Raquel Coronell Uribe
What Now: Politics reporter at NBC News
Follow Me: @raquelco15 (Twitter and Bluesky)
When I first arrived at Harvard, I had no idea the History & Literature department even existed — much less that I would end up concentrating in it. I spent my first two years pre-med and a Government concentrator, and only stumbled into Hist & Lit by accident. Once I realized how much I connected with the department’s approach, I set up a panicked call with one of the department’s advisers to plead my case to switch. My panic was for naught, because that call ended up setting the tone for the rest of my experience: warm, supportive, and deeply accommodating.
Hist & Lit gave me the freedom to design a course of study that felt truly authentic to my interests. I explored politics and policy through the lens of literature, culture, and history — understanding how these threads are inextricably linked. I especially valued the intimacy of the department’s seminars, where I got to know my professors and was encouraged to turn my interests into meaningful academic projects. My professors' and advisers' guidance was instrumental as I navigated an unconventional college path that included time off. I truly credit them with providing the support, guidance, and foundation that took me from a curious prospective concentrator to crossing the Dunster courtyard to receive my diploma.
In many of my courses, we pored over primary sources, including newspaper clippings and media coverage, which helped me understand journalism as the first draft of history. That perspective deeply shaped my decision to pursue journalism professionally. Since graduating, I’ve worked as a politics reporter for NBC News in Washington, D.C., covering breaking news stories like the 2024 election, the second Trump White House, Congress, and more — always with the foundation Hist & Lit gave me: to look closely, interrogate ideas rigorously, and place events in broader context.
Hist & Lit has given me a critical eye — one that helps me interpret a fast-moving, high-stakes news cycle. I know it will continue to shape my life and career as I move forward, continuing my work in journalism, writing my first book (a compilation of autobiographical essays to be published by Henry Holt & Co.), and preparing to begin my MSt in Creative Writing at the University of Cambridge.