In Their Words

Kate Hoover

Because of the experienced pro-fessors and array of practical courses the communication department at Wright State University offers, my future is filled with incredible opportunities. As an internal and external communication writer for Woolpert, an architecture and engineering firm located in Dayton, I possess the skills to communicate effectively with employees, press, and clients due to my major in
mass communication.
Opportunities in the department arise frequently because advisors and professors care for student success after college. From the moment I entered the program my sophomore year, I discovered a program equipped with a wealth of tools to help me succeed. Each class maintained proper writing and editing skills at its core and allowed me to further my own knowledge with research. Digital business strategies including social media, multimedia, and search engine optimization have prepared me for current and future trends in the journalism, marketing, and public relations industries. I transfer the skills I learn daily to my current part-time position at Woolpert and have been offered a full-time position when I graduate in the fall.

I owe much of my success to the communication department and its curriculum filled with need-to-know information taught by ready-to-help professors. Because of this program, I feel unstoppable.

Jasmine Higgins

I am a senior mass communication major at Wright State University. The most beneficial aspect of being a student in the communication department is the internship experience. I applied the theories and skills I learned in the classroom to the work field.

My first internship was at Clear Channel Dayton’s morning show, Mix 107.7. Russ Shirley and Ike Brunner’s social media and personal branding class prepared me to post to the station’s Twitter and Facebook page. I engaged with the listeners, tracked our reach, and tailored our content to the audience. The personal branding side of the class taught me how to professionally present myself to employers. This innovative and unique class is an asset to the department and university.

My second internship was at News 95.7 WHIO. I wrote news stories for the news anchors and shadowed the producers. I learned of this internship opportunity through taking the advanced news writing class. The communication department’s strong relationship with Cox Media Group creates the opportunity for students to create content that gets published in local newspapers and radio stations. Before the internship ended, I accepted a part-time position as a producer at News 95.7 WHIO.

Kelly Hopper

Wright State University’s communication department showed me that I could achieve my goals and do what I love for a living.

I joined the mass communication program much later than most students. I had wanted a career in journalism ever since I could remember, but was it too late? Did I wait too long? Not only was I slow to start, but I didn’t even know what being a journalist meant these days.

That question, along with many more, would be answered during my first mass communication course, “Digital Media.” Ray Marcano, digital journalist in residence, outlined the future of media, then showed his students how to become a part of that future. He gave us the tools needed and put us on the path to becoming multimedia journalists—the future of journalism.

I am not a traditional student and I appreciate a program that provides a non-traditional classroom education. The mass communication program provides hands-on learning, real-world experiences, and—what has meant the most to me—true mentoring relationships between faculty and students.

The classes I’ve taken—and the mentoring relationships I have formed—have given me opportunities I never thought possible. For example, I’m now
a contributing writer for the Dayton Daily News. That shows it’s never too
late to fulfill your dreams and do what you love.