Communication students get in touch with their futures
Katie Conner (left), Chase Meade-Patton (left middle), Jessica Bohn Bishop (middle right) and Mike Arrowsmith (right) listen while Chase Meade-Patton talks about her experiences after college to communications students in the Hurlburt Student Center.
For Radford University communication students, the sixth annual Communication Week – dubbed this year as "Color Me Coms" – offered a plethora of opportunities to engage with professional communicators and one another.
The School of Communication held Color Me Coms events from April 6-10 in locations across campus. From fundraisers to carnivals, professional speakers to alumni panels, students were exposed to the rewards and challenges awaiting them after graduation.
This year, Communication Week was largely planned and run by Associate Professor Lisa Baker Webster and her COMS 411: Public Relations Media and Campaigns students.
The professional speakers attracted packed houses of students. CEOs, marketing directors and communication mavens offered their takes on topics such as internships, preparation for opportunity, making change happen and how to separate oneself form the pack.
On Thursday, the Color Me Coms Carnival offered a chance for attendees to trade heady discussions about public relations, branding and the media landscape for food, games, prizes and a mechanical bull. The event attracted more than 400 guests.
Communication Week wrapped up on Friday, April 10, with two alumni panels. At 10 a.m., alumni communication majors offered their professional perspectives. At 11 a.m., alumni media studies majors had their turn.
Panelist Garrett Brumfield '12, founder of Overcome Yours, was one of the alumni offering his perspective during the media studies panel. His message to current students was echoed by many fellow alumni.
"Do not settle for anything," he said. "Reach as high as you can."
Senior media studies student AJ Neuharth-Keusch, a Middleburg native, was in attendance at the alumni panel in order to gain some piece of mind by seeing SOC success stories.
"Just hearing from people who have done this kind of work is so helpful," Neuharth-Keusch said. "I was very interested to see how communication helped them and can help me in the future."
Students listened to two alumni panels led by communication and media studies majors.
As a cap to the busy week, the SOC 2015 Awards Ceremony was held on Friday, April 10 in the Hurlburt Student Center Auditorium. Along with inductions by PRSSA and Lambda Pi Eta communication honorary society, some of the school's best and brightest were honored with awards for their work over the year.
Award winners were:
- Taylor Newman, CHBS Dean's Scholar and Outstanding Senior, Communication
- Kristina Contreras, CHBS Dean's Scholar and Outstanding Senior, Media Studies
- Alex Pistole, Outstanding Junior, Communication
- Lizbeth Taveras, Outstanding Junior, Media Studies
- Amy Caudill, Outstanding Sophomore, Communication
- Hayley Nixon, Outstanding Sophomore, Media Studies
The SOC produces some of Virginia's finest communication and media professionals. Five undergraduate concentrations are represented in the school: advertising, communication studies, journalism, production technology and public relations.
The school also offers a master's degree in Corporate and Professional Communication at the graduate level.