Aspen Bilton-Gregoire is a senior at the University of Missouri School of Journalism, with an emphasis in Photojournalism and Documentary, in the Honors College. She is a very active member of her school community as a Residential Advisor, member of the National Association of Black Journalists Alé Chapter, Journalism Ambassador, and former Jumpstart AmeriCorps. She has also had the opportunity to complete two MU journalism abroad internships program having interned in Barcelona, Spain, and Delhi, India. She has been featured on the Dean’s Honor Roll every semester, receiving a 3.89 GPA.
Outside of school, she is a staff photographer at the Columbia Missourian, a digital-first newspaper based in Columbia, Missouri, publishing online seven days a week and in print five days a week. She was the Lead Event Producer for a fashion show collaboration between Cross Colours and SocialWorks. She also worked with production company Lakeshorehy Media Productions as the operations and production manager, helping curate advertisements for companies such as Facebook and Lyft. Her most fulfilling experience has been co-founding the student-led Heat of the Moment Festival, formerly known as the ‘We Outsideee! Festival, which focuses on providing a platform for musical artists and entrepreneurs of color to grow their platforms.
She will begin working on a Master of Arts degree in directing from the MetFilm School in Berlin, Germany, starting in September of 2025.
Outside of her achievements, Aspen is extremely passionate about her Christian faith, traveling, reading, learning new languages, writing, and event production.