Shannon O'Brien
Director of Editorial & Social MediaWellesley College
Shannon O’Brien’s storytelling journey began as a photojournalist for newspapers, including the Dayton Daily News and the Palm Beach Post. While in Florida, she returned to graduate school to study nonfiction writing. She became captivated by the stories of the students and faculty around her, so she decided to stay in the industry. Her first full-time role in higher education was as a campus photographer for the University of Illinois Springfield. While there, she cultivated her writing portfolio and managed the college’s Instagram account. She developed the skills that would take her to Williams College as an assistant editor and social media strategist and then to Wellesley College as the director of editorial and social media. She is grateful for all the mentors along the way. There have been many.