NEWARK, Del. — “You were a squirrely freshman… in the front row, vibrating," Steven Mortenson, associate professor of communication, kindly reminded his guest speaker during an afternoon session of COMM 440: Communication for Effective Leadership. But anything less than squirreliness wasn't an option in Dana Arschin's Blue Hen days, when only 100 students were accepted into the communication degree.
On Dec. 5, the University of Delaware alumna sat down for a conversation with students in COMM 440 and COMM 256: Philosophy of Communication. Both courses are taught by Mortenson — a professor she also had all four years as an interpersonal communication and Spanish studies undergraduate.
“I think Dana embodies the kind of discipline, the kind of social skills … but also the kind of imagination and guts to make her life what she wanted to, to 'think outside the box,' like she says," Mortenson said.
Since her graduation from UD in 2009, Arschin's career in journalism has been varied and extensive. After earning her master's degree in broadcast journalism from the New York Institute of Technology, she spent five-and-half-years with News 12 The Bronx and Brooklyn as a reporter, where she received a New York Emmy Award for her coverage of 2014 city snowstorm cleanup efforts in Brooklyn.
In 2016 she joined Fox 5 New York as a reporter and fill-in anchor. She received another New York Emmy for one of her three short films centering on her travels to Poland to discover more about her family members who were murdered during the Holocaust. (Arschin herself is the granddaughter of a 100-year-old Auschwitz Concentration Camp survivor). “I always felt like it was my obligation to keep these stories alive," Arschin said.
As her family grew, Arschin sought balance with her impressive yet demanding career. After the birth of her second child, Arschin found the long workdays and weekend assignments — responsibilities that did not ebb even during the pandemic — unsustainable. In the context of this “double-edged sword," Arschin shifted gears on her own terms, to be sure. “I worked so hard to get here, so I'm not going to throw it all away," Arschin explained.
Arschin decided to move behind the camera. Following her passion for amplifying the voices and stories of Holocaust survivors, she turned to the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County. Arschin is currently the inaugural storyteller at the center, a position she forged for herself through the creation of her own company, DJK Communications.
Arschin underscored the distinct sense of agency that comes with the new role, with flexibility to pursue side projects such as speaking engagements. She noted that, in the context of rising antisemitism and hate crimes, more people want to hear her stories. Now she shoots, writes, and edits stories about Holocaust survivors, helps run the center's social media, meets with donors — and picks her daughter up from school every day.
Although she had a successful career in the broadcast industry, Arschin conceded that her work has found an audience online. Her social media posts receive strong engagement, including 40,000 views on her first project and a recent personal tweet from Barbra Streisand. “Always be innovative and think outside the box," Arschin stressed.
Arschin answered students' questions, from effective means of spreading new ideas to how her personal values have influenced her career. Students need to take initiative and make connections, said Arschin, whose ardent internship hunting led to her first job at News 12. She proclaimed her belief in simply being a “real person" and “genuine human." “Communicate. Be a good person. Be a good neighbor. Be a good friend," she said.
Arschin's path wasn't straightforward. She worked side jobs to manage finances during her time at News 12. She taught flying trapeze, tutored Spanish, and babysat. The broadcast industry was definitely not an easy one to navigate, but Arschin said it was often rewarding and she garnered valuable knowledge. It is through these experiences that she now charts her own course. “Ultimately it got me to where I am," Arschin said.
Mortenson emphasized the unpredictability of one's life course. “Try to have a little bit of faith in the universe when it comes to your future," Dr. Mortenson said. Arschin was quick to respond. “Faith in the universe — but you have to create your own fate, too."
Article by Nadya Ellerhorst, junior majoring in international relations and Russian studies
Image by Stephanie Doroba, Department of Communication staff
