Alumni Spotlights
|
Andy’s time in the UToledo Communication department helped prepare him for his career with ESPN. As a student he was able to do local play-by-play, which helped him get his first job at ESPN. He also admits that he struggled with writing, but his time at UToledo instilled in him the importance of writing well. “Criticism made me better,” he says, “I really learned how to take something and pair it down to its best. A lot of time you’re relying on yourself to make your product the best.” When asked what he would tell new students coming into the program, he offers “You got to be willing into learn. You don’t always know what you need to learn. You have to realize you don’t know everything.” He also believes that the department’s focus on teaching students how to learn is valuable. He cites Media History as one of the most important classes he took in his time at UToledo because it helped him put the media landscape in perspective. He explains that “Everyone loves pizza. It’s popular now and always will be. But media won’t be. Cable is not now what it was 20 years ago. And Instagram won’t be the same in 20 years as it is now. I learned that you have to be observant and learn to change. You have to embrace change, not fight it. And the communication department at UToledo helps you learn how to adapt.” |
|
He credits studying communication to better being able to understand differences in cultural communications and being able to connect with a wide range of people. Branden believes that “we are living in a world where you need to know at least a little bit about media and press.” His time at the UToledo Communication Department was helpful in preparing him. He especially relies on the skills he learned related to nonverbal communication, group communication, organization, and media history. Faculty involvement was key to his learning experience. “Communication is a versatile degree that can be used in nearly any industry. Pair it with whatever interests you have. You will be better at it because you studied communication.” |
|
Benjamin currently works as the Finance and Operations Manager for the Tempe Convention and Visitors Bureau. His position offers him lots of ways in which he uses his communication degree. The day-to-day management of both the operations and finances of the Bureau involves making financial presentations and communicating Human Resource compliance measures to various audiences. “There are so many things I do every day, and I’m always utilizing those skills.” He has seen firsthand how vital communication skills are in today’s marketplace. “You can’t be successful without building relationships, and that is based on the ability to communicate effectively.” He is thankful that his degree helped him think through how to make communication more intentional, which is often lacking in many areas of society. He admits that he did not always realize how much he would use his communication skills post-graduation. “All the things you learned in college that you said, ‘when am I going to use this,’ actually come in handy when you least expect it.” He says he is forever grateful for his experiences at the University of Toledo and to the staff in the Department of Communication. |
|
Without the experiences Caleb was able to gain at the University of Toledo he says,
"I would not be where I am right now. I tried to take advantage of every opportunity
that I could, and because of that I was able to land a job immediately after college."
At UT, Caleb was able to do live sports production, radio, and television helping
to give him a diverse skill set. "I am constantly using the skills I gained from my
time at Toledo, and not even just the skills I took away from radio. But I also use
many of the skills I gained from both UT:10 and Live Sports Production."
He urges students in this major to explore their interests and opportunities available
to them in the program. "Once you find your passion, use every avenue and opportunity
you can, to help you get to where you want to go."
|
|
She started working with the Toledo Arts Commission as a volunteer, moved into an internship. When she graduated she moved into a full-time position in Creative Placemaking. She relies on communication skills constantly in her role. She believes that the ability to communicate with all different kinds of people is vital to success. Flexibility is key since innovation, creativity and collaboration are what drive the art scene. She often works to connect people to projects which involves getting support from various stake-holders. This also requires her to have a sense of cultural competence since so many different kinds of people orbit the Toledo Arts Commission. Her experience in the UToledo Communication program played a major role in her success. She explains that “the faculty were great. They helped me learn how to advocate for myself. I learned my DIY attitude. You have to advocate for yourself because no one else is going to advocate for you.” She appreciates that her communication degree taught her a variety of skills. “I like that the Communication degree helped me become adaptable and diverse. It didn’t pigeon-hole me too much.” The most important skills were networking, public presentations and interpersonal communication. If she had one piece of advice to give to incoming students, it would be “It’s more important to be curious than right. Don’t let your dream muscle become atrophied.” |
|
Candice was previously employed with Toledo Public Schools as the External Communications Manager, responsible for media relations, social media, community engagement initiatives, coordinating digital media and acting as spokesperson for the district. She has also served as the Director of Communication for the Toledo Museum of Art and as Senior Communications Manager for the Toledo Zoo. Her Communication degree from UToledo helped prepare her. “I learned about the power of relationships and how to appropriately work with others. It helped me do well in my career.” She likes working for organizations that align with her values and with her “authentic self.” She believes that writing and public speaking skills are vital to career success. There are a few ways that she believes a student can tell if a Communication degree is right for them. “If you enjoy working with others, helping to elevate brands, helping to lift others up, you may be interested in the field of communication. There are so many paths outside of broadcasting. There is a whole industry that people don’t know about because it’s behind the scenes. But strong brands and companies are driven by the most dynamic communicators.” |
|
Isaac’s position has its origins in an internship he completed at UToledo. One of the anchors at Erie News Now reached out to him after his internship. So he emailed the news director and he was hired in no small part due to the contacts he made during his internship. Isaac believes that the UToledo Communication program prepared him by teaching him how to be flexible, how to tell stories, and how to communicate (not just on air, but behind the scenes as well). He recognizes that the opportunities he had at UToledo helped him learn how to adapt and handle multiple things at once. He notes that “all of the things I was afforded to do helped me to learn how to handle stress. Rather than feel overwhelmed, I feel confident in my ability to handle things.” When asked what the UToledo Communication program offers that you might not get at other places, he offered “if you choose UToledo, you’re going to get the ability to get your hands-on experience immediately. The other thing UToledo allows is that you get to control your own growth. It’s not a place where they put students on an assembly line. If you really care, and if you believe you can be successful, you will be successful, because there are plenty of opportunities” |
|
Areeba has also reported on how COVID-19 has impacted migrant farmworkers in the Midwest as a reporting fellow for the Pulitzer Center. Her work has included covering the coronavirus outbreak in nursing homes, working on a long-term project about immigration court in Chicago and reporting on the Democratic primaries in South Carolina. Areeba is also a graduate of Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism where she pursued a MSJ with a focus in Social Justice and Investigative Reporting. Her work has appeared in The Washington Post, the Christian Science Monitor, Chicago Reader, The Blade and Pakistan’s Friday Times. Areeba believes her communication degree played an important part in her success. “The communication degree exposes you to a lot of different things. I took classes in video editing, TV production, investigative journalism and audio editing, and public speaking. These classes prepared me to think on my feet. I was pushed out of my comfort zone. When I graduated college I was ready to take on anything.” She is especially confident that a communication degree is essential to today’s marketplace because you never know what is going to be the next skill set you rely on. It is great to be a well-rounded individual because you never know what your next gig is going to be. |
|
Reggie relies on communication skills constantly in his job. He currently manages a team of 6 six people, gives media interviews, works on product creation, teaches financial literacy classes and leads staff meetings. His time in the Communication Department at UToledo helped prepare him with the skills necessary to succeed in banking. “I took classes that drilled home the importance of public speaking. I learned to talk confidently. How to project. How to keep listeners engaged. My professors were maniacal about my writing style, and I use that stuff every single day. Every time I send an email to all our 400 employees, that email represents me.” Reggie believes that the flexibility of a communication degree was instrumental in helping him prepare for today’s marketplace. “A communication degree is a Swiss army knife. It can do lots of things. You just have to choose how you want to use it.” |
|
Rosalyn implements her communication degree daily, as the Digital Media Specialist at the YMCA of Greater Toledo. Her current role primarily focuses on the strategy for building and maintaining the YMCA's online presence. In addition to the YMCA, Rosalyn works with the aMAYSing Kids Broadcast Camp alongside Tisha Mays, teaching elementary students various multimedia skills. She also makes time for contracted freelance projects such as social media planning, and brand conceptualization. Her UToledo communication degree undoubtedly prepared her for managing her multiple roles. “I never felt pressured to find my lane. The professors I worked closest with, always encouraged me that if I employed my skills, the options were limitless. I carry that confidence with me every day.” What Rosalyn loves most about her role with the YMCA is that she has the opportunity to innovatively research, create and communicate the impact that her organization makes. She recently redesigned the YMCA website, making it her goal to illustrate the Y’s mission through improved web content. Rosalyn encourages students to explore a variety of courses within the department because she believes it offers insight into the processes which take place in the work environment. “Communication professionals are storytellers, researchers, artists, and more. A communication degree from the University of Toledo isn’t just flexible, it is dynamic!” |
Andy has been working at 
Benjamin has used what he learned in his communication major in a variety of ways.
After graduating in 2010, he began working at the Toledo Zoo in their membership and
development department. A few years later, he attended graduate school where his communication
training was vital to his success. After he completed his master’s degree, he went
on to work at both the National Museum of the Great Lakes and the Lucas County Land
Bank in various capacities.
Caleb was able to use his communication degree to immediately land a job as the Sports
Director at 
Natalie currently serves as the Youth Services Manager for the 
Candice’s Communication degree has opened doors for her to work at some really exciting
places. She is 
Isaac Petkac put his UToledo Communication Degree to work quickly as he graduated
from UToledo and went directly to work for 
Areeba is using her Communication Degree to make the world a better place. 
Reggie has been in banking for over 25 years. He started as a teller while he was
still a 