Nicholas Ewing

Nicholas Ewing ’24 had never written a newspaper story before, let alone taken a journalism class. But when he saw that UML’s student newspaper, The Connector, was hosting an informational meeting for prospective staff members during his first year on campus, he showed up.

“Writing is something I was always really good at,” says Ewing, a business major with a concentration in international business from Westford, Massachusetts. “I thought it would be a marketable skill for employers.”

Ewing’s first assignment was a story on Prof. Joshua Dyck, chair of the Political Science Department and director for the Center for Public Opinion. Ewing eagerly conducted the interview, wrote up the story, submitted it to his editor and … it was rejected.

Crestfallen, Ewing realized he could do one of two things.

“You can either give up and say, ‘I'm a terrible writer,’ or you can persevere and learn from your mistakes. And I chose the latter,” says Ewing, who worked with the Connector’s editor at the time, Troy Lafond ’23, to improve his writing.

By the time Ewing graduated, he had 18 articles published in The Connector, on everything from the Massachusetts gubernatorial race to the debate in Congress over a ban of TikTok.

He also began honing his craft as the youngest content writer for Startup Boston, a business networking organization. The position is unpaid, but it allows Ewing to expand his network and share his stories on LinkedIn.

“The way to improve is to just write,” he says. “If you want to get good at basketball, you don’t just watch it on TV. You gotta shoot the ball.”

Ewing also enjoys writing in a journal. It has helped him during past bouts of depression, which is something that he speaks about openly.

“I’m a big advocate for mental health. We should talk about it. It’s just as important as physical health,” he says.

Originally an engineering major at the University of New Hampshire, Ewing returned home in the spring of 2020 because of the pandemic and transferred to UML that fall. He struggled with online engineering courses, however, while also suffering from a lengthy bout of depression.

With help from the Wellness Center, Ewing says he got the medication and therapy he needed. He also found support in his faith and from his parents, Yuen and Peter.

“I honestly would have dropped out of school if it wasn’t for my parents. They helped me get through a lot of tough moments,” he says.

With an eye on a career in technology sales, Ewing switched his major to business.

“I want to be an entrepreneur and do international business, especially in Asia,” says Ewing, whose mother is Chinese.

Ewing enjoyed some “amazing” professors at UML, including Management Prof. Scott Latham, Economics Prof. Monica Galizzi and Bill Yelle, an adjunct in marketing, entrepreneurship and innovation.

One of his best experiences was with Prof. Khondkar Karim, chair of the Accounting Department.

“He could tell that I wasn’t cut out for accounting, but he wanted me to experience the financial world. He knew that there were better opportunities for me in other areas,” Ewing says. “I’d never had a professor who took the time like that to get to know my strengths and weaknesses, my passions and dislikes.”

His undergraduate degree is complete, but Ewing plans on being a lifelong learner. He’s simply curious about too many things, such as literature and philosophy.

“That passion hasn’t died just because I didn’t major in it,” he says.

Ewing also plans to write a book someday.

“One thing I do like is storytelling, especially about strong characters who experience hardship and personal growth.”