Anastasia Lennon likes being a student! So after her undergraduate double major in history and anthropology at Stony Brook University, and internships at D.C. museums with an interest in artifact conservation, she decided to return to school to get a master’s degree in journalism at Boston University.
Having grown up in Port Jefferson, New York, she says her move to Massachusetts wasn’t too different from Long Island, with a similar climate and another interesting regional accent. Anastasia always knew she liked writing and she appreciates the diversity of topics journalism allows her to explore. She was a tutor at the college writing center and enjoys helping others improve their writing.
Her first job for The Patriot Ledger in Quincy was an outgrowth of BU’s statehouse internship program. She found herself working remotely during Covid while living at home with her family, but a general reporter position at The Standard-Times brought her back to the area, where Anastasia had the freedom to pursue different reporting areas. In October 2021, Anastasia joined The Light as our second full-time reporter.
The growth of The Light’s reporting team has meant that she doesn’t have to focus on everything, but can dig deep on her beats, which range from crime and courts and offshore wind to women’s health. She was the reporter behind the embattled Southcoast Health president story and she had particular fun exploring glauconite’s impact on wind turbines while talking to experts, visiting labs and looking through the microscope at soil samples.
Anastasia lives in New Bedford and can be found walking her dog and taking barre exercise classes.
She is grateful for the people who support The Light’s local journalism, especially during the industry’s ongoing changes — The Los Angeles Times recently laid off more than 100 people in its newsroom. Anastasia views all forms of journalism as critical, but she loves to see local news continuing to grow after it has been decimated. “Reader support matters a lot,” and she hopes you will continue to support our independent newsroom.