“WSU was not my first choice,” said Rebekah Rahman, senior public relations major.
The Daily Evergreen Life Editor got her start in journalism at the Issaquah High Times, where Husky blood runs deep. Her transition from high school to college took place just as the world was starting to climb out of the lockdown, she said.
Despite her freshman orientation being held over Zoom, Rahman said she could still feel the community of Pullman and WSU.
“That moment solidified for me, like ‘I’m making a good choice,’” she said.
As her first fall semester kicked off, Rahman remembered the nerves and the homesickness.
“My biggest concern was, how am I going to get to class on time?” Rahman said.
It did not take her long to adjust to the highs and lows of college life.
Starting as an international business major considering a public relations double major, Rahman had plans to go global. However, the realities of credit hours and life kicked in. She originally thought there was more security in business. After a conversation with her counselor, she realized her passion lay elsewhere.
“I definitely wanted communications more,” she said.
As she settled into extracurricular activities, friendships and the college routine, her choice was validated.
In the spring semester of her freshman year, Rahman started working in the library’s Archives and Manuscripts department. She also reached out to The Daily Evergreen, kick-starting her ascent to life section editor.
“I started out as a copy editor. I’m really good at paying attention to detail,” Rahman said.
Her skills and experience helped her bypass the typical reporter position, leading her into editorial leadership. In her senior year, Rahman assumed the role of life section editor.
“I love life,” she said. “News is definitely so important, but life is a unique opportunity to tell people’s stories in a different way. A lot of the time with news, you’re getting people on their best day or their worst day.”
She spent her tenure changing the narrative around the life section, making it more relevant to students while connecting them with the greater Pullman community.
“Some people look at Pullman and think, ‘There’s really nothing going on,’ but the reality is there’s always something going on,” Rahman said. “That’s the challenge of any section editor or reporter, to find just one of those stories and tell it honestly and with as much dignity as possible.”
Throughout her time at WSU, Rahman immersed herself in a long and diverse list of activities. She was a member of Cable 8 Productions and worked as a student producer for an early morning Northwest Public Broadcasting show, all while building skills in writing, editing and marketing.
“The glory of being a communications major is that you learn so many transferable skills,” Rahman said. “I have all this experience in the newsroom. For a lot of PR jobs, you need to have that command of AP style and be able to write well.”
Adding to her list of Murrow College achievements, Rahman also contributed to Crimson Creative, WSU’s student-run PR firm, which serves over 12 clients. She participated in the Public Relations Student Society of America, where she took the Bateman Case Study Competition course, running a full PR campaign and competing nationally against other students.
“My passion is more about looking at different brands and wondering how I can tell their story that’s going to matter to the audience,” Rahman said.
Using a bank as an example, she explained her passion for storytelling and community building.
“How do we tell the stories of the people who work there? How do we tell the stories of the people that utilize those services? It’s exciting to help other people share their stories,” Rahman said.
After graduating from the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication this Saturday, Rahman plans to pursue a future in marketable storytelling.
“I’d love to go into agency work. I never want to stop writing,” she said.
Many of Rahman’s favorite memories were found in the quiet moments between the big ones — lunch with her coworkers, pre-dawn conversations with NWPB staff.
“We might all be doing different things and we’ve started in different places, but we all have this connection,” Rahman said.
Her commitment to community and connection has left a permanent mark on The Daily Evergreen and her love for Pullman lives on.
“Leaving here is like leaving a little piece of my heart. I’m leaving it behind,” Rahman said.
