Fall 2022 Mass Media Messenger

2022

MESSENGER

From the Editor-in-Chief When I came to Washburn, I was fully expecting to graduate with a degree in biology.

I would have never thought that after three years, I would be ready to walk across the stage with a degree in mass media.

It is not surprising to know Maggie Cabrera that we all have different paths that life can take us on, but sometimes the ones that are least expected always have the most impact. While reading through the alumni profiles and different stories about the department when editing this magazine, I noticed a common theme: resilience.

Not only are the alumni out in the world doing such versatile things with their degrees, but they are sent off ready to conquer whatever job they decide to take. I am convinced that some of the most creative people in this world were born to be mass media majors. We collectively take on roles that require a lot, and we are always able to think outside of the box.

Our alumni are doing things that have them thinking outside of the box every day, but they are insistent on never being put inside the box first. I think that is what sets the mass media department apart from others: we are not confined to one specific specialty. The department allows us to reach out of our comfort zones all while giving us various options and enhancing our skill sets.

The department continues to grow and flourish with the help of alumni. Mass media is made up of resilient people with the drive to be better and pursue work that they are passionate about. As my time within the department slowly comes to an end, I am grateful to know that my career options are starting to open.

As Regina Cassell pulled us through this semester to make something great, I am grateful to have been a part of the whole team. This magazine was made by resilient students for resilient alumni. It is a publication I am proud to be a part of and I hope you as readers feel inspired to find what you are passionate about and continue to be resilient in life.

- Maggie Cabrera

Staff Box Editor-in-Chief Maggie Cabrera

Staff Members Aja Carter Darrell Luarks Lauryn Massey Logan Schmidt Marissa Schimke Justin Shepard Katelyn Tryon Olivia Watson

Contributors

Issac Deer Brooke Donaldson Katie Hampton Jossie Hicks Callie Holthaus Gen Michaelis Emma Palasak Raul Ruiz Alyssa Storm

Faculty Adviser Regina Cassell

Cover design by Katelyn Tryon Volume 33 • Issue 2

The Washburn University Mass Media Messenger is created by students in MM403 Advanced Professional Media Writing and is mailed to all Department of Mass Media alumni and friends. It is also published online at issuu.com/massmediamessenger.

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CONTENTS 04

Kinesiology joins Mass Media within College

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MM416 class expands to include video

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Donations aid department

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Day of Giving

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Alumni Profile: Nigel Burgess

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Alumni Profiles: Maria Rodriguez and Jordan Yoder

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Alumni Profiles: Audriana Smith and Allison Elder

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Alumni Profiles: Farai Harreld and Tricia Peterson

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Alumni Profile: Kirk White

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Alumni Profile: Carly Stavola

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Alumni Profile: Regina and Adam Stephenson

08-09 Alumni Profile: Jade Hernandez

22-23 Faculty and Staff updates

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Alumni Profile: Drew Gill

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Washburn Filmmakers Association

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Mass media majors lend expertise

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Alumni class notes 3

Kinesiology joins Mass Media within College

by Logan Schmidt The College of Arts and Science created a new division to combine mass media and the kinesiology program to form the MMKN division.

The kinesiology program previously fell under the education division but will now form a new division with mass media. It was formerly within the creative performing arts division. The decision was made after the education division was separated from the College of Arts and Sciences, leaving kinesiology in limbo.

Maria Stover, professor and chair of the mass media department, said the decision to combine the two programs under the new division made sense due to the interdisciplinary characteristics of the two programs.

“Mass media can fit in so many

different areas; it was a very easy transition and decision,” Stover said.

“We also see opportunity for mass media to work with kinesiology.”

While the merge will not combine the two degree programs, there is a possibility for future collaboration between the two respective departments.

The Department of Mass Media acknowledges the opportunity to join kinesiology within the new division as a logical and beneficial relationship between the two departments.

“This is a way for us to connect with other faculty and departments,” said Regina Cassell, professor and director of Student Media.

Earlier this year, the mass media program looked to add a fourth concentration to the program known as the “sports and event media” emphasis but were unable to incorporate the

emphasis into this year’s curriculum.

Stover says there may be future opportunities for students with an interest in sports media to achieve a certification or minor while remaining with the mass media department.

“Sports marketing and promotions is something that comes to mind,” Stover said about potential certifications that could be offered for mass media students in the future. “One of the things the College of Arts and Science is exploring is the interdisciplinary minors, rather than mass media offering its own sports and the media concentration.”

“We are always looking for what’s best for the department,” Cassell said.

“You have to make sure that if you are going to do something new that we have the students and that we are not going to take away from something else we are trying to build.”

Mass Media updates symbol

by Logan Schmidt

The Department of Mass Media unveiled a new symbol to represent the department.

The new symbol was created by René Renteria, a psychology major and mass media minor, as part of an independent study with Maria Stover, chair and professor of mass media.

The department will use the symbol to connect students, alumni and friends to department iniatitives.

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April 21 - 23, 2023 Scan for more info

Award-winning Films Educational Workshops Filmmaker Talks

MM416 expands to include video projects

by Darrell Luarks In the mass media program here at Washburn, there are plenty of unique classes that allow students to use their creative freedom. One unique class is MM416: Digital and Social Content Strategies. That class does require some prior knowledge, which can be learned in MM321: Advanced Professional Media Applications. Kristen Grimmer, assistant professor of mass media, stated in an interview that she enjoys the students that join. All of the students who join are upperclassmen who are ready to do a hands-on project.

“They’ve had the beginning journalism classes and the beginning public relations classes so they know the strategies and we can do a project,” Grimmer said.

This course can directly translate to each student’s career field by teaching technical strategies along with the practical strategies they will need in their future career. Grimmer noted that the class is “now focusing on YouTube and creating a YouTube channel for the mass media department. We talk about SEO, which is how to do a keyword search, meta data along with how to write it, we have film projects they have made in groups and we will post them in January.”

Their videos will be posted throughout 2023 while the class during the fall 2023 semester will be working on videos that will be posted throughout 2024. To prepare future students in advance, Grimmer acknowledged that MM416 is a great elective for each mass media concentration.

“It is very project-oriented; we come in and we work. I expect the students to treat the class as if it is a mini-professional job,” Grimmer said.

Two students who are currently taking the course, Katelyn Tryon and Logan Schmidt, are making the most of it.

“We are learning how to apply the YouTube SEO to our content that we are creating in the course,” Schmidt said. With companies advancing, having created professional level content on YouTube already will especially stand out on a resume.

“I am effectively applying knowledge by comprehending

Photo courtesy of Maria Stover Hayden Kalp leads his team to create videos for Mass Media’s YouTube channel. (from left) Connor Dole, Halle Meister, Emily Burd, Katie Hampton, Dalton White, Ashley Williams and Kalp.

the core principles behind the content and skills that I need to use in the future,” Tryon said. Taking a deeper look into the knowledge and experience from this course, she also noted that “this class is helping me develop a deeper understanding of relationships, shared functions and organizing principles before my future career.”

The projects given by Grimmer require students to work in a team the same way they will have to in the workforce. When it comes to working in teams, Tryon mentioned that “participating in group work is another way I can apply the knowledge I am gaining in class. What I have learned in class can be different than what my colleagues have learned. Each person has different perspectives. The group work allows me to understand how as a team we can come together and have successful outcomes.”

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Donations aid department

by Olivia Watson

to our 2022 Day of Giving donors

THANKS!

The Washburn Alumni Association and Foundation plans its Day of Giving around Washburn’s birthday. This event allows alumni, students, Washburn family and friends to partner with specific departments and programs.

These gifts support Washburn students as they gain experiences for a successful future.

The money mass media receives is divided into four areas: programs, technology, scholarships and travel opportunities. Programs such as the WIFI Film Festival, an annual event offering films from around the world and

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industry workshops, also gives students a venue to debut their own film projects to the public.

“The money from the Day of Giving makes it possible for us to be able to bring these different filmmakers,” said Maria Stover, chair of the Mass Media Department.

Funds also secure software and equipment for students, and last year the department purchased a SD60 Canon camera for film and video classes.

The donations also support scholarships, certifications and national competitions for students.

Donations also provide the unique experience of traveling and learning

Lucas Anderson Andrew Anglin Leonard & Rosalie Anglin Bayley Baker Kenneth Bangert Hang Bien Huong Bien Derek Blanchard Janette Bojorquez David Brooks Katherine Browne Rick & Mary Bruntmeyer Rikki Bruntmeyer Jaycee Burns Ally Burr Benny & Gladys Cabrera Cassandra Cabrera Regina & Gene Cassell Andrew Coe Kevin Conner Dan Decker Harrison Dollar Michael E. Edwards Kevin Frank

outside the traditional classroom.

Specifically, the donations will help with the upcoming Spring Break Paris Trip 2023, where students will be exposed to writers, reporters and photojournalists.

The next Day of Giving is Feb. 3, 2023. Alumni, friends and family are encouraged to donate or become an ambassador to help spread the word.

Anyone can be an ambassador by reaching out to massmedia@washburn. edu. Ambassadors advertise and gather donations during the Day of Giving. In 2022, the top ambassadors were able to select the Washburn Fund of their choice to recieve bonus funds set aside by the Washburn Foundation.

Brian Friedman Nancy-Michael Ganson Doris Graff Eric Haley Nathan Hayes Brette Herber Matt Herber Kennedy Hinck Jenny Hohman Tracy Horacek Ethan Jackson Helen Jamison Holly Jamison Leah Jamison Marian & Terry Jamison Ryan Johnson Nathaniel Kessler Jessica Knieff Abigail Lafever Roman Lindstrom Timothy Lockett Lexie Longbine Daniel Lopez Kyle Manthe

Chris Marshall Michael Massey Kathy Menzie Elizabeth Michaelis Brad Noller Sara Olberding Bonnie Palasak Lucas Paris Terry Ralston Marcus Ramirez Charles Rankin Rene Renteria Logan Schmidt Balin Schneider Alyssa Storm Janice Storm Janette Storm Maria Stover Lisa Taylor J.R Treto Alawna Watson Delainey Williams

DAY OF GIVING 2022

Bill, ba ‘74, H’19, and Malinda Malloy matched $1,000

138 Gifts

$5,6

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The Mass Media program had the highest number of gifts out of 114 programs at Washburn, which earned an incentive from the Washburn Allumni Association and Foundation.

graphic by Olivia Watson

Alumna Leah Jamison was Top Ambassador with 66 gifts and selected mass media to receive the incentive money.

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Hernandez finds her place in journalism

by Logan Schmidt and Jossie Hicks Jade Hernandez graduated from Washburn University in 2000 with a mass media degree. Prior to graduation, she landed a full time position at KTKATV, an ABC-affiliated television station in Topeka, Kansas. After working at KTKA in her last semester of college, she got a job in Kansas City working for NBC Action News.

Hernandez worked there for almost six years and started applying for other jobs all over the country. She narrowed her choices down to a job in Georgia that had an immediate offer for her and one in San Francisco, which she had to interview for but was the job she wanted.

She decided to go to the interview in San Francisco and got the job in 2006. Over the course of five years, she worked on the morning news shift, beginning her day at 3:30 a.m. and then going on air at 5 a.m. through 9 a.m.

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While in San Francisco, Hernandez met her husband. She then had her son, who is now 10 years old.

In 2013, her husband accepted a job with the Weather Channel and they moved to Atlanta, Georgia, where the Cox Media group headquarters is located. The family lived there for a while and then Hernandez landed her dream job in Chicago, Illinois.

Chicago had been the “big city” in her mind when she was growing up.

People would ask her if she wanted to go to Los Angeles or New York but for Hernandez, Chicago was the place to be.

She had experience with freelance work since she had left San Francisco prior to landing the job at the ABC station in Chicago. The company’s parent company was Disney. At the time, they only had one freelancer. She offered to work any position they needed, including freelance work, as well as covering for three months on air when a

colleague went on maternity leave.

Out of all the jobs that Hernandez had, the one in Chicago was her favorite.

Her husband worked at Fox, which was a competitor to the ABC station that she currently worked for. Between her job and her husband being an executive producer, they jumped between several places. Her husband later got a job on Michaela Pereira’s TV show “Michaela” on HLN. They headed back to California, but this time their destination was Los Angeles.

She balanced freelance work with childcare as her son was transitioning into kindergarten. She found a job at an ABC station in Los Angeles, which was owned by Disney as well. Hernandez went in for an interview which only lasted 10 minutes. She assumed that she wouldn’t get the job, but was surprised when he began talking about a potential start date.

Since 2016, Hernandez has been a

reporter for ABC 7 Eyewitness News.

She works mostly during the morning news hours. A morning reporter has to be able to do everything quickly: switch gears, assess and put things together.

“It has been wonderful to keep working and keep doing what I love,” Hernandez said. She has an incredible time reporting in Los Angeles. While in Los Angeles, Hernandez covered several major stories.The first one she covered was a private Sting concert that was held at Cal State Northridge University.

Less than 100 people attended. Sting did an interview with the DJ and played a handful of songs. It was a moment where she felt that she had truly made it in the Los Angeles market.

Hernandez made the decision to return to school in 2020. Since she had graduated in 2000, “news had changed.”

She expressed a desire to stay current with the trends.

“Social media platforms, content on social platforms, is how many people get their news and although a traditionalist and someone who still loves to hold a newspaper and still works in front of a camera, I understand that digital content is becoming the go-to,” Hernandez said.

“In 2000 I had never even experienced an online class … so I really wanted to understand better. I had a lot of frustrations on how social media works.”

She talked about the changing relationships between reporters, the actual news and the audience.

“I think that social media pushes journalists to be personalities online, and I think sometimes it is a very difficult line to work with every day because you have to put yourself out there. But there are certain things you can’t talk about or there are certain things that are triggers, where the negativity and hate that journalists receive on the other end for being as honest and authentic as they can be is incredible,” Hernandez said.

She noticed that the television stations she worked at - from Atlanta to

Chicago to Los Angeles - all handled social media differently. Hernandez wanted to get a background there and figure out where she fits in this evolving world. “... if this is the wave of the future, if this is where we’re headed, then I can’t stay where I am with the knowledge I have,” Hernandez said.

When the pandemic hit, Hernandez found herself with little time between her roles as teacher’s aid for her son, as well as working on the weekends.

She and her husband talked, and he encouraged her to go back to school.

She had a colleague who suggested she attend the University of Kansas online.

Hernandez is thrilled for the new opportunities the future holds for her.

“It’s an ever-changing world, but I am much more confident about where my place is,” Hernandez said.

She is excited to take this new knowledge to a new station and apply for jobs where she can help shape their digital content.

photo courtesy of Jade Hernandez Jade Hernandez has found her passion in journalism as an on-site reporter, but she has gone back to school and is looking forward the new opportunites to come.

“I think that social media pushes journalists to be personalities online, and I think it is a very difficult line to work with every day because you have to put yourself out there.”

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From intern to marketing specialist

Wright puts his teamwork skills and learned curriculum into his new job

by Darrell Luarks & Nicholas Wright Nigel Burgess, a Washburn mass media student-athlete graduate, turned an internship into an unexpected career.

Coming into Washburn University from Lee’s Summit, Missouri, in 2015, Nigel had no clue that he would end up becoming a digital marketing specialist immediately after graduating from Washburn.

“I did an internship last June 2021 with the company I’m with now. It’s a software company named Reltio. I do marketing for them,” Burgess said.

After graduating in May of 2021, Burgess begin to experience a quick jumpstart to his career with Reltio, a master data management software company. It would not take long before Burgess would begin climbing his way up the corporate ladder. Less than a year later, he found himself in the position of digital market specialist - a role he never imagined that he would take on.

“It’s different than what I went to school for, but a lot of the philosophies are the same,” Burgess said. Burgess graduated with a mass media degree with an emphasis in public relation skills. Becoming a marketing specialist was not always the plan for him.

“What’s cool about Washburn, in the mass media department particularly, is that when your emphasis is public

relations, it prepares you for a lot of things that are not public relations,” Burgess said.

Most surprises in life can’t be prepared for, and his career path was only the beginning of life adjustments after finishing school. He had to adjust his skill set and quickly stepped into a role of leadership. Burgess is in charge of setting up his sales team with the best opportunities to be successful by seeking out consumers who would benefit most from Reltio services.

Burgess gives credit to his experiences as a college athlete. He played football for Washburn from 2015-2019 and his experience equipped him with the ability to fit into team environments, along with teaching him to have a work ethic that stands out in the corporate world.

“College football is mentally and physically challenging,” Burgess said.

“Going through that has increased my professional rigor, as well as helped me get off to a fast start and for that, I’m thankful.”

The one thing that Washburn was not able to prepare Burgess for was becoming a dad. Right after graduating, Burgess would become a father to his daughter Brooklyn. Luckily, with his position at Reltio, he is allowed to work from home, which is very convenient now that he is a father. Overall, he is enjoying life after graduation and

photos courtesy of Nigel Burgess

becoming a family man.

“Now having a little vacation money, it is nice being able to take trips with the family,” said Burgess.

Burgess’ job as a digital marketing specialist is to work on Reltio’s web projects, media content creation and help them with their social media accounts.

Even though he was a public relations emphasis, Washburn’s required mass media courses touch on each journalism field at some point. The classes are a big reason why he is overqualified for his current career but enjoying his time as a new employee.

Nigel Burgess stands with Captain Snowflake at the AWS Event in Las Vegas.

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Alumna recognizes value of building relationships

by Issac Deer and Aja Carter Maria Rodriguez, 2011, Microsoft communications consultant, took her mass media degree and made herself into a successful technology specialist.

Rodriguez is an experienced digital marketer, community manager, blogger and strategist in all aspects of media.

“I use the foundations Washburn gave me 10 years ago,” Rodriguez said.

“Obviously, things are a bit different from my time at Washburn, but we use the same kind of design methods that I learned in mass media.”

Rodriguez appreciates the courses that Washburn provided during her time on campus. As most mass media students know, internships are required.

Without the Library Foundation internship Rodriguez had, she wouldn’t have developed the relationships that made her who she is today.

“Washburn made sure that we understood the importance of building

photo courtesy of Maria Rodriguez Alumna Maria Rodriguez takes media relations by storm as a successful technology speacialist. relationships,” Rodriguez said. “I appreciate that Washburn made us take internships and helped us build relationships. The internship helped me meet another Latina. Meeting another Latina woman gave me confidence.”

Unlike the average post-college path,

it didn’t take Rodriguez long to get into the industry. She was able to enter the communications industry approximately six months after graduating.

“I did not get my dream job right away,” Rodriguez said. “I started as an administrative specialist at JHP, which was an advertising agency in Topeka. I started getting experience in advertising and some exposure in client communications. That first ‘career’ type of job after college was important in my career path.”

Washburn teaches students to design newsletters to inform the campus about various events, people and projects.

Rodriguez currently helps create, design and publish a newsletter at Microsoft.

“The newsletters I work on now are different but similar to the ones I helped create when I was at Washburn,” Rodriguez said. “The newsletters I do now have the same concepts that the ones at Washburn had.”

Internship turns into full-time job

by Gen Michaelis and Katelyn Tryon Jordan Yoder, 2019, began her journey in 2018 as an intern at Advisors Excel. Little did she know this would later turn into a full-time career at a place she loves and thrives at.

In her current role she uses some of the media background and marketing background from Washburn. She said the portfolio class she took was very helpful in gaining interviewing skills and “learning how to be a working professional.”

A lot of mass media graduates find themselves working for Advisors, including a former classmate of Yoder’s, Ally Ulsaker, 2019.

“Jordan is an incredibly enthusiastic, hardworking individual. I always know

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that she puts 110% of her efforts into whatever she is doing. If it’s something that may be a minute task or something that is very pressing, you can count on her to give it her all,” said Ulsaker.

“She is also a breath of fresh air; if a day gets hard or you need a little pick me up, Jordan is always there to lend a helping hand and give a few words of encouragement.”

Yoder is grateful for her versatile degree and being able to have so much room to change and grow within the company that she started out at years ago while still in college.

“There’s always something new to learn and next steps for you here,” said Yoder.

photo courtesy of Jordan Yoder Yoder is the relationship manager within the marketing department at Adviors Excel in Topeka.

Social media manager helps Kansans

By Katie Hampton and Justin Shepard COVID-19 brought many challenges for businesses, individuals and day-today life, even in aspects one wouldn’t expect. As a social media and website content manager at the Kansas Department of Labor, Audriana Smith has faced these challenges every day for the past two years.

“Approximately the last two years of my job has been primarily crisis management and communication, which was incredibly stressful at times,” said Smith.

Now, Smith is excited to move out of this phase and into a “new age of communications,” where she is setting up and executing new social media strategies.

After graduating from Washburn, Smith happened to come across an open position as a social media and website content manager. Although she did not have much experience in social media,

she took a leap of faith and applied.

“From the outside, many people believe a social media coordinator just writes content and posts it across social media,” said Becky Shaffer, Audriana’s supervisor at KDOL. “Audriana is really good at gathering the data, analyzing and creating detailed reports for leadership to review and understand.”

Smith’s job entails sharing relevant information to Kansans regarding topics such as unemployment insurance, workers compensation, workplace laws and safety.

“The information I’m sharing is vital for some Kansans,” Smith said. “I also like that the social media/digital marketing realm is constantly changing, so you always have to be on your toes.”

Ideally, Smith would like to stay at KDOL and expand her communications team beyond focusing solely on social media to digital marketing.

Smith hopes to give their agency

photo courtesy of Audiana Smith Alumna Audiana Smith takes on a role that primarily handles social media at KDOL. more of a well rounded digital presence.

In her free time, she chases after her 19-month-old son, goes to the gym and enjoys the outdoors with her family.

Recently, she has started freelancing on the side and hopes to one day open up her own digital marketing agency.

Data analyst looks back on her career

by Gen Michaelis and Maggie Cabrera Allison Elder is the epitome of overcoming stereotypes on what a career should be.

“I actually interned at St. Francis Hospital in the marketing and communications department,” Elder said. Her career can be pinpointed to her time at Washburn.

After graduating in 2010 with a mass media degree, Elder began her career journey at Genesis Health Club handling marketing and communication. After staying there for about a year, Elder then made the switch to Payless at their corporate office.

Elder always knew the changes were the right moves within her career.

“Don’t pigeonhole yourself; there’s a

photo courtesy of Allison Elder Alumna Allison Elder uses her skills in a unique career at Advisors Excel. lot of skills that aren’t just in the media field that people have that they can take to other jobs,” Elder said.

Having this mindset and outlook on her professional life got her to her current job at Advisors Excel as a data analyst in the wealth department. At

this company, Elder described the wide range of areas they have and how there is always room to grow.

“I’ve always tried to make sure that I’m moving forward in my career and not backwards,” Elder said.

Elder is proof that one should not feel limited by their degree. She shows that one can do great fulfilling work wherever they go.

“She’s very hardworking, has a great work ethic and she’s just great,” said Jordan Yoder, a coworker of Elder.

Elder knows what she wants out of her career and she is not afraid to make changes to get there. This type of perseverance is something inspiring for all to take away from. Elder will continue growing and moving in her career to get to the best place for herself.

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Media skills allow a custom path

by Brooke Donaldson and Maggie Cabrera Poetry, essays, articles, recipes, short videos, Doula work, guest speaking and conferences. What industry offers all these opportunities? The answer to this: freelancing. For Farai Harreld, it was stepping away from corporate work to carve her own path.

“I worked as a public education coordinator for five years in the Topeka area,” said Harreld, who received her bachelor’s degree in mass media in 2015.

“Freelancing has given me the opportunity to focus on so many different facets of work that interest me, and more time to just experience life,” said Harreld. “I love it because no day is ever the same.”

Harreld works as a guest speaker at

the Kansas Children’s Discovery Center twice a month.

“Farai has incredibly diverse talent and she is amazing with the kids who come out to the Discovery Center,” said Laura Burton, Washburn alumna and director of marketing and development at the KCDC. “You can just tell how passionate she is about interacting with the children and teaching them the wonders of nature.”

Jaquita Clark, a friend of Harreld, says that she not only does amazing freelance work, but is an amazing mother and friend.

“You can tell purely from her work that she has such a heart for people and is passionate about advocacy and making sure everyone feels they have a place and purpose,” said Clark.

Creating connections and being part of a community is another aspect of life

that is very important to Harreld.

“I learned a lot from my years at Washburn, but the importance of community was what stuck with me the most after graduation,” Harreld said.

“Community is something you will always need, no matter where you are in life.”

Harreld hopes to publish children’s books, continue with all her other practices and never lose sight of what’s truly important in her life.

photo courtsey of Farai Harreld

Media alumna puts creativity into menus

by Raul Rúiz and Justin Shepard Tricia Peterson earned her bachelor’s degree in mass media in 2014. Despite a concentration in contemporary journalism, Peterson opened her own catering company while in college. She began by catering friends’ weddings without any equipment until she began having success, allowing her to purchase her own. Now, 2 Chefs Catering has grown significantly during the last 12 years.

“In this kind of work, nothing is going to go the way you want it,” Peterson said. “Be prepared for anything; be prepared to improvise.”

2 Chefs Catering is owned by Peterson and her husband Ryan. They currently run the café at the Topeka Shawnee County Public Library, which

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has just expanded to a new location between 17th Street and Medford Avenue in Topeka.

Peterson recalls putting in a proposal for the library café last fall and being thrilled when it was accepted. However, along with the joy came the task of creating a new business plan and menu pricing.

At the library café, 2 Chefs Catering employs four staff members and one at their new site. When asked what she values in her staff, Peterson replied selfsufficiency is key; in her business, one never knows what might happen.

Peterson hasn’t given much thought to her long-term ambitions, but in 10 years she would like her company to develop to the point where she doesn’t have to be everywhere all of the time.

Peterson also mentions that future

goals include “a bigger company, more equipment, the ability to cater larger events and another van.”

Peterson knows hard work is only one part of the equation for success.

Peterson and her husband enjoy going out to eat, shopping in Kansas City and visiting the park with their son.

“I enjoy going home and spending time with my family,” said Peterson.

“You have to learn to separate work life and home life.”

photo courtesy of Kirk White

Alumnus brings the heat to fire safety Media skills prove useful throughout career

by Callie Holthaus and Lauryn Massey Washburn alumnus Kirk White is an excellent illustration of just how versatile a mass media degree can be.

After graduating, White held various positions related to the media industry. First, he worked in sales for Simplex before transitioning to a management position at Jostens Bindery. After nearly 14 years at Jostens, he accepted a position working for Banner Creek, LLC as a processing coach.

“I went out into the world and didn’t take the traditional PR route, but I had the skills,” White said.

White has since put his mass media degree to work advocating for fire safety in the industrial services industry. Since 2015, White has worked as a portables and suppression manager for Tech Electronics. With the help of his two technicians, he oversees the maintenance and installation of fire extinguishers in places such as

restaurants, schools and health facilities where fire safety is a major concern.

“One of the best parts of my job is knowing what we do every day is life saving,” White said.

Tech Electronics offers a variety of services including fire alarm system installations and management, IT and audio/visual surveillance setups. Its mission is to “provide systems and services that help our customers work smarter, feel safer and collaborate more effectively.”

In the near future, White hopes to grow his branch to be only one of two self-sufficient departments in the company.

“I want our own employees doing all of it,” White said.

In his free time, White enjoys spending time with his wife, daughters and three dogs. He is also an active volunteer for Second Chance Animal Refuge Society. As a volunteer, his job is to “go out and do whatever is needed” for dogs that are in the organization’s care such as laundry, meals and baths.

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Alumna leaves newsroom for school Carly Stavola put a promising news career on hold for her family

by Alyssa Storm and Justin Shepard Leaving a dream job may seem like a nightmare, but to Carly (Willis) Stavola, it was just what she needed.

Carly, 2015, had everything she dreamed of her whole life. She worked her way up to a job as a news anchor for her town at KSN-TV in Wichita, Kansas.

To support her growing family, she decided to put her career on hold.

“I am able to look back with pride at my years in journalism, for some of the speaking truth to power but also just kind of unearthing stories that made real change happen in my community. Maybe it didn’t change the world but changed something within our community,” Carly said. “So yes, I am able to say I did accomplish what I wanted, despite kind of coming up short on what I thought would be my lifelong career.”

The big switch came when the Newton Public School District offered her a job as the director of communications; she now handles all of the district’s internal and external communications.

“It’s handling not only the social media and the websites for all of those schools and our school district but also just being a liaison for school board members, for our superintendent, for our community, for different interest groups,” Carly said.

This change resulted in the best possible outcome.

“We’re saying we’re doing things that are important, shedding light on

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photo courtesy of Carly Stavola things that need to be shed on and I think success just looks different in this role; but yes, she’s definitely been successful,” said Michael Stavola, Carly’s husband.

Her career in journalism provided long term rewards: it’s how she met her husband, provided her with all of her work experience and it even led her to do some pretty cool things, like scale a building or go skydiving.

“It really has truly given me everything, and it’s given me a really good worldview about how things work and how things tick,” Carly said.

The switch in career helps her family

Alumna Carly Stavola and her husband Michael both have had successful careers in news, but their lives are changing as their family grows.

see what is a priority.

“I think it’s pretty wild to think that somebody was at their dream job or getting ready to get their dream job, and then they walk away,” Michael said.

Carly is embodying her new position to the fullest and enjoys being back in her community with a job that can provide her with stability and workable hours for her and Michael to raise their 1-year-old.

Family needs inspire new pathway

By Emma Palasak and Marissa Schimke Regina and Adam Stephenson, an alumni couple from Washburn’s mass media department, have together created a publishing business, Entsbough Publishing Services, to support other self-publishers.

After just three years in college, Regina graduated from Washburn University in 2011.

Though confident in her resume, Regina was confronted by a weak job market after graduation. She admitted she was a mediocre interviewer who struggled to brag about herself. Slow to quit, Regina recalled applying to a wide range of jobs, including positions in her field of interest and Papa John’s.

The Papa John’s phase did not last long, and Regina moved into a position as the communication specialist for United Way of Greater Topeka, followed by an online editor position for the Topeka Capital Journal, where she worked for two years.

“I really enjoyed that job. The deadlines were intense and it was high pressure, but I thrived,” Regina said.

She became a copy editor for Advisors Excel and was promoted to Books Program manager. In this role, Regina enjoyed helping financial advisors write, edit and publish their books.

“As someone who always wanted to be in publishing, I never expected to get to do that in Topeka,” Regina said.

During the pandemic, things got shaken up for Regina and she was met with the need for a schedule that was more beneficial to the rest of her family of five. In March of 2021, Regina began working at AgentSync, where she is

the senior content specialist and writes about insurance regulation as part of the overall marketing of the company.

Regina has written radio scripts and edited books for another client, as well as providing high-level publishing consulting and having written numerous blogs for her employer at AgentSync.

Regina values confidence most when recalling her career journey. While many may be capable, most do not embody their skills the way they should.

In addition to the various positions Regina has held over the past three years, she has owned Entsbough Publishing Services with her husband Adam Stephenson, another Washburn alumnus. Entsbough assists with the needs of self-publishers, including editing, story guidance, consulting, book layouts, cover design, book marketing and ghostwriting.

Adam Stephenson experienced the same lacking job market, having graduated only seven months after his wife. He received a Bachelor of Arts in mass media with a concentration in film. Regina and Adam got married in October of the same year, and Adam took on photography and videography.

He took a position as a video journalist at KSNT-TV for a year before taking the opportunity to instruct Broadcast Performance at Johnson County Community College, which turned out to be his favorite job.

“Change your expectations of where you will end up,” Adam said.

photo courtesy of Regina Stephenson Alumni Regina and Adam Stephenson provide services from editing books to radio scripts to news releases in there company, Entsbough Publishing Services.

Despite his emphasis in film, he found his passions in teaching and marketing.

As an instructor and advisor, he was able to offer direction to his students in Johnson County. He describes marketing as storytelling in which he is the guide for the consumers.

Adam has been the marketing specialist at Thompson Dryers for the last four years. He has written several blogs and news releases for a law company. He stressed the importance of understanding his target audience and learning how to solve their problems.

Adam values expanding his horizons and recommends the same for others Adam is currently finishing a remodel of their house and is doing writing and designing as part of Entsbough Publishing Services.

“You cannot stop educating yourself,” Adam said.

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California Dreaming Washburn alumnus takes a chance on new position on West Coast

by Raul Ruiz Drew Gill earned a mass media degree from Washburn in 2021. Gill was raised in Topeka, Kansas. He went to Seaman High School before enrolling at Washburn. Gill decided to leave his comfort zone and work as an area manager for Amazon after college.

“I wasn’t sure I was going to like it, but it is a really good job and was the right opportunity for me. It gave me the chance to start building my resume more right out of college,” said Gill. “It’s good to have passions, but there is plenty of time to work on those things. Don’t be afraid to make the most out of every opportunity. I was unsure if I was going to like it, but it is a really good job and was the right opportunity for me.”

Gill employs his leadership talents as an area manager to oversee anywhere from 60 to 90 associates, depending on the season. The job might be difficult

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photo courtesy of Drew Gill Drew Gill went out of his comfort zone, moved to California and now works for Amazon training employees.

at times, but Gill considers himself fortunate to work with the team he has.

He appreciates his leadership position

and “being able to help, coach and push people to seek their own opportunities.”

Gill hasn’t considered the next 10 years, but he hopes to have more balance in his work life.

“It was a difficult peak season, but that’s the name of the game,” Gill said.

Gill enjoys his job, but he does not intend to stay long. He enjoys working with his coworkers, but he doesn’t believe this job utilizes all of his skills.

Gill enjoys taking advantage of everything sunny California has to offer outside of work. There are numerous activities available to those who live around Los Angeles. Gill enjoys nightlife, beaches, mountain towns, snowboarding and surfing, to name a few.

“Southern California is so unique because it has everything,” said Gill.

Gill is also considering returning to tennis and possibly joining a tournament team.

WFA brings speakers to campus, begins film

by Aja Carter The Washburn Filmmakers Association is an organization where students meet regularly to explore their interests in film.

Through the connections of Matthew Nyquist, adviser of WFA, the group gets to learn from guest speakers such as Anna Elizabeth James, a director, writer and producer, as well as Robert Hurst, a director and producer.

The group also creates and produces their own projects each year. Last semester, Adin Replogle, vice president of WFA, pitched the idea of a film titled “Never Fear the Night.” Since then, the idea has turned into a mass production outside of the association.

Anna Fifer, president of WFA, took the idea out to Los Angeles and began the process. Currently, she and the team are in the process of fundraising, finding actors and a location for the film.

Replogle is also working with a team to write a script for the movie. The movie will be a drama with aspects of

a thriller as well as a comedy. It will feature a young man waiting for a train to the afterlife. The young man will have to convince his fellow passengers that he’s alive before it’s too late.

When coming up with ideas for the movie, Replogle was inspired by a TikTok he’d seen, which displayed a mix of warm, gold and dark tones as well as a discussion he had with his father.

“I had a conversation with my dad, who for the longest time was a pastor at McPherson Church of the Brethren and he was one of two pastors. He did the weddings and the other pastor did the funerals,” Replogle said. “He mentioned this to somebody else who mentioned, ‘well, that’s nice, weddings are the fun part.’ To which he responded, ‘I actually don’t mind doing funerals, because you never really get to know somebody until you see them grieving,’” Replogle said.

This discussion stuck with Replogle, giving him the idea to explore the themes of death and grief through the perspective of someone going through it.

Both Replogle and Fifter are excited

photo by Aja Carter WFA members take a picture after Robert Hurst is done speaking.

to begin production in 2023 and are expecting great things to come of it.

“I see this as the kickstart of my career; my first real big movie to some extent. Hopefully it does well, but honestly, I just want the experience,” Replogle said. “I know we’ve got a really good story here and a really good movie in the making.”

“This is going to be the kick start of my career also,” Fifer said. “I’m really hoping this does well. And I hope that it makes a name for me - a good name and also helps me do other projects with our production company.”

Fifer and Replogle have taken steps to reach out to popular actors for the film to help promote it.

They’ve also created an Indiegogo for fundraising.

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Aja Carter

Christina Noland

Glorianna Noland

Justin Shepard

Mass media majors lend expertise

by Marissa Schimke Student Media is an organization where students come together to gather stories, videos, photographs and more to create different publications to show what happens on and off campus.

There are four main executive staff members who get to take the lead in these publications and turn them into pieces of work that we share on campus. The hands-on experiences they have participated in will help prepare them for the reality they will face once their journey is done here at Washburn University.

Christina Noland is a senior mass media major who oversees the Indigo magazine and the KAW Yearbook. She wants to go into physical publications, like designing books or board games - something that’s behind a tangible product.

“When the pandemic hit, I was designing a lot of digital ads for things like digital billboards, digital signage stuff and I got bored of it quickly or annoyed with it because the banners would stay up for weeks or months or even a few days or less,” said Christina.

Glorianna Noland is also a senior mass media major who oversees the advertising and public relations side of things.

“I hope to work in the advertising industry, because when you work in an advertising industry, you end up being exposed to a bunch of other industries because your clients come from a variety of different backgrounds,” said Glorianna. Once she graduates, she will be moving abroad and living in the Netherlands.

Aja Carter is a junior and the managing editor of the Washburn Review. Her future goal is to work for a major news

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publication as a reporter and work her way up.

“Working for Student Media has just given me a chance to gain more experience in the media realm, so that when I go searching for an internship and job, I’ll have knowleddge on how things work,” Carter said.

Justin Shepard is a senior who is the editor-in-chief of the Washburn Review. He would like to find a career that allows him to continue copy editing.

“Student media has given me the opportunity to learn about the publishing industry from the ground up,” Shepard said.

“It has also allowed me to become a leader and mentor for the members of my staff on their own path to success.”

“This semester my goal is to gain as much knowledge and experience in media as I can,” said Carter. She wants to do her very best in her position working with the Washburn Review.

“Being behind two publications is good prep for building something that’s physical later on,” Christina said. She hopes to be a good leader in the office and a role model for those people who eventually can take her position.

“This organization gives me hands-on experience but also the comfort of being on campus with a lot of people I already know,” said Glorianna. She gets the opportunity to take everything she has learned in classes and internships and apply it to student media. As a leader, Glorianna is very proud of the staff under her wings and the hard work they are putting in. She wants to maintain the success that has already been achieved.

The leaders of the organization ensure they are able to lend expertise to both students and the mass media department.

Alumni Class Notes

by Katelyn Tryon Note: Updates with an * have photos included.

Terri Spinner Benson, ‘93, started a new position as a marketing and planning strategist within the University of Kansas Health System St. Francis Campus. *Kyle Brooks, ‘11, is a production scheduler at Mars Wrigley. He and his wife, Amanda, welcomed their third child, Abigail, Oct. 14, 2022.

Sarah Buchanan, ‘21, started graduate school at the University of Kansas fall 2022, where she plans to earn a master in journalism integrated marketing communications degree. Sarah has been taking KU sports photos for the University Daily Kansan.

Lisha (Langhorst) Dunlap, ‘03, is currently the communications manager at the University of Advancing Technology, which is a STEM university in Tempe, Arizona. *Rachel (Whitten) Harden, ‘10, is the director of public relations at Mammoth Creative Co. *Leah Jamison, ‘22, works at

Rachel Harden

Leah Jamison

Woodruff where she was recently promoted from social media intern to social media coordinator. *Nathan Lorenzen, ‘20, works as an account executive for the University of Nebraska Athletics department in Lincoln. He graduated with a master’s degree in intercollegiate athletic administration in December of 2021. *Marissa Meis, ‘18, is the director of communications for Hutchinson Public Schools. She received the Award of Excellence in Publications and Digital Media from the National School Public Relations Association and Award of Merit in Publications and Digital Media.

Jamie Lou (Kennedy) Miller, ‘08, is owner of Jukes Properties, the Eleven Executive Suites and Jamie Hornbaker Agency with State Farm.

Her daughter Korrie graduated Kansas State University with a bachelor’s degree, her daughter Quincy graduated Seaman High School and is attending KSU’s architecture program and her foster daughter Jaqui graduated Highland Park High School and is attending the Univeristy of Kansas.

Kyle and Amanda Brooks have three children, Jackson, 4, Harrison, 2, and Abigail, 2 months Award of Excellence for Sports Feature Story in the Chanute Tribune from the Kansas Press Association. *Joshua Rouse, ‘12, started working as a marketing and communications specialist at Washburn University in October. *Delainey Williams, ‘21, began working as a program outreach manager at the Kansas Department of Commerce in July 2022, and runs the marketing department for KANSASWORKS. Please share your updates and news with us. You can send updates to massmedia@washburn.edu or fill out our class notes form, which gives us all the information we need.

Matt Resnick, ‘08 received the

Nathan Lorenzen

Marissa Meis

Joshua Rouse

Delainey Williams

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FACULTY AND STAFF UPDATES Sam Finch Lecturer, Mass Media

by Lauryn Massey

photo courtesy of Regina Cassell Senior lecturer Regina Cassell and her husband Gene smile for the camera in St. Petersburg, Florida. They have been married for 25 years.

Finch is the content director for the WIFI Film Festival. He is helping aspiring filmmakers show their thoughts and talents on the big screen. He and his wife welcomed twins in July, a boy and a girl. In addition to becoming a father of two, he is also working on writing a feature-length screenplay.

Regina Cassell Senior Lecturer, Mass Media

photo courtesy of Maria Stover Professor and chair Maria Stover spent summer 2022 visiting Bulgaria, Portugal and Greece. She presented her research at the Council of Europeanists conference in Lisbon, Portugal.

Maria Stover Professor/Chair, Mass Media Stover attended and presented at the Michael Tilford Conference on Diversity and Multiculturalism with Andrew Anglin and Kristen Grimmer, and has a Kansapedia entry under review that she worked on with Grimmer.

In addition, Stover has been busy organizing a trip to Paris, France, to give students, faculty, Washburn alums and family the chance to travel abroad during Spring Break 2023.

Cassell took a long-awaited 2020 Sweet Sabbatical in 2022 and attended Teachapalooza, which is put on by the Poynter Institute in St. Petersburg, Florida.

The training is designed specifically for faculty teaching journalism courses at the university level. Her husband Gene, a mass media adjunct, traveled with her.

Cassell also traveled to a conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in July with incoming Student Media leaders.

photo courtesy of Sam Finch Sam and Katie Finch welcomed twins, Oakley and Ronin, in August 2022.

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Kristen Grimmer Assistant Professor, Mass Media Grimmer presented at the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication conference in Detroit over a paper called “The news gets it wrong: The lessons college-aged women take from narratives of sexual assault and about rape in the news media.” She also is currently teaching MM416 in a new format where the class works on providing content for a departmental YouTube channel that will launch in January. In this class students are provided with the opportunity to film and edit their own original ideas.

In addition, Grimmer presented with Maria Stover and Andrew Anglin, at the annual Diversity and Multiculturalism on Oct. 7. Grimmer and Stover have also written a Kansapedia entry over Topeka Capital-Journal columnist Dick Snider, which is currently under review for publication.

Department says goodbye to Dr. Anglin Andrew Anglin Assistant Professor, Mass Media After four and a half years at Washburn, Andrew Anglin will be leaving the department to pursue a new opportunity after the fall 2022 semester.

The summer and fall were not so quiet for Anglin, however. Along with teaching, in October Anglin attended and presented at the Michael Tilford Conference on Diversity and Multiculturalism with Maria Stover and Kristen Grimmer. This March he will also be the guest speaker at the Sales and Marketing Executives of Topeka meeting. He also submitted a paper on the creation of his Disney course to present to the PCA/ACA National Conference taking place in San Antonio, Texas, in April.

Anglin says his course, “The Impact of Disney on Society,” will be the class

he misses teaching most. In spring 2022, he took his last group of students to Disney World over spring break, where students gained insight into the life of Walt Disney, guest services, the parks and how the company has impacted the globe. Anglin’s favorite part of the course was not just visiting Disney World, riding rides and meeting Mickey Mouse, but rather watching the “friendships students make on the trip and the first-hand learning” they experience.

Anglin’s favorite parts of the mass media department were “the students and the interactions.” Seeing them grow and achieve throughout their years at Washburn will be something he will miss, but teaching will still be a key part of his new role. Anglin will be starting at the Target Regional Distribution Center as an operations manager, where he will continue to be an educator through sharing business goals with his team and teaching both long-term veterans of the

photo courtesy of Andrew Anglin Ever the sports fan, assistant mass media professor Andrew Anglin takes in a baseball game.

Center and college-aged newbies.

We thank him for his dedication to the department and wish him the best of luck in his new role.

of this position is definitely a change for the college, but she looks forward to seeing how ther new role can positively impact the campus.

Her grandson, Asher, has also been officially adopted into their family.

Tracy Horachek Office Coordinator Horachek is now an office coordinator for the College of Arts and Sciences, supporting the mass media, philosophy, psychology, sociology/anthropology, history and art departments. The creation

Matthew Nyquist Assistant Professor, Mass Media Nyquist is developing a feature film he plans to direct in fall of 2024, as well producing a feature set to shoot in 2023 in Los Angeles, California. He is excited by the inspiring work done by his students and their dedication to Washburn Filmmakers Association.

photo by Hayden Kalp Matt Nyquist attended a mass media faculty gathering at Free State Brewery in Lawrence, Kansas

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