-time media frenzy and spread of misinformation, helped her recognize the influence news organizations have on public understanding. “It was my awakening into the power and impact of the media,” said Boateng. “It only takes one news anchor saying one thing for people to be more afraid. I want to go into journalism to change the narrative.”

But for Boateng, journalism is ultimately about helping people tell their stories, whether that’s a student in the throes of studying for finals or Rutgers–Newark Chancellor Tonya Smith-Jackson, whom she interviewed on camera several times.

Boateng recalls interviewing a retired RU–N campus police officer for her independent Journalism study and watching him become emotional as he discussed his childhood and family.

“People have stories to tell. We walk past so many people daily. Everyone has a story. And it’s a blessing to be able to help them share it,” she said.

Boateng’s own story at Rutgers–Newark was marked by her involvement in several programs that helped her grow personally and professionally. In addition to being a BOLD Women’s Leadership Network scholar, she was an EOF student and a Braven Fellow. She also founded the first Rutgers–Newark chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ).

Through Braven, a career accelerator program, she expanded her network, eventually connecting with media professionals through NBCUniversal, where she had a chance to sit in on board meetings at NBCU Academy.

As an Honors Living-Learning Community (HLLC) student, she lived on campus, which was transformative.

Before college, Boateng did little socializing with friends outside of school. “I was always at home,” she said. “School, work, church--that was my weekly routine.”

The HLLC introduced her to students from different backgrounds and perspectives. It was the first time she lived on her own, an experience that helped her develop a sense of independence.

“It opened my mind to a lot that I never considered before,” she said. “It challenged me to get to know who I am and who I wanted to be.”

Boateng is grateful for opportunities she seized as a result of Rutgers–Newark and the deep support she received from faculty, staff and fellow students.“Rutgers–Newark was the best decision I made,” she said. “There’s no other college that could have given me the experience I got here.”

While she’s still exploring where her career will lead, Boateng remains focused on work that has an impact on the world.

Her final Journalism project, an exploration of the concept of the American Dream, past and present, offered a chance to reflect upon her own dreams. She quotes historian and scholar James Truslow Adams, who coined the term “American Dream” in his 1931 book The Epic of America.

“He said that the American Dream is having the right to live a richer and fuller life. A richer and fuller life to me is one that’s impactful. That’s Agnes’s dream.”