Dalinda Ifill-Pressat ’05: Pursuing Her Own Path

Today, Ifill-Pressat is director of marketing and communications at Children’s Services of Roxbury, a Boston nonprofit that last year celebrated its 50th anniversary. CSR provides human services support for children and families in need. “We’re one of the largest Black-run nonprofits in Massachusetts,” says Ifill-Pressat. She’s thrilled to be in charge of “shaping CSR’s messaging in a way that uplifts our community.”

Ifill-Pressat, who grew up in Dorchester, arrived at Rivers in middle school, having been supported by the Steppingstone Scholars Program, which positions inner-city youth to apply to exam schools or independent schools. When it came time to select a school, says Ifill-Pressat, “I chose Rivers, despite the distance from my home. When I visited, I loved the community. There was a sense of welcome and a feeling that it was a safe space.” 

Much at Rivers was unfamiliar, but the experience, she says, was never overwhelming or alienating. “I had the opportunity and privilege of being in a community of people who pushed you to stay on the track of wanting more out of life. If you got lost—well, it’s almost like you couldn’t get lost. They wouldn’t let you,” says Ifill-Pressat. 

During her undergraduate years at Northeastern, Ifill-Pressat pursued communications and media studies, and she got a job offer at WBZ-TV upon graduation. She stayed for nearly 10 years, hoping to become a reporter or land on the assignment desk. But working on the production side, formatting and segmenting syndicated shows, offered no clear pathway to a newsroom role. 

Undaunted, Ifill-Pressat created her own show: “Your Caribbean News and Culture,” which ran on the local public-access cable outlet Boston Neighborhood Network Television. A native of Barbados, Ifill-Pressat was well acquainted with the local Caribbean community, and the project soon became a passion. She also decided that earning a master’s degree in journalism at Emerson College would help her figure out next steps. “TV is its own beast, and it was challenging to see how those skills and tools could be transferred to a different sector,” says Ifill-Pressat. “Grad school gave me the confidence and insight to pivot out of TV.”

After finishing her degree, she pursued several job leads, but, she says, “CSR just felt like home.” She joined the organization in 2019. Although she hadn’t intended to land in the nonprofit sector, the opportunity was too good to turn down: “Being part of what I like to call Black excellence and having that type of impact—I knew this was a place I wanted to be part of.” Ifill-Pressat, it seems, has found her table and claimed her seat there.

This story first appeared in the spring 2024 issue of the Riparian, The Rivers School's alumni magazine.