BOSTON – There’s an old saying that it’s a small, small word. That holds especially true in the field of journalism.
Two former high school friends reunited three years later in Boston, where they coincidentally crossed paths at the SPJ regional conference at Emerson College.
Aniya Pouncey, Vice President of the Central Connecticut State University SPJ chapter, had not seen Boston University junior Jewel Silva since graduation.
“I tried to find her on Instagram, but couldn’t locate her name, so I brushed it off,” Pouncey said. “Once I saw she was in journalism a few years ago, I wondered, ‘When will our paths cross?'” Silva said.
Silva was at the conference collaborating with student journalists at SPJ News to cover panel discussions.
“I saw someone who looked familiar. She had two blonde strands in her hair like Jewel, but anyone can have two blonde strands,” said Pouncey. “So I finagled my way over to the group.”
SPJ lead mentor Bob Butler introduced Pouncey to the SPJ News reporters and cheers filled the room as Pouncey and Silva embraced.
“How do you two know each other?” Butler asked.
![](https://cdn.statically.io/img/thespjnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/AniyaJewel-1-300x163.jpg)
Left: Photo by Aniya Pouncey. Pouncey and Silva on a subway in NYC, 2021. Right: Photo by Bob Butler
The duo had initially connected through mutual online friends during high school and had even taken the train from Connecticut to New York City to visit each other three years prior, Pouncey said.
If that wasn’t enough, another student from Emerson, Bryan Liu, walked in and the room experienced another reunion.
“Several years ago I was really stressed out and was questioning my choice of journalism as a career,” said Liu. “I met Jewel at an underground pool hall. We found out we both wanted to be journalists and she confirmed that I was on the right path.”
![](https://cdn.statically.io/img/thespjnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/BryanJewel-150x150.jpg)
Photo by: Bob Butler
Liu applied to participate in SPJ News when he was in the Netherlands.
“I walk into the SPJ center and I look and I was like, is that a skunk? But no, it was Jewel,” he said. “I didn’t know who would be in the newsroom but I was really happy to have a familiar face to work with.”
Butler tells students that journalism is a small community, that you want to always watch yourself because you never know who knows who.
“I can think of no better example than what happened today,” he said. “Three people who have been separated for years are brought back together through their love of journalism.”
Pouncey is thrilled to have the opportunity to attend the New England conference and reconnect with friends from across the Northeast.
“Without this event, I wouldn’t have the chance to be connected with such talented and ambitious students,” she said.
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