One of Lower Moreland’s Finest: Dina Gusovsky
Dina Gusovsky (front row, right), head writer for Late Night With Seth Meyers
Whether she is in front of the camera on weeknights or behind the scenes writing the comical lines for comedic legend Seth Meyers, Dina Gusovsky is a true star who proved to me that ambition can help you achieve your wildest dreams.
On December 6, 2023, I was lucky enough to interview one of Lower Moreland’s Finest, Dina Gusovsky, a graduate from the class of 2005. I wanted to reach out to Dina to find out how Lower Moreland shaped her success and what advice she has for students who are currently marching in her former stomping grounds.
To begin our interview, I asked Dina how Lower Moreland set her up for her career today. To that, Dina rapidly replied:
“[Lower Moreland] was such a competitive environment, motivating everyone around you. I always felt like I had something to prove, you know. There were many teachers who demonstrated their support towards me, making my dreams valid; however, there were many skeptics too, so looking back in time, I have learned to take everything with a grain of salt, and that sticking to your true passion is simply all you need. As we grow, and lean closer to our goals, we learn that there are so many opportunities, but I learned that working hard, still being humble, and gracious, are the values most needed for success.”
To continue, I asked Dina which courses provided by Lower Moreland gave her the “push” to follow her passion of journalism:
“I was definitely more of the History, Writing, English student. I took AP courses that I was truly interested in, not so much that looked “impressive.” I took AP Art History, AP European History, AP U.S. History. However, the math and the sciences were kind of just checked off my list, giving me a realistic idea of what I was really interested in.”
Dina also expressed, “I remember always being into politics, and watching the news at home, I would always come into Mr. Pezza’s class prepared to discuss the current events occurring in the world at the time, allowing me to dive deeper into what I found to be just so interesting.” She added, “I also just remember being captivated by Mr. Haldeman’s stories, especially regarding the Gambia. He is just such a great storyteller and person.”
After graduating in 2005, Dina studied Political Science, aiding her entrance to the field of journalism. Dina shared with me the story of her career.
“I feel like I did every internship under the sun, including PR.” However, in particular, she held an internship with the United Nations the (UN) with CNN, morphing her ideal role in journalism. These internships had an immense impact on Dina, including , helping her decide whether she wanted to be behind or in front of the camera. Dina continues, “I am so fortunate to have held these roles. Without them, I would not have known the different perspectives that come along with journalism. I feel like when we are young, we build these idealistic fantasies of what our future will look like, but without trial and error, you really just don’t know”.
I asked Dina what advice, if any, she would grant students who are interested in the journalism field:
Without any hesitation, Dina responded, “Just keep asking questions. With the rise of the media, anyone can do their own writing and research. Despite any field, the ability to write well is such an underrated skill. Writing is just invaluable.” Laughing, Dina added, “Just learn how to write a cohesive email, it is just so helpful in the real world.”
After discussing her early career, I finally had the opportunity to ask Dina what it is like to write for Late Night with Seth Meyers:
“Well, it is funny, I reached out to the head writer of the Late Night team when I decided to make the leap from journalism to comedy writing, and I really did not know that much I was getting into, and it made me appreciate the skill of comedy writing, and writing in general so much more.”
Dina continued: “I remember the first time we were nominated for an Emmy award in 2017, and my dad went up to my boss saying, “Aren’t you glad you hired her [Dina]?” and with that my boss replied, “well she reached out.” That has always been one of my favorite stories to tell because my ambition and my itch for something new stood out. So when in doubt, just ask. Ambition will take you so far.”
There are immense perquisites of working in the comedy field, one of the best being the incredible stars you meet along the way. So, when asked if there was any one person who Dina was truly star-struck by, she replied:
“I rarely ask to meet people, but I did ask to meet Julia Louis Dreyfus. She is one of my favorites, and she was incredible as expected!”
When asked who her role model was, Dina answered:
“I will say the truth which is clichè, but definitely my Grandmother, who was the strongest person I knew, she was a Holocaust survivor. She passed away nearly a year ago, and she fought to nearly her last breath, and her spirit of just not giving up and giving everything she had is just so inspiring to me. She instilled values within me that can apply universally.” To add, Dina expressed how she got to talk about how special her grandmother was on the show, even writing about her to Vanity Fair, too.
To conclude our interview, I asked Dina if she could go back in time, what advice would she give to her High School self?
With thought, Dina answered, “I would say it is a long journey and to just not take everything so personally, and know that things are not going to happen when you want them to, but just keep on going and enjoy the journey. Just enjoy”.
I would like to thank Dina for using her voice to share the power of ambition and motivation. I hope I was able to help reconnect you to your Lower Moreland roots. Thank you for everything you do to help others laugh around the nation. We will always be cheering for you here in Lower Moreland and forever proud that you allowed your ambition to win.
Mia’s Zoom interview with Dina on 12/6/23
