We reached out to past Footnote staff to find out what they’re up to these days, and what their time at The Footnote meant to them. Here are some of their updates!

Megan Huang, MA ‘25, Director of Digital Content (2024-2025)

I am still based in the Washington, DC area, where I now work in opposition political research. One of my main responsibilities is puttingto put together policy explainers that are concise, effective, and easy to understand. Writing and editing for The Footnote called for the same standards, so there’s been a lot of transferrable knowledge that I draw upon in my job now. Moreover, I track the ongoing attempts to tear down and rewrite history. —The Footnote’s mission to celebrate diverse historical perspectives definitely informs how I think about these current events, and it continues to serve as a helpful guiding light for me. 

Sareena Dubey, MA ‘24, Editor-in-chief (2023-2024) and Social Media Director (2022-2023)

Hi hi! I’m currently a law student at Emory University in Atlanta, where I’m surviving 1L year. I’m gravitating toward health and immigration law, which feels like a natural extension of what I studied during my MA at Georgetown. Being part of The Footnote was truly such a joy: I worked with an incredible team of friends and got to know my colleagues through the stories they chose to tell. I especially loved writing about music history, which I still care deeply about and continue to engage with by attending as many concerts in Atlanta as my schedule allows!

Juliana Lo, MA student ‘24-25, Editorial Assistant (2024-2025)

I was an editorial assistant at The Footnote for the 2024-2025 school year! I’m currently a first-year History PhD student at the University of Notre Dame. While at The Footnote, I wrote about U.S. women’s gymnastics at the 1996 Olympics, a topic that which continues to inspire my research in graduate school. The most meaningful part of The Footnote was spending time and collaborating with the team and those who submitted articles. One of my favorite memories was our trip to the National Zoo to see the pandas. The Footnote sparked the best combo:, history and friendship! Sending all my best!

Oscar Yu, MA ‘24, Editorial Staff Member (2022-2023) and Director of Digital Content (2023-2024)

I am now in the second year of my Ph.D. career inat the East Asian Studies Department of Princeton University. I am interested in the topic of disability in East Asia in the late nineteenth century, when Wwestern conceptions of the human body clashed or merged with its Asian counterparts. Its ramifications areis far- reaching, as today the discrimination against disabled persons and the subsequent advocacy for disability justice are still prevalent in East Asian countries. 

I joined the Footnote team soon afters I entered Georgetown in fall 2022. My first impression was the amazing web design. The content was also remarkable, as topics ranging from the history of science, gender studies, and interviews of faculty members caught my attention when I was browsing The Footnote website. Each article contained a cover image alluding to its main theme. They were both visually pleasant and mentally stimulating. 

I felt very grateful for the mutual support among our editorial team members. We discussed potential ways to improve our editing skills; we sent off newsletters to persons who intended to submit their papers for review; we also arranged seasonal events such as trivia. The Footnote is more than editing. It has built up friendly connections between writers of different kinds. No matter where we are, I will keep remembering the busy days when the editors were collaborating with one another for peer review. For anyone interested in publication, The Footnote is a perfect place to share your thoughts and meet similar people who love writing! 

Maddie Densmore, MA ‘25, Social Media Director (2024-2025)

I am still based in the D.C. area and now work at a Democratic research organization, where I produce opposition work and monitor media appearances. The writing and research skills I developed at Georgetown and The Footnote have been very beneficial in my new role, especially when addressing the context around current political issues. I am still very passionate about the ways in which the past and present interact, and I plan to continue to write about historical topics as my career develops. Outside of work, I’m usually reading, listening to music, or spending time with my cat, Marty. 

Responses have been edited for length and clarity.

Image: The George Peabody Library in Baltimore, Maryland, USA via Matthew Petroff on Wikimedia Commons