Student Profile: Marley Comito

For Marley Comito, senior, journalism runs through the bloodlines.

Her mother, Jordana Green, is a WCCO radio host and has her own show, The Paul & Jordana Show. With a large interest in the entertainment industry, Comito looks up to her mother and finds it helpful to have her inspiration living under the same roof. 

“Whenever I’ve been asked ‘Who’s your biggest inspiration?’ I always felt like it was so cliche to say ‘my mom’ but it is the truth. My mom studied as a broadcast journalist and has worked in the media industry all over the country, so she is the most media-experienced person I know,” Comito said. “I always feel lucky to have her wisdom and advice because she has really seen it all.”

Although Comito’s journey in finding interest in journalism and entertainment started with her mom, it doesn’t end there.

After going a semester abroad through the Alexander Muss High School in Israel program [AMHSI], Comito started vlogging her daily experiences.

“Although I love to live in the moment, Muss was an experience that I never wanted to forget, but also share with my friends and family back at home that had no idea what I was doing,” Comito said. “With that in mind, I started posting weekly vlogs on YouTube to recap what our daily experiences were like, what I was going through, how I felt, etc. to give an honest insight into how my life abroad was.”

Her weekly vlogging paid off, as Comito was also asked if her content that was posted to YouTube could be used by AMHSI as promotional material.

Following her experience in Israel, Comito was also approached by the Minneapolis Jewish Federation to start writing blog posts for their website.

“I initially wrote one blog post for them to share a memory I had from my trip, but it was so well-received that they ended up asking me if I’d like to be a featured teen writer on their online magazine by writing a blog post every month,” Comito said.

For Comito, writing the blog posts came with lots of excitement, but it also gave her a new challenge to face.

“The target audience is around 30 years old and up, so sometimes when I’m writing I have to pause and think to myself: Is this something that would interest me and my friends, or something that older people would want to read?” 

Luckily for Comito, her experience writing for an older audience will prove to be helpful to forward her career aspirations. 

Comito recently announced her partnership with Twin Cities (TC) Jewfolk to create a podcast called Spill the Soup that highlights what it’s like to be a teenager in today’s times. 

“The goal of my podcast is to serve as a teen podcast for parents, adults, or anyone else interested in listening,” Comito said. “It consists of me having conversations with other teenagers about common Gen-Z issues or predominant topics like social media, mental health, the pandemic, college search, and anything else ‘teen’ you can think of.”

Getting started and settled in as a vlogger, writer, and podcaster is no easy task, as Comito faced a lot of nerves when it came to the thought of how her peers would perceive her. Comito hopes those interested in media and journalism approach their goals and ideas with confidence.

“It’s a universal idea for teenagers to be afraid or nervous to put themselves out there, so it’s important to know that your feelings are valid and you are not alone,” Comito said.