Meet Ashley Dickey: Our November Leading Woman

Name: Ashley Dickey

Major: Journalism and Political Science, German minor

Hometown: St. Louis, MO

What are your career/life goals?

My dream job is to be a producer for network television in Washington, D.C.! I look forward to continuing to work in local news outlets on the way to my dream job, because I get to serve my community while learning more about the people and the places in it. Growing up I was always curious to discover who and what made television newscasts happen, and in my career, I get to be a part of that. I'd also like to find a good work-life balance in my career, and I want to travel to new places in the U.S. and Europe to keep broadening my worldview. 

What is your favorite part about your major and why did you choose it?

I have known since fifth grade that journalism was the career for me. When I was in elementary school I wanted to be an ESPN anchor, so it’s safe to say things have changed since then. Still, I have always held the same values of curiosity and responsibility to my community. Every day is different in news, but that’s what makes a career in journalism incredibly exciting to me.

Since my mom is a Mizzou alumna, I knew I wanted to come to Mizzou for the Missouri School of Journalism. I knew the professional, real-world experience I’d receive at the J-School would be unparalleled, and it continuously proves me right. I’m excited for all I’ll accomplish here and beyond! I am also glad to share the Journalism School with a great family friend of mine and a Mizzou Theta alum, Norine Cannon (MC ‘85). 

What inspired you to start your small business and what has that experience been like so far?

I started my mini button business, Shop Smiles by AD, because I got an industrial button maker for Christmas my freshman year. I thought it would be so fun to design and make buttons for our chapter and other organizations on campus. Making designs in Canva is my little creative outlet in between school work. Since I got my button machine, I’ve made over 400 buttons and done a couple of pop-up shops at Theta’s friends and family weekends. My favorite part about making buttons is being able to contribute to people’s gameday outfits and backpack button stacks, because I get to help them show off their Mizzou pride or involvement in different organizations on campus.

What is Fighting Pretty and what does this organization mean to you as President?

After battling for eight years, my dad passed away from a rare form of stage four lung cancer two weeks before I came to college, and three of the most important women in my life were diagnosed with and have survived different types of cancer. As soon as I learned about Fighting Pretty Mizzou’s mission from former president Ashley Ryken, I knew this organization would become my passion in college. We fundraise throughout each semester to get supplies for Pretty Packages, which are given to women battling cancer to help them feel strong, beautiful, and supported in their fight against any type of cancer. It has been my goal to become president of Fighting Pretty Mizzou since joining my freshman year, so I am so happy to have been elected president of Fighting Pretty Mizzou for 2025. It means everything to me that I get the opportunity to lead Fighting Pretty Mizzou’s executive board and its over 300 members in giving Fighting Pretty love to each woman that needs it in Missouri and beyond.

What organizations or hobbies you are passionate about?

This semester I had the incredible opportunity to work in three different newsrooms each week through my classes in the Journalism School. At Vox Magazine I’ve worked as a digital producer, contributing to all things on Vox’s website, social media, and newsletter. I am also a copy editor at the Columbia Missourian’s ICE Desk, proofing reporter and wire stories before publication and editing pages before they go to print. At KOMU 8, I am an assistant producer, and I produced my first show before Thanksgiving break! I’ll be producing three times a week next semester in a class with KOMU’s news director, which I am very excited about. 

I am also a Journalism Ambassador for the Missouri School of Journalism, a position I share with a group of Thetas! I love getting to represent the school that has jump-started my career and help guide prospective students in their college decision journey. Mizzou has given me so much already and I am so glad to share my experiences with prospective students and their families.

What does Theta mean to you?

Theta gives me a space to call home at Mizzou in a way I never could have imagined. I am surrounded by passionate leading women who are always encouraging and supporting each other to do their best, whether that’s getting a good grade on a test or going for a leadership role in an organization. Theta love is true and constant, and I am so glad to receive that love and reciprocate it at every chance I get. At 603, I feel so valued and seen for who I truly am, and I am constantly thankful that I ran home to Theta on bid day.

Do you have any advice for underclassmen?

Invest in the people around you and give yourself grace! The relationships you build in college are so much more valuable than your degree alone, and taking care of yourself should always be a priority because doing your best can look different from day to day. Another piece of advice I got was from an MC ‘19 at her senior chapter, and it resonated with me: Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end.

Do you have a specific favorite Theta memory?

There are too many to pick just one: living in-house with Elyse, my little, Kenna, welcoming Anna in our pledge family this year, coordinating Flapjacks with Grace this fall, and the whole chapter singing me happy birthday during work week are just a few. One memory stands out as a symbol of Theta inspiring me to be a leader on campus and shoot for the (twin) stars in everything I do. This past spring I was tapped into Omicron Delta Kappa, one of Mizzou’s six secret societies. This is an honor I never would have envisioned myself receiving if it wasn’t for all the Thetas that were tapped before me and all of the women in our chapter who continue to inspire me every day. What made this experience even sweeter was that I found out I was going to be tapped with Beth and Joey, two MC ‘21s that I look up to for their leadership and involvement on campus and in Theta. I am so incredibly honored to share ODK with them.