{"id":215106,"date":"2025-01-22T09:10:21","date_gmt":"2025-01-22T14:10:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/?p=215106"},"modified":"2025-01-22T09:10:21","modified_gmt":"2025-01-22T14:10:21","slug":"spotlight-miles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/2025\/01\/22\/spotlight-miles\/","title":{"rendered":"Kenneth Miles \u201918 Is Writing His Own Story"},"content":{"rendered":"

Kenneth Miles \u201918<\/a> has been a journalist for more than 30 years. The youngest columnist for the Jersey Journal<\/em>, Jersey City\u2019s hometown newspaper since the mid-1800s, Miles\u2019 career gained traction while he was still in high school. His column was syndicated by The New York Times<\/em>, and his writing appeared in Interview, Black Enterprise, Industry, The Source<\/em>, WBGO.org, and more.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was following every opportunity and building my portfolio,\u201d he recalls. \u201cBut in the 2000s, when I was working in the research department of a health publishing company, I saw the industry changing. A lot of magazines and print journals were going out of business. Journalism was moving from print to online.<\/p>\n

Miles had completed a semester at New Jersey City University right out of high school, and decided it was time to finish what he had started. He enrolled in Essex County College. \u201cI really enjoyed it,\u201d he says. \u201cIt sparked something in me. I wanted to go on to earn a bachelor\u2019s degree.\u201d<\/p>\n

He learned about Bloomfield College at a college fair. \u201cOut of all of the colleges represented, Bloomfield\u2019s message resonated with me,\u201d Miles says. \u201cTheir emphasis on writing your own story \u2013 well, as a writer, that really struck home. I was also attracted to the idea of attending a small liberal arts institution and felt I would do well in that kind of environment.\u201d<\/p>\n

There were a few surprises waiting for Miles at Bloomfield, however. \u201cWhen you attend a county college in the evening, you are among a lot of older students,\u201d he says. \u201cThe students in my classes at Bloomfield \u2013 a daytime program at a four-year college \u2013 were much younger overall.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe experience taught me to be humble,\u201d he continues. \u201cTechnology is always changing; you need to be able to adapt. Working alongside younger students helped me keep up with trends, and to see my profession from a different perspective.\u201d<\/p>\n

Those years were challenging, forcing Miles to balance full-time school and full-time work. There were times when he wondered if he was on the right track. \u201cMy days were a blur,\u201d he says. \u201cI remember having a sociology class that ended at 10:00 p.m., and then working at Amazon until 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning. I use my memories of those days as a reference point to stay inspired \u2013 I know I can get through anything!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ultimately, Miles feels that his Bloomfield experience made him better able to navigate the career that he loves. \u201cI built a toolbelt for my professional future,\u201d he says. \u201cI learned the history of broadcast media and developed a working knowledge of audio and video formats. Importantly, completing my degree demonstrated \u2013 to myself \u2013 what I am capable of. I know that I can keep learning and adapt to changes in the field.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt sparked something in me \u2013 a thirst for knowledge,\u201d he adds, noting that he went on to earn a master\u2019s degree in journalism from West Virginia University.<\/p>\n

Miles\u2019 passion for building community is evident in the initiatives he launches. As a media and engagement consultant with M.Y.M. Media LLC, he spearheads campaigns for film, television personalities and nonprofit organizations. And in 2021 he founded the Trenton Journal<\/em>, a multimedia platform that is addressing information gaps and amplifying community voices in New Jersey\u2019s capital city. The Trenton Journal<\/em><\/a> was awarded a prestigious National Association of Black Journalists Black Press grant as well as a New Jersey Civic Information Consortium grant to pursue its mission to prepare and encourage local residents to tell their stories. His newest project is an account of his own journey in storytelling that he hopes others will use as a manual for communicating the histories, needs and aspirations of their communities.<\/p>\n

In addition to his professional pursuits, Miles is a board member of the Citizens\u2019 Health and Neighborhood Growth Committee (CHANGE), a public safety advisory committee that empowers members of the community to review city policies, investigate best practices, and issue public safety advisory reports. He also is active with various local nonprofit charities in Trenton and mentored high school students through the Young Entrepreneurs Academy, Inc.<\/p>\n

\u201cI believe in the value of providing guidance to the next generation,\u201d Miles says. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t have to be complicated. Recently I served on a panel organized for Montclair and Bloomfield students that focused on business etiquette. First generation students in particular need opportunities to learn how to navigate all aspects of their future career.\u201d<\/p>\n

Miles is especially excited about the recent merger of his alma mater with Montclair. \u201cCollaboration makes things stronger,\u201d he points out. \u201cBoth institutions will be better for it. Local, community-based higher education is so important. It brings opportunities to people who want to achieve more, but who also have adult responsibilities. Schools like Montclair and Bloomfield provide opportunities for people to pursue a better future for themselves, and for their families.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Kenneth Miles \u201918 puts his broadcast journalism degree from Bloomfield College to work in a career he loves \u2013 in particular through the Trenton Journal, a multimedia platform he founded that is amplifying community voices in New Jersey\u2019s capital city.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":451,"featured_media":215110,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-215106","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-76_alumni-news-and-events","category-77_alumni-spotlight"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/215106","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/451"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=215106"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/215106\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":215107,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/215106\/revisions\/215107"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/215110"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=215106"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=215106"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=215106"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}