Full and bright in Berlin

For one week in October, Sean Newhouse ’20 spent time in Berlin, Germany, as part of the Fulbright Germany’s Berlin Capital Program for early-career journalists. There he was able to connect with other journalists, discover what media looks like across Europe and further the professional interests he pursued while at UD.  

Newhouse, who graduated in 2020 — a period marred by pandemic restrictions and travel bans — said he was fortunate to be able to study abroad twice before graduation. He participated in London Flyers with the honors program over a summer break and spent a semester at the University of Dayton China Institute. Both trips, he said, helped him decide on a career in political journalism. 

He was first connected to the Fulbright program through Laura Cotten Howell ’23, director of the UD honors program, who forwarded the application to Newhouse thinking he’d be interested. Newhouse, who double majored in political science and communication, absolutely was.

The Fulbright program grouped him with 14 other young professionals, some of whom were from the Washington, D.C., area where Newhouse is based, allowing him to expand his regional connections. He particularly enjoyed the idea of this kind of “study abroad” program for adults. 

“It was cool that this program exists for grown-ups.”

“It was cool that this program exists for grown-ups and a group of very interested people around my age who are passionate about the same thing got to go on this week-long field trip,” he said. 

In Germany, the group visited newsrooms and met members of the German parliament. Newhouse fully immersed himself in the culture and traditions of the country — something he said he felt prepared to do by his experiences at UD.  

His interests in international affairs were stoked by professors in the political science department, and cultivated by their encouragement of Newhouse’s skills. One professor, Jaro Bilocerkowycz, was particularly inspirational for him. 

“[Bilocerkowycz] told me I was really good at synthesizing information, which is not a common compliment,” Newhouse said. The words affirmed his passion for journalism and allowed Newhouse to see himself working in the heart of the federal government. 

Bilocerkowycz, who died this fall just before Newhouse’s trip, is remembered as a passionate teacher invested in his students’ learning. Newhouse took several of Bilocerkowycz’s classes while at UD.

“I came into the [Fulbright] program with a lot of background knowledge because of the Politics of Western Europe class that I took in taught by Dr. Bilocerkowycz,” he said.

Newhouse is a staff reporter for the Government Executive in Washington, D.C., a government business news website with a heavy military and civilian readership — just the professional niche he was looking for after graduation.

Newhouse jokingly said that, other than from Bilocerkowycz, he rarely took professional advice.

“I don’t think there’s a piece of advice true for everyone — I think you need to find what works for you and do that,” he said. 

Newhouse said his trip allowed him to continue the interests that blossomed during his time at UD and marked another milestone in his journalistic career. 

“I felt very privileged to spend this week in Berlin,” he said. 

Photos courtesy of Sean Newhouse