Nakia Swinton ’16

Nakia (Kia) Swinton ’16 didn’t plan on launching a Montclair legacy. “Like many high schoolers, I didn’t know what I wanted to do next,” she says. “I thought I wanted to go to a college far from New Jersey, where I grew up, but I didn’t even know what I wanted to study.”

It was her father, Stephen Swinton ’87, who suggested broadcast journalism. “I remember the conversation like it was yesterday,” Kia recalls. “We were in the car, driving down Route 57. I didn’t even know that was something you could go to school for.” She started completing online surveys to match her interests to programs and schools. Montclair consistently landed at the top of the list.

“I was determined to chart my own course, but I started to feel like these search results were a sign,” she says. “My mom wanted me to stay in New Jersey and we needed to be mindful of costs, so Montclair made a lot of sense overall.”

Dad, of course, was thrilled by Kia’s choice. Stephen Swinton was a member of the Red Hawk basketball team, as well as part of the first class to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts at Montclair. He stayed involved as an alumnus, contributing design services to the University and Montclair community through the work of his company, Swinton Studio. This year, he was recognized in the 35th Annual Montclair African American Heritage Parade for his visionary work that shaped the organization’s branding and promotional materials from its inception.

“He would bring me and my sister to campus during Homecoming and other events and my mom and grandma would take us to plays at the University,” Kia says. “Dad also stayed in touch with his teammates, who came by the house for barbecues and such. I was very familiar with Montclair before I became a student.”

Once enrolled in the Communication and Media Studies program at Montclair, Kia began charting her own unique path. “I loved learning about communication theories, and the class in live television directing was so much fun – even though I had to overcome my reluctance to explore the technical side of the field,” she says. “Through the classes and assignments, I was able to determine what I did, and didn’t, want to do after college.”

Kia also worked as a student assistant for the Machuga Heights residences and provided administrative support to the staff of the Office of Global Engagement. “I really enjoyed showing the international students all the wonderful things to do and see at Montclair and in the New York metropolitan area,” she says, noting that she also studied abroad, in Spain.

Kia’s journey was enhanced by completing a minor in Business, by joining the Alliance for Women in Media, and becoming part of the team at WMSC 90.3 FM. “I learned about the station during my first week on campus,” she says. “I have always loved radio and wanted to get involved, and then I learned that I could have my own show! This was very exciting for me.”

Kia’s show, “Overnight Delight,” ran from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. “I learned everything about radio, from scheduling artist interviews to making public service announcements,” she says. “My show focused on hip hop and R&B artists, which was different from the other WMSC programs at the time. I had a great time meeting a lot of local artists while perfecting my skills. My work at the station helped me secure internships as well.”

While still a student, Kia completed internships at BET, NBCUniversal, VH1 and Press Here Publicity. After graduation she joined VICE Media as a communications assistant, and later as a talent assistant at Warner Bros. Discovery. She created, co-hosted and produced the Sufficiently Black podcast, in addition to a series of freelance directing and producing projects.

In 2021, Kia joined iHeartMedia as a supervising producer for the company’s Ruby division, which focuses on branded content for corporate clients. To date, her podcast work has received numerous recognitions across the industry. As supervising producer for season 1 of the “Official Game of Thrones Podcast: House of Dragon,” she received three Signal Awards and was a Shorty Award Finalist/Gold Honor recipient. There have been numerous nominations too, from the Webby Awards and The Podcast Academy’s Ambies® award program.

Montclair has never been far from view. Kia remains in touch with a few of her former professors, and she recently joined the University’s Black Alumni Advisory Council, formed in 2021 to bring together Montclair graduates who are of African descent.

“I am looking forward to meeting more students,” Kia says of her involvement. “I love when they reach out to me on LinkedIn. The media industry is very competitive. I am always going to try to help a Montclair student however I can, with advice or an introduction. I enjoy connecting people.”

“Whatever their goals, I encourage them to take advantage of all of the opportunities at Montclair,” she continues. “I also remind them that everything is not in their control, especially in a tough job market and tougher industry. You have to keep working hard and keep putting yourself in the path of opportunity.”

Kia takes particular pride in her alma mater’s embrace of the many rich cultures on campus. “I grew up in a small town,” she points out. “At Montclair, I benefited from meeting people from around the country and around the world.”

It has been a year since her father passed. Kia plans to be at Homecoming on Sept. 27, to celebrate her father’s commitment to Montclair. “It is an honor to build his legacy at the University,” she says.