Department of Communication

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Students network at annual Communication Career Forum

Colleen Rich — Wed, 02 Nov 2022 14:31:23 +0000

Students network at annual Communication Career Forum Colleen Rich Wed, 11/02/2022 - 10:31

Students attend small group mentoring sessions to gain career advice and network with some of the nation's leading communication professionals during the Communication Career Forum. Photo by Cristian Torres/Strategic Communication

As they scribbled notes and asked questions, ��AV students were an eager audience as they listened to some of the nation's leading communication professionals discuss their career successes, setbacks, and lessons learned.

The Fall 2022 Communication Career Forum, on October 25 at Mason’s Fairfax Campus, focused on helping students break into the industry, and inspiring them to find purpose in their work, said Beth Jannery, journalism director in Mason’s Department of Communication.

“It has definitely diversified how I see communications as a field and what I’m interested in pursuing,” said David Kendrick, a senior communication major who explained that his interest in media production sprang from conversations with mentors from Discovery Communications and the Eaton Creative Group.

Between adjunct professors at Mason who currently work in the industry and events, such as the annual forum, to have that opportunity to meet them, pick their brains, and get connected,” Kendrick said, “there’s a plethora of professionals that are involved at the university, so it’s always great to have that opportunity to meet them, pick their brains, and get connected.”

More than 110 students attended the Communication Department event. Photo by Cristian Torres/Strategic Communications

There were 115 students and 17 mentors at the forum, hosted by Mason’s Department of Communication and its external advisory board, the Insight Committee.

“This forum augments the wisdom that professors provide in their classes with some real-world points of view from these mentors that I think will give Mason students a leg up as they think about what they want to do for their careers,” said Clay McConnell, a Mason adjunct professor who is also senior vice president of corporate communications and marketing at Intelsat and chair of the Insight Committee.

The Insight Committee works each year to invite mentors with a range of skills, strengths, and job experiences, said Julie Murphy, president of Sage Communications and part of the Insight subcommittee that planned the event.

Access to these leading professionals in media relations, journalism, public relations, health/interpersonal communications, and political communications is a benefit of Mason’s location right outside of Washington, D.C., Murphy said.

Mason’s proximity to the nation’s capital was why Savannah Behrmann, BA Communication ’18, a mentor and the Senate correspondent for the National Journal, attended Mason.

“Being able to come back to Mason and pay it forward is so important because if I didn’t have those kinds of people in my life willing to do that for me, I don’t think I would have been able to break into the industry,” Behrmann said. “It was through Mason alumni that I got my first two internships.”

Saana Heikkala, a junior exchange student from the University of Helsinki majoring in cultural studies and minoring in communication, said she was inspired by the two of the mentoring sessions she attended.

The forum, Heikkala said, motivated her to grow her network, work on her LinkedIn presence, and ultimately build opportunities in communication.

The Department of Communication also held a brief scholarship ceremony for senior communication majors Sarah Swift and Katyayani Sharma, and sophomore business major Mathilda Tataw. These students received certificates and met with the faculty and Insight Committee members who helped support the scholarships.

Topics

career-ready graduates

Leadership gift honors Debate Team director’s years of service

Colleen Rich — Fri, 17 Jun 2022 16:09:32 +0000

Leadership gift honors Debate Team director’s years of service Colleen Rich Fri, 06/17/2022 - 12:09

Fifty years in the making—the ��AV Debate Team has a legacy as a national powerhouse and at the core of their leadership is Warren Decker. During the 48 years that Decker led the team, they qualified for the national debate tournament 36 times, and for the last decade, they have ranked among the top two teams in the country.

From left, College of Humanities and Social Sciences Dean Ann Ardis, Mason Director of Debate Warren Decker, and Mason alum Leonard "Len" Bennett at Decker's retirement reception. Photo provided

Decker’s building of the Mason debate program took place over the same decades as the university, which celebrate its 50th Anniversary this year, itself came to prominence.

“Warren has directed and coached more debate students than any other college debate coach in the country—and changed the lives of countless students,” said College of Humanities and Social Sciences Dean Ann Ardis.

Mason alum Leonard Bennett, BS Finance ’89, JD ’94, was part of the Debate Team in the 1980s and recently returned to the Fairfax Campus to help honor Decker’s years of service during a retirement reception earlier this spring.

Bennett’s generous gift of $1 million will provide programmatic and scholarship support for the Debate Team, as well as create the “Warren D. Decker Professorship Endowment” to support the named coaching position Warren Decker Director of Debate. This fund will enable the department to recruit and retain top talent to help ensure Mason Debate’s excellence in coaching.

Mason debate alum Len Bennett has been a trial attorney and consumer advocate since 1994. Photo provided

Bennett is the founding partner of Consumer Litigation Associates (CLA), a Virginia-based law firm empowering consumers nationwide to fight against predatory lending, credit discrimination, inaccurate credit reporting, identity theft, background check errors, and other consumer abuse. He has been a trial attorney and consumer advocate since 1994.

Bennett shared the magnitude of Decker’s achievement in building this debate program since the 1970s and how he has helped all students, from every background and demographic, from beginners to seasoned debaters, since his career began.

“The special skill Warren Decker has is to coach the span of debaters in this program—from the novice to the superstar—and make us all successful," said Bennett. "He taught us to be able to speak in front of and to all types of people, no matter who was in the room.”

This is a true testament to our core values at Mason. And the synergy created by this diverse team is manifested through their long-standing success and national recognition.

Bennett attributes this growth and longevity directly to Decker. "When I look at our team now, I see an incredible debate program. Warren is amazing because of his continued administrative instinct. He’s kept our team funded and organized for 48 years, which is not an easy feat.”

Then and now, Mason students’ experiences with the Debate Team help set them up for a lifetime of success, cultivating crucial skills and competencies that prepare them to be career-ready graduates.

“Debate developed our speaking, researching, and note-taking skills," said Bennett. "But it also built our critical thinking, analytical, and logic skills and left us with a deep understanding of public policy, economics, and law and a broad knowledge of current events. Debate taught me how to think, read and react quickly. And it prepared me for success in law school and in my career.”

Yet it was more than just the competitive success or educational growth that had an impact on the team. “Warren was an empathetic mentor who foremost always cared about the well-being and success of the hundreds of students under his leadership. He pushed us, taught us, and looked out for us.”

For Bennett, Decker, who was a professor in the Department of Communication, was a coach, mentor, and he is now honored to call him a friend. It is Bennett’s wish to ensure future generations of students will be able to benefit from this pivotal experience while also bolstering Decker’s legacy, and the team he built, to continue its placement as top in the nation.

Bennett would like his fellow debaters to remember they are all part of Decker’s legacy.

“If you’ve been part of Mason Debate, every person you help, you’re extending Warren’s legacy. Everything you do is an extension of Warren and honors his service.”

Bennett hopes other Mason Debate alums will join him in sharing back their experiences, with current students and each other: “Be sure to share what you’ve accomplished because of Mason Debate and join me in supporting this amazing program.”

He noted that what stands out about this group is a “love of debate, each other, and Mason, and this love was instilled in each of us through Warren Decker.”

Leonard Bennett was selected by the National Association of Consumer Advocates as Consumer Lawyer of the Year and led his firm to the National Law Journal’s Elite Trial Lawyer award for top financial services plaintiffs’ firm for multiple years, as well as the Virginia State Bar’s 2019 Top Pro Bono Law Firm. Bennett has served as a board member for a number of important organizations including the National Association of Consumer Advocates, Public Justice, the Virginia Poverty Law Center, Hampton Roads Refugee Relief, and Youth Volunteer Corps of Hampton Roads. Bennett has litigated individual and class cases throughout the country, and was peer-selected to the Best Lawyers in America, Super Lawyers, and the American College of Financial Services. CLA has locations in Newport News, Richmond, Alexandria, and Harrisonburg, Virginia. To learn more about his firm, visit www.clalegal.com.

Mason Debate was founded in 1974 and has been a core program fulfilling the university’s history of excellence within research and advocacy. The team has been consistently ranked in the top five programs in the country by the Cross Examination Debate Association, the American Debate Association, and the National Debate Tournament sweepstakes championships. Mason Debate is a co-curricular program housed within the Department of Communication at Mason’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences.

To join Bennett in supporting the team, visit alumni.gmu.edu/22HSS11.

Topics

Faculty and Staff News

Masonat50

Debate Team

philanthropy

Spirit Magazine

Spirit Spring 2023

Mason’s “small but mighty” Forensics Team takes second place at national competition

Colleen Rich — Thu, 14 Apr 2022 12:02:20 +0000

Mason’s “small but mighty” Forensics Team takes second place at national competition Colleen Rich Thu, 04/14/2022 - 08:02

Mason’s Forensics Team recently recently competed at the 43rd American Forensic Association National Speech Tournament. Photo provided

��AV’s Forensics Team recently added another prestigious honor to its long list of successes: national runner-up at the 43rd American Forensic Association National Speech Tournament (AFA-NST).

“It was the most gratifying experience I’ve had in my whole speech career,” said Prem Ganesan, a freshman economics major at Mason who participated in five tournament events.

From April 2-4, 14 students from Mason’s Forensics Team competed at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in the AFA-NST, which brings students together from across the nation to compete for national championships.

Mason's team, which won the 1979 national championship, has been ranked in the top five nationally every year since 2007, and in the top 35 nationally since 1975.

Ganesan said the team worried it wouldn’t hold its top-five ranking with a smaller competing squad of 14 students compared with up to 25 members in previous years.

Dawn Lowry, Mason’s director of forensics, said that with the pandemic, “It has been a tough two years on everybody, and to have something that we could all work on together means a lot.”

Forensics' Eleni Mercer, Prem Ganesan, and Izzie Larson at the national competition. Photo provided

The 11 competitive events are categorized in three genres: prepared public speaking (informative speaking, persuasion, communication analysis, and after dinner speaking), limited preparation public speaking (extemporaneous speaking and impromptu speaking), and oral interpretation performance events (prose, poetry, dramatic interpretation, program of oral interpretation, and DUO, which is the only interpretation event requiring two performers).

Several students received individual honors, including José Quinones, 20th place; Izzie Larson, 18th place; and Eleni Mercer, 11th place.

Mercer, a sophomore government and international politics major, and Larson, a senior integrative studies major, were also named national champions in the DUO event. Their piece, they said, is about how health care providers are not equipped to care for transgender bodies, and how modern medicine ignores and mistreats transgender people.

“We care so deeply about our topic, so creating something we were passionate about came really easily,” Larson said. “Going into nationals, we were already so proud and excited about what we had created that the win was just the cherry on top.”

The coaches, Lowry said, “have really tried to create an environment where students can talk about issues that have a profound effect on them.”

Ganesan used his program of oral interpretation event, in which he placed fourth, to speak on how British colonialism in India has impacted the Hindu faith in promoting homophobia, transphobia, sexism, and colorism.

The students began preparing in August and have been competing mostly online since October.

The team is coached by Lowry and Tyler Watkins, the assistant director of forensics, as well as graduate students Brenna Fuhr (MFA Creative Writing) and Peter Figueroa (MA Interdisciplinary Studies), and alumni Kate Polit (BS Public Administration ’12; MA Communication ’14) and Lucas Muratore (BA Film and Video Studies ’18).

“Every single person on this team has an incredible story, message, and personality behind them. I always feel like I’m winning when I’m with them,” Mercer said. “Getting second place overall for the first time in over 10 years just validated that experience for us.”

Next on their schedule is the National Forensics Association's National Tournament for both speech and debate from April 14-18 at Illinois State University.

To see a list of all Mason results, click here.

Topics

Forensics Team

student organizations

Spirit Fall 22

Mason alum Jorge Andres will call Super Bowl LVI for Telemundo

John Hollis — Thu, 10 Feb 2022 14:18:42 +0000

Mason alum Jorge Andres will call Super Bowl LVI for Telemundo John Hollis Thu, 02/10/2022 - 09:18

Mason alum Jorge Andres (right) will call Super Bowl LVI for Telemundo. Photo provided

A little boy’s distant dream will become a heartwarming reality on Sunday evening when ��AV alum Jorge Andres calls Super Bowl LVI for the American Spanish language network Telemundo with as many as 35 million people tuning in nationwide.

The contest between the Los Angeles Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, will mark the first time the NFL’s championship game has been televised coast-to-coast on a Spanish language broadcast network. The game will also be simulcast around the globe on NBC Sports.

Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. EST.

“It’s a milestone for me, for sure,” said Andres, 37, a former ESPN “SportsCenter” anchor who graduated from Mason in 2007 with a BA in communication. “But this isn’t just about me, but as much as it is for so many people who believed in me. I got the opportunity, and I ran with it. Fast forward 15 years and I’m about to call the biggest football game on the planet to a country that is growing leaps and bounds in its Spanish demographics.”

Mason’s Rodger Smith was hardly surprised with his former student’s meteoric rise up the sports journalism ranks. Smith, a professor in the Department of Communication within the College of Humanities and Social Sciences and a faculty advisor to WGMU radio, remembered Andres as an extremely dedicated student who always sought to produce his best work. Andres spoke virtually to one of Smith’s classes last spring.

“He’s taken advantage of his opportunities, gotten experience and parlayed that into the ultimate responsibility of calling Super Bowl LVI,” Smith said. “He’s a one-in-a-million. It’s awesome what he’s doing.”

The honor of calling the Super Bowl is by far the most significant yet of Andres’ career, but hardly the only one. Andres’ path to the Super Bowl began at Mason, where he worked at WGMU and wrote for Mason’s student newspaper, known then as the Broadside. The Peruvian native also played tight end for two years on the Mason club football team.

Andres was still a student at Mason when began his on-air career with a small Spanish language station in Fredericksburg, Virginia. He later formed part of the first Spanish language play-by-play team in Washington Redskins history for ESPN Deportes Radio before later leaving for Telemundo Washington. Andres made the jump to the national scene in 2011 by joining ESPN, where he anchored SportsCenter, NBA Tonight and Baseball Tonight.

By August 2020, he had joined NBC Universal’s national network as an NFL studio analyst to host the network’s coverage of Sunday Night Football en Español on NBC’s sister network NBC Universo.

“I never imagined how quickly the Spanish base would grow,” Andres said.

His favorable fortunes have extended to his personal life as well. Andres and his wife already have one infant daughter and will soon be welcoming a second little girl to their family.

It’s all been some pretty heady stuff for a guy who was just five years old when his family immigrated from their native Peru to Springfield, Virginia, with little to no knowledge about American football.

“I hope young people today can relate to me and also pursue any opportunity on their plate,” Andres said. “I’m proof that with hard work, passion and humility, anything is possible.”

Topics

Kate Sweeney

Wasiq Muhammad Muhammad Ali — Mon, 06 Dec 2021 16:06:50 +0000

Kate Sweeney Wasiq Muhammad… Mon, 12/06/2021 - 11:06

Instructor

Contact Information

Email: asween@gmu.edu
Phone: 703.993.1090
Mail Stop: Honors College, MSN 1F4
Campus: Fairfax
Office: Horizon Hall 5159

Biography

Kate Sweeney is the Journalism Program Coordinator in the Department of Communication. She holds an M.S. in Science Journalism from Boston University, and a B.A. in Anthropology from Colorado College.

Kate launched her professional career as a nonfiction media producer. As an associate producer, field producer and co-producer at National Geographic Television & Film, she earned multiple credits for news and documentary projects that explored diverse topics, from scientific discoveries to life on the front lines of conflict. Later, Kate served as the supervising producer on the creative team that launched Smithsonian Networks, a joint venture between CBS/Showtime and the Smithsonian Institution. She was also the executive producer for TPI, an international distributor of fiction and nonfiction films. Kate’s productions have taken her from Bangkok to Burbank and aired all over the world on networks including MSNBC, Al Jazeera, Showtime, History, National Geographic, and Smithsonian Channel.

Prior to joining ��AV in 2018, Kate taught film and journalism courses at Asbury University, and communication courses at the University of Kentucky.

Courses Taught

COMM 203 - Introduction to Journalism

COMM 353 - Broadcast Journalism

COMM 303 - Writing Across the Media

COMM 475 - Journalism Law

HNRS 131 - Contemporary Social Issues: Truth, Trust, News & Society

HNRS 260 - Society & Community Engagement: Reimagining the News

Education

M.S., Science Journalism, Boston University

B.A., Anthropology, Colorado College

In this class, students debate cancel culture’s impact on today’s society

Colleen Rich — Wed, 17 Nov 2021 22:05:13 +0000

In this class, students debate cancel culture’s impact on today’s society Colleen Rich Wed, 11/17/2021 - 17:05

The topic of “cancel culture” is not new in the public discourse. But Sergei A. Samoilenko, an assistant professor of communication at ��AV, believes he can take the discussion in a new direction.

Sergei A. Samoilenko. Photo provided

Samoilenko, co-founder of Mason’s Character Assassination and Reputation Politics (CARP) research lab, teaches a COMM 386 Special Topics in Political Communication course titled “Cancel Culture in Public and Political Communication.”

Samoilenko said the course was designed from scratch, and believes it is one of only a few special-topic courses offered anywhere nationally that examines cancel culture in a systematic and scholarly manner.

The topic has even more resonance for him as a foreign national because he said he sees it as something embedded in the American culture.

“I view cancel culture as a social conflict that involves discussion and reexamination of some moral values and views on history,” Samoilenko said. “The goals of the course were to understand cancel culture as a sociological and communication phenomenon. I structured the class to give students a chance to voice their opinions.”

“I really learned a lot from my fellow students because they would ask great questions,” said Deirdre Jane Prigge, who is majoring in communication with a concentration in public relations. “People shared personal stories where they had experienced public shaming and ostracism.”

Deirdre Jane Prigge. Photo provided

Students were also asked to write reflective papers on such topics as cancel culture and celebrities, cancel culture as a social justice movement, or cancel culture as a social media phenomenon.

“We are all equally impacted by things like public shaming or bullying,” said Prigge. “We had to carefully consider whether shaming was morally wrong or morally right.”

The Pew Research Center reports that Americans are split about cancel culture.

“Some people think it’s a form of punishment, others think it’s a form of social justice, and there are those who believe it doesn’t exist.” Samoilenko said.

Elise Hall, a senior communication major concentrating on political communication, said her biggest takeaway from the class is that “cancel culture oftentimes gets taken too far, social media and band-wagoning makes for a dangerous mix. Social media requires little effort to spread information to our audience—whether that’s facts, opinions, or misinformation.”

Elise Hall. Photo provided

“I enjoyed a discussion we had about moral entrepreneurs—people who have a certain moral idea, or an opinion about what’s right and wrong,” Prigge said. “They feel so strongly and go around trying to enforce it.”

Samoilenko said the concept of cancel culture was essentially brought to prominence by social activists promoting movement campaigns #MeToo and #BlackLivesMatter. “Both viral hashtag campaigns called for social justice and strived to mobilize supporters around two fundamental social issues: sexual abuse and racism.”

“This course raised more questions than provided answers, which is great because we are still learning and shaping our opinion about cancel culture,” said Samoilenko, who is offering the class again in summer 2022. “We are feeling the pulse of the society here.”

Prigge created the student-driven CARP radio hour, which can be heard on iTunes, Apple Podcast and Spotify. “I was actually preparing for the launch of CARP Radio while taking Professor Samoilenko class, so our in-class discussions gave me great ideas for topics to cover on the podcast,” Prigge said.

“We can’t predict the future of cancel culture, but we can discuss what makes someone vulnerable to attacks, and how we can strengthen our reputations,” Prigge said.

Topics

innovative classes

Communication students learn the sky’s the limit with Mason alum, meteorologist Brian van de Graaff

Colleen Rich — Fri, 05 Nov 2021 17:04:25 +0000

Communication students learn the sky’s the limit with Mason alum, meteorologist Brian van de Graaff Colleen Rich Fri, 11/05/2021 - 13:04

Mason alum Brian van de Graff interviews Mason communication professor Rodger Smith for a live new lifestyle segment on ABC7’s Good Morning Washington. Photo by Shelby Burgess/Strategic Communications

Does it take natural abilities to communicate to the public? That was one question ��AV students posed to meteorologist and media personality Brian van de Graaff.

Van de Graaff, who graduated from Mason with a BA in speech communication in 1997, was recently invited to talk to students in Rodger Smith’s COMM 359 Media Management class in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences.

“Brian has great pride in his profession,” said Smith, a Department of Communication professor and faculty advisor for WGMU, Mason’s online radio station. “He could express that to a set of students who realize what they could aspire to in communication.”

Van de Graaff has been a member of the StormWatch7 Team on the Washington, D.C., area’s ABC television affiliate for more than 20 years. He also carries the American Meteorological Society’s Seal of Approval, in recognition for sound delivery of weather information to the general public.

“Bringing in guest speakers from the professional world adds to my curriculum,” Smith said. “Their experiences add to a student’s education and offer information to support or add to what is in their textbooks.”

ABC7 meteorologist and Mason alum Brian van de Graaff speaks to Mason communication students about his career. Photo by Shelby Burgess/Strategic Communications

“I love how Professor Smith gives us real-life examples of people in the business and have them give us lectures,” said Alejandro Hernandez Pichardo, a senior majoring in communication with a minor in media production and criticism. “This really inspires me to be better and believe that I can achieve anything I want.”

Van de Graaff noted that working in media and television can be a little bit of a stressful business, so flexibility and having the ability to think on your feet are important in this industry.

He said one thing that has changed in the field is now there’s more time dedicated within an eight-hour day to duties beyond preparing and delivering the on-camera weather forecast, such as updating the website, push alerts, and the news ticker—a horizontal or vertical text-based display that typically resides in the lower section of the screen space during news programming.

“I was thrilled to hear about the diversity of the business,” Pichardo said. “You’re not doing the same thing every day, and there are so many opportunities.”

Van de Graaff noted that those interested in building career momentum need to get accustomed with relocating, as television contracts can be changed, and re-assigned. “People go from city to city, and it can be hard to put down roots.”

He previously forecasted the weekday morning and midday weather, with his first assignment on ABC7’s Good Morning Washington. Van de Graaf shared how his on-air career path took him from Salisbury, Maryland, to Richmond, Virginia, to New York City and back home to Washington, D.C.

Van de Graaff added that smaller markets are a great place to learn how things work and flow on local news programs. “The smaller stations allow you to grow into your roles,” he said.

“My biggest takeaway was how Van de Graaff was able to work in multiple markets from small to large in order to get the experience needed for the job,” said Pichardo.

Van de Graaff also shared a blooper reel with the students, a video segment showing three images of the meteorologist on the television screen at the same time, as if he had been cloned. Van de Graaff said these sorts of mishaps can be daunting, but you have to be flexible.

Kyla Lapaige Hayes, a junior communication major with a concentration in media production and criticism, asked Van de Graaff whether it takes natural abilities to communicate to the public.

“It was inspiring to know that even someone who had done that for many years can admit that nervousness is common and can be solved with practice over time,” Hayes said.

Van de Graaff also explained the process of putting together a package, predicting the weather, and the preparation involved for his weather segment. The latest trend is to incorporate lifestyle-driven graphics into the forecast—whether it be going to a daytime outdoor event or out to dinner.

As an undergraduate at Mason, Van de Graaff said he worked at WGMU and shadowed local DC broadcast legends at WUSA, Channel 9, for a video project. He was also a Mason Ambassador and enjoyed giving tours to prospective students.

“I am forever grateful for the opportunities that Mason provided me, and I'm eager to give back in any way I can,” said Van de Graaff. “I hope that speaking with the students about my journey into a career in communication may help inspire or motivate them as they navigate their way.”

Topics

Communication Career Forum shows Mason students ‘the doors that they have open for them’

Colleen Rich — Tue, 02 Nov 2021 17:28:50 +0000

Communication Career Forum shows Mason students ‘the doors that they have open for them’ Colleen Rich Tue, 11/02/2021 - 13:28

About 100 students attended the Fall 2021 Communication Career Forum hosted by Mason’s Department of Communication and its external advisory board, the Insight Committee. Photo by Shelby Burgess/Strategic Communications

��AV students assembled on the third floor of the Johnson Center on the Fairfax Campus on Oct. 26 to have their career questions answered by some of the nation’s leading communications professionals.

About 100 students attended the Fall 2021 Communication Career Forum hosted by Mason’s Department of Communication and its external advisory board, the Insight Committee. There they had the opportunity to interact in person with public affairs specialists, media producers, journalists, health communicators, and marketers.

The goal of the event: empowering students to build connections with mentors in their industry to help launch their careers.

“Everyone has such different journeys,” said one of the mentors, Mason alum Kristen Dalton, BA Communication ’17, MA Science Communication ’20, a senior account manager at Digital Health Strategies. “I think there’s so much value in hearing how different people got to where they are, so people know the doors that they have open for them.”

The goal of the Career Forum is to empower students to build connections with mentors in their industry. Photo by Shelby Burgess/Strategic Communications

Because the mentors were in different rooms, it allowed for intimate, small-group conversations.

“Students can see what the different paths are, they can see what a day in the life is of different communications professionals, and most importantly, they can start building their network,” said Julie Murphy, president of Sage Communications and leader of the Insight subcommittee that planned this event.

Sydney Barlow, a junior communication major concentrating in journalism, said she appreciated the opportunity to network with experienced professionals as she looks forward to graduating in December 2022.

The forum began with a virtual keynote interview featuring Mason alumni Angie Goff, BA Communication ’01, and Marcella Robertson, BA Communication ’11. Goff, an anchor and co-host at Fox Broadcasting Company, and Robertson, a reporter at WUSA-TV, provided advice on how to be “the CEO of your career.”

“This event is so meaningful and is so important to have alumni that have been in your shoes, have sat where you sit, and have had your professors, and you can give them your insight and your pathway,” Dalton said.

Other mentors in attendance came from such organizations as NPR, Discovery Communications, the Council of State Governments, and PRofessional Solutions, LLC, a public relations temporary staffing agency.

One more thing the Career Forum provided: optimism.

“It’s really great to see people in the field and learn from them and see that they’re real people,” said Savannah Telfer, a senior communication major concentrating in journalism. “Sometimes it feels like things are unattainable,” she said.

But after speaking with the mentors, including Andrea Cambron, supervising editor of Morning Edition at NPR, Telfer said she felt like her career goals are achievable.

Topics

career forum

Nathan Crawford

rstaffo2 — Fri, 16 Apr 2021 19:09:16 +0000

Nathan Crawford rstaffo2 Fri, 04/16/2021 - 15:09

"[With] so many different ways to define success here at Mason, you are able to find your own success, which makes for a worthwhile college experience.”

Nathan Crawford, Honors College Communications graduate, 2020

Nathan Crawford knew he wanted to work in broadcast journalism and digital media ever since the summer of 2007.

“I remember turning on The Today Show when I was ten years old and immediately becoming mesmerized by the sights and sounds of a television studio,” says Crawford, who majored in Communication with a double concentration in Journalism and Media Production here at George Mason.

Photo provided.

Now an alumnus, Crawford still loves the world of journalism, specifically when it comes to highlighting the stories of those around him.

“Storytelling is at the heart of journalism,” explains Crawford. “This world is one of true amazement and awe if only we take [the] time to look for [stories] like a journalist.”

Crawford had the opportunity to strengthen his passion for media through courses directly related to his interests, like HNRS 110: Principles of Research and Inquiry, which was one of his favorite courses within the Honors College.

“I never thought that I [could] do academic-based research for my major, and this class proved me wrong,” says Crawford, who researched “how social media affects political marketing towards millennials in presidential elections.” Crawford took HNRS 110 during the Fall 2016 semester, conducting his research during the last few months of the 2016 presidential election. The timing of his research allowed Crawford to observe how politics and media affect one another in real-time. “It was a unique opportunity to see how social media played a role in getting millennials involved in the political process.”

Beyond the classroom, Crawford wore many hats across the university, including working for the Office of Admissions and Integrated Enrollment Marketing and on the Honors College Communications Team. In both those roles, Crawford was able to thrive as an individual and learn how to manage social media – almost by accident. “When I first started doing social media, it was by chance,” he explains, but “it was a very important and helpful stepping stone to launch me into where I really want to be.”

He also gave back to the Mason community by helping freshmen navigate college as a Resident Assistant for Housing and Residence Life and was an active member of numerous student organizations, such as the Honors College Recruitment Team and Society of Professional Journalists. One organization that is dear to him is the Mason Ambassadors, a group of students who give tours to prospective Mason families and provide aid for the university’s open house events, under the Office of Admissions.

Crawford joined the Mason Ambassadors his first semester as a student and served as the organization’s president his senior year. He considered it a great honor to “[oversee] the amazing 130 tour guides and see the impact they all have on future Patriots and their families.”

Honors College alumnus Nathan Crawford smiling for the camera during his summer internship with CNN, one step closer to reaching his ultimate dream. Photo provided.

Crawford knows firsthand the unique opportunities that Mason offers to its students. During the summer of 2019, he was able to fulfill a lifelong dream when he was offered an internship with the Cable News Network (CNN) in Washington, D.C. The budding journalist worked on video packages for CNN Newsource, the network’s affiliate service which provides global coverage for events through media partnerships worldwide. Some of the events that Crawford helped to produce coverage for included the 75th D-Day Commemoration and Robert Mueller’s congressional hearings on Capitol Hill.

For Crawford, making these lasting memories is an important aspect of college, along with getting an education. “Combining the two can often times be challenging, but so worth it,” Crawford emphasizes.

Now an Honors College graduate, Crawford is still juggling multiple responsibilities – and staying in touch with the Mason community. He is currently attending graduate school for a master’s degree program in Strategic Communications at his alma mater, in addition to working full-time in the Norfolk Newsroom at WAVY-TV 10 (NBC News) as a Digital Content Producer. In his new role, Crawford works with reporters and community members to build stories and publish digital content online.

“For me, this has been a lifelong dream in the making. I am really excited to do what I’ve wanted to do for my whole life.”

The work he did in the Honors College help set him up for that success. With the belief that each person is their own best advocate, Crawford encourages all students to “take advantage of the resources” that Mason provides.

“There are so many unique academic and social resources for [students] here on campus, most of which are free of charge,” says Crawford. “[With] so many different ways to define success here at Mason, you are able to find your own success, which makes for a worthwhile college experience.”

His best piece of advice: “Understand what you want and do everything you can to chase that dream.”

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