Campus editor in chief sets sights on a career in journalism

Boston University Posse Scholar J.D. Capelouto’s first experience with journalism was with his high school newspaper.

"It was the first time I felt I was really good at something," he says. "I love talking to people, asking questions, and being curious and skeptical.

His passion for journalism drew him to BU and Posse. He heard about Posse as a freshman in high school. As he learned more about it, he realized he would be a great fit.

"As I came into my role as editor-in-chief of my high school’s paper, I learned how much I love being a leader and working with others, so the concept of Posse grew on me," he says.

A member of Boston University’s seventh Posse from Atlanta, J.D. is majoring in journalism with a concentration in statistics. Upon arriving on campus, he made a point to join the staff of The Daily Free Press, BU’s student-run newspaper.

"BU is what you make of it,” he says. “If you work hard, it’ll work in your favor."

“It is so important that untold, diverse voices are heard and represented.”

By the end of his freshman year, J.D. worked his way up to being editor-in-chief. He was at the helm during the 2016 presidential election. It was a demanding role; he worked on the paper for 40-50 hours each week, on top of his full class schedule.

"I felt it was perhaps the only time I’d be able to fully manage a publication, which was so rewarding and an unmatched experience," he says.

J.D. had previously served as the paper’s campus editor—an experience, he says, that gave him an in-depth perspective of the BU community and a more comprehensive view of Posse’s influence.

"Bringing people together and sending them to a campus as a unit not only helps the Scholars, but it helps the campus as a whole," he says. "It’s incredible to look at the individual impact members of my Posse have had."

Although he is no longer editor-in-chief, J.D. still works on the paper as vice chair of the board of directors. The new role is broadening his knowledge of the business side of newspaper operations.

Emerging as a writer beyond his student community, J.D. has been published in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Lowell Sun, Boston.com, and USA TODAY College. He has also worked for the Thomas Reuters Foundation.

J.D. believes that the press is important for society in more ways than one.

"I love the impact journalism can have on individual lives as well as on entire institutions," he says. “Peoples’ stories deserve to be told, on a personal level. It is so important that untold, diverse voices are heard and represented.”

Such storytelling is part of the reason J.D. plans to spend more time as a reporter, even though one day he would like to revisit the role of editor.

"Right now, I think reporting is the best way to learn, get experience, have direct impact and prove myself as a journalist," he says.

When he graduates from BU this spring, he will start a full-time internship with the Boston Globe, as a temporary reporter in the Metro section.

He hopes to use it as the jumping off point for a fulfilling professional career.

"I plan to pursue a career writing news,” J.D. says, “with creative, powerful storytelling."