Alumni Spotlight: Jessica Rummel Metzger '05

Following her graduation from Westminster, Jessica Rummel Metzger '05, political science graduate, embarked on an exciting journey in Washington, D.C., where she worked in politics and media, including roles at the Financial Services Committee and CNN. The strong bonds she formed at Westminster made a lasting impact on her personal and professional life, nurturing her love for politics and provided her with the skills and confidence to pursue her passions, leading her to where she is today, as a senior audio editor at the New York Times.

Tell me a little bit about your time following graduation.

After graduation, I moved to Washington, D.C., with my best friend, Greg Smith '05. I worked for the Financial Services Committee in the House of Representatives while I got a master's in American Government at Georgetown University. I then moved over to CNN, becoming a producer and working on shows like "State of the Union," "The Lead with Jake Tapper," "The Situation Room" and "Wolf." I covered the 2012, 2016, and 2020 presidential elections, and was on the Emmy-award winning team at CNN for election night in 2012. Before leaving CNN in 2021, I spent 4 years as the executive producer of "Inside Politics with John King. " I pivoted to podcasts, working for a production company called School of Humans and we made podcasts for iHeart, including "Founding Son: John Quincy's America," featuring the voices of Nick Offerman and Patrick Warburton, and hosted by Bob Crawford of the Avett Brothers. I recently joined the New York Times as a senior editor of their daily news podcast, "The Headlines."

On the personal side, I met my husband at CNN and we got married on George Washington's estate. We moved from DC to Atlanta in 2014 and have been here ever since!

How did your experiences at Westminster shape your personal and professional life?

I have lifelong friends, thanks to Westminster. The intimate campus really lets you bond with your classmates. Serving as president of SGA taught me leadership and organizational skills. And being part of Kappa Delta gave me a supportive and loving community. 

The political science department was amazing, feeding my love of politics and helping me turn it into a career passion. I will always be thankful for Dr. James Rhoads and Dr. Ed Cohen for their guidance. On a side note, if Dr. Rhoads is still teaching The Politics of Rock n' Roll, I would encourage students to take that class. I love The Who because of him.

What advice would you give the Titan community (alumni and students) about making the most of their passions?

College is a great opportunity to explore passions and figure out what's a hobby and what's a lifelong pursuit. Make the most of it!  And always listen to your gut. Pivoting to a new career was an incredibly difficult and stressful decision for me, but Westminster had given me the skills of critical analysis and the confidence to trust my instincts.

What are some of your fondest memories from your time at Westminster?

My favorite memories were Greek Week, Sing n' Swing (2002 Kappa Delta winners), Mock Convention, Traveling to Ireland with Dr. Grove, the Theta Chi house, and going to Pizza Joe's (I still crave that pizza and their chicken sub).

Have you maintained Westminster connections after graduation? How has this benefitted you?

I recently went to the Atlanta alumni event, and it was wonderful to connect with both older and younger alumni and hear about everyone's time at Westminster and their personal journeys. I have also connected with other alumni over the years for career advice. It's a great network, so don't forget to use it when you're entering the workforce or looking for a new opportunity.

To learn more about political science at Westminster, click here.