When thinking of successful Spartan alumni, it’s usually the athletes who come to mind first.
Of those, the men are more likely to be remembered.
But MSU is an institute of higher education that has helped many women become successful in a variety of fields.
These women have worked their way through trial and triumph to become some of MSU’s notable alumnae.
Class of 1981/1984: Susan Goldberg
Susan Goldberg’s resume looks like she can’t keep a job.
But that is misleading. Actually, Goldberg has worked her way up to one of the highest and most coveted positions in the news industry.
She is the editor-in-chief of National Geographic, a magazine containing articles focused on world issues, geography and history, and known for its jaw-dropping photographs.
She said National Geographic is the first magazine she has worked at.
Her previous employers include the Detroit Free Press, USA Today and Bloomberg News, among others.
“The thing that prepared me best for working at a newspaper was working at a newspaper,” Goldberg said.
Getting to where she is now wasn’t a breeze. Goldberg said she experienced setbacks at every job.
Whether it was a story that didn’t work out or she didn’t get a promotion, the setbacks didn’t stop her.
“Everybody’s gotten a million setbacks,” Goldberg said. “The point isn’t that they’re setbacks, but how you handle them.”
Goldberg attended MSU and was set to graduate in 1981 until she took an internship at the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and was then asked to stay.
She quit college and became a full-time reporter, but eventually moved back to the Midwest, taking a job with the Detroit Free Press and taking night classes to finish her degree.
“It made me realize how hard it is to go to school and work at the same time,” Goldberg said.
She said she has been able to travel and experience things she might not have if she did not work for National Geographic.
Unable to narrow down a preference out of all the things she does for her job, Goldberg said her favorite part is “all of it.”
Class of 1982: Karen McSteen
At one time, MSU was one of the few schools in the country to have a hospitality business program.
The program lured in Karen McSteen, the principal of brandMatters, a brand strategy and strategic planning company that helps other companies look for opportunities to be successful and ensures success in the long run.
As a student, McSteen said she was involved in the hotel sales and marketing international student group and was also a resident assistant.
She lived in Mason and Abbot halls during her four years and said it quickly became like home for her.
“That’s where we ate, where we lived and there was a tremendous warmth there that impacted my time at Michigan State a lot,” McSteen said.
She graduated in 1982 with a degree in Hotel and Restaurant management.
With few similar programs at other schools, McSteen said she had the opportunity to intern for The Walt Disney Company and was recruited right out of college by Marriott Hotels.
“I felt like they gave me an experience that was a great start to life,” McSteen said.
For 17 years, McSteen worked for Marriott Hotels in a variety of positions — eventually working at their headquarters in Washington D.C.
Not only did McSteen give much to the company, she said it gave a lot back to her — including the meeting of her husband.
“It wasn’t just the first job, but the start to a good career,” McSteen said.
She eventually left Marriott Hotels to work for AOL and was responsible for their brand strategy. Four years later, McSteen left to start her own business.
She said there are many different aspects of the job which she enjoys.
“It’s very gratifying to see my clients be successful,” McSteen said. “I learn from all these businesses which makes my work more valuable to other customers.”
During her career, McSteen said she definitely encountered setbacks, but didn’t let them define the future.
“When I was at Marriott, there were positions that I applied for and got overlooked on,” McSteen said. “In the end, the setbacks became learning opportunities for me.”
Class of 1984: Michealene Risley
Three days.
That was how many days Michealene Risley was stuck inside a Zimbabwe prison during her filmmaking process in the impoverished country.
But before her stint as a filmmaker, Risley graduated in 1984 with a degree in telecommunications and minors in both English and advertising.
Fresh out of college, she worked for Disney Consumer Products as a public relations professional.
It was when she met Zimbabwean activist Betty Makoni and learned of the issues in Zimbabwe, that the documentary idea came to life.
While filming her documentary, “Tapestries of Hope,” the Zimbabwe’s Central Intelligence Organisation arrested her and her assistant.
The film covers the issue of men in Zimbabwe raping virgins because they believed mixing infected blood with pure blood would cure AIDs.
“I’ve always used film as medium to create social change,” Risley said.
Before “Tapestries of Hope,” she developed a film called “Flashcards” which also won a variety of awards.
Risley said the film business is difficult to get into, especially for a woman.
“You can’t make a living as an inventive filmmaker,” Risley said. “It’s a challenging process for women which is why I went on my own and did independent films.”
Currently, she works as the vice president of games for Zynga and is embedded in the creation of “FarmVille 2: Country Escape.”
“I love gaming because it’s creative, fun and fast-paced, so it’s like being on a set,” Risley said.
Class of 1997: Jemele Hill
Turn on ESPN’s television show, “His & Hers,” and her face is on the screen.
She was also the grand marshall at MSU’s homecoming parade last fall.
And she almost went to the University of Michigan.
Jemele Hill, who graduated in 1997 with a journalism degree, jokes that she was “brainwashed” by Detroit Free Press employees to attend MSU when she worked there as a clerk in the sports department.
She said unlike some of her classmates, she knew when she was 15 years old that she wanted to be a sports reporter and chose MSU for its journalism school.
At MSU, she came into The State News as a general assignment sports reporter her freshman year. She said she almost quit because of the long hours and demanding schedule. However, she was talked out of it by the editor-in-chief and now says her best college memories were created through The State News.
“When you’re in college, people always tell you college is the best time of your life. You don’t conceptualize it that way because you’re in the college,” Hill said. “When you leave college you begin to understand that it’s true.”
In addition to working for ESPN, Hill has also worked as a sports writer for The Detroit Free Press and a columnist for the Orlando Sentinel.
Hill said she didn’t think she would end up as a columnist because her initial goal was to become a reporter.
“You can be on the same path, but you’re going to take a few detours sometimes,” Hill said. “The detours worked out.”
After graduation, Hill said she never thought she would end up on television.
“While I’m still under the umbrella of journalism and commentary, I’m in a position I never thought I would have,” Hill said.
