Be Connected

It's an age-old question. What's the future hold? For many college students, graduating later this month, this concern may feel like another weight on their shoulders, sitting on top of anxiety about the changes COVID has caused to their chosen career field.   This episode of Be Connected focuses on questions many students ask themselves about their future and what career path to take. It was created by Caroline White, a journalism major in the Diederich College of Communication at Marquette University.

Studies have shown college students experience more anxiety and depression than the general population, and they are more prone to loneliness. Add COVID to the mix and there are even more challenges, especially when a student has to quarantine. Grace Dargiewicz, a junior majoring in Digital Media, found several students who shared their Marquette University quarantining stories on this episode of Be Connected.

Having a career in sports and being a DJ are two difficult careers to break into. There are limited opportunities available and many young people want to pursue these entertainment-related positions.   Yet, breaking into these fields is possible. Marquette University Alumna Ivy Awino is doing both in her role as Team DJ for the Dallas Mavericks.  The Diederich College of Communication graduate shares her story and advice to students on this episode of Be Connected. Today's story was created by senior Will Scheuerman.

For college students, transferring to another university offers some challenges. The fall of 2020 is greeting Marquette University students with additional adjustments as students have to wear masks on campus and keep social distance. Also, instead of 96% of their classes being in person, only 61.2% are. There are some hybrid classes where the class meets in person and online, and there are also online only classes Three former transfer students have advice for current transfer students to help ease the transition. Zuzu Siam has the story for this episode of Be Connected.

Having a career in the entertainment industry is a dream job for many, but it’s a difficult field to break into. Marquette Alumnus Chris Marrs shares advice with students and some details of his journey to becoming an actor, writer and producer. Andres Isidoro, a senior majoring in Digital Media, has the story on this episode of Be Connected.

The field of sports broadcasting is highly competitive. Lots of people are vying for few positions. So, what can you do if you want to pursue this career in the future? Three Marquette University alumni offered their thoughts to students in the Diederich College of Communication. Brad Galli, a sports anchor at WXYZ TV in Detroit; Jen Lada, a reporter and host for ESPN and Sophia Minnaert, the primary Brewer’s sideline reporter on FOX Sports Wisconsin spoke at a Diederich Drop In on Teams. Zuzu (Zuhdia) Siam, a corporate communications major, has the details on this episode of Be Connected.

It's a busy time in the field of journalism these days with a variety of COVID-19 related stories being created and published through many different platforms. It can be overwhelming from a consumer point of view, and challenging for the journalists too. Marquette University alumna and Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, Jacqui Banaszynski, shared her words of wisdom with students and faculty in the Diederich College of Communication in the Spring 2020 semester. Zuzu (Zuhdia) Siam, a corporate communication major, has the story in this episode of Be Connected.

Students at Marquette University, and throughout the country, had a lot of changes to deal with when their courses went from being in person to all online, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. How did they adjust? How well did their classes go? What are some lessons they've learned? This episode of Be Connected has responses to those questions from some students who attend the Diederich College of Communication. Many of the comments they made were in online discussions and other written comments they shared in their classes. Hear what they had to say about this experience.

Some inspiration for college students who don't know what to major in, and graduates who might not like the major they chose. It comes from Alumnus Joe Martinez who wanted to do something in the music industry and ended up as an expert in online advertising and marketing.  He works from his home, travels around the world and has his own YouTube channel. Digital Media major, Maeve LeFevour talked to Joe about his career journey from DJ to PPC (Pay per Click) pro.

When thinking about opportunities in life, people often mention the importance of ‘doors’ or walking through a ‘new door.’  With a new year, people often look back at those doors they did or didn’t walk through, and the impact those decisions had on their lives. In today’s Be Connected episode, Dan O'Keefe focuses on a door, with a Gothic style arch above it, that's been the focus of much reminiscing in Johnston Hall, a building on the National Register of Historic places.

College students put in a lot of time and effort when it comes to selecting a university to attend and what to major in, but there's also planning along the way to help with life after graduation.  How can a student ensure he/she is making the best career choice?  When does a senior need to look for a job? How can a student plan for the future? Dan O'Keefe, a digital media major, went in search of answers by talking to Sheena Carey, the internship coordinator for the Diederich College of Communication.

James Ford Murphy has been an animator on “A Bug’s Life,” “Toy Story 2,” “Monsters Inc.,” and the Academy Award-winning features, “Finding Nemo,” “The Incredibles,” and “Ratatouille.” He was also the Supervising Animator on the Academy Award-winning short film, “For the Birds,” and a Directing Animator on the Golden Globe-winning feature film “Cars.” Those are just some of his contributions since he joined Pixar Animation Studios in 1996. Jim Murphy attended Marquette University and graduated from the Diederich College of Communication in 1986. When he was in Milwaukee, he stopped by the college to share his career journey and advice with students. Rome Gandelsman, a senior majoring in journalism has Murphy's story.

Imagine having over 30 years experience in sports journalism and working with noted sports journalists like Adrian Wojnarowski, Dan Wetzel and Charles Robinson. It's not something Gerry Ahern has to imagine, he experienced it when he was at Yahoo. The Marquette alum came back to campus in the spring of 2019 to share his wisdom with students in a sports journalism class. Dan O'Keefe, a digital media major, has Gerry's story.

There's a lot of freedom to experiment with film these days. Whether it's exploring a different approach to storytelling, incorporating more diversity in stories or using technology (like virtual reality, augmented reality or mixed reality), now is a time when experimentation is being encouraged. Drew Britton is a visiting assistant professor at Marquette University and an independent feature filmmaker who brings his passion for film into the classroom. Maggie Gillette, a digital media major, spoke to Drew about indie filmmaking and how he incorporates the lessons he's learned into the classroom.

Ron Smith is a Marquette graduate, professor, and director of the Neighborhood News Service.  He has been everywhere in the field of journalism, from the Marquette Tribune to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel to USA Today.  Now, he's back where he started, as editor and chief of the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service. Dan O'Keefe, a senior majoring in digital media, talked to Ron about NNS and the many hands-on learning opportunities that exist at the organization.

Today’s Be Connected episode shares the story of an alumnus who is grateful for the assistance he received from the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) at Marquette University. The program supports first generation college students and students from low-income families. It seems fitting for National Hispanic Heritage month (September 15-October 15) that we focus on a Latino alumnus from the Diederich College of Communication who is making a difference. His name is Luis Hernandez, who describes his most positive aptitude as his ability to adapt and improvise. Dan O’Keefe, a senior majoring in Digital media, has his story.

As the saying goes, ‘change is the only constant in life,’ and today’s episode of Be Connected focuses on a Marquette alumnus who’s gone through some big changes in the last year.   Since graduating in 2018 from the Diederich College of Communication, Matt Mallinger ended up taking a position in an unexpected medium, podcasting. Then, 11 months later, he moved over 2,000 miles from the Midwest, where he’s lived all his life. Meredith Cavaleri, a junior studying digital media, sat down to talk with Matt about these changes, and the ways he’s keeping his passion for art and music alive.

It's rare that your career path will go on a straight line from graduation to dream job. There will be many stops along the way, some expected others unexpected. Today's episode of Be Connected focuses on Marquette alumna, Dana Leonard. The 2014 graduate is currently a senior producer at SJR, a creative agency based in New York. Dana is living in London, but her position has her traveling all over the world.   She shares her story and the risks she had to take to jumpstart her career in production. She'll also reveal things she wish she knew before starting her career and give her advice to student as well. Dana was interviewed by Maggie Gillette, a junior studying digital media.    

Today’s episode of Be Connected focuses on the creative work being done by students and faculty in Helfaer Theatre. This building houses a vibrant, collaborative community that impacts students in the space and the community beyond its borders. In September, the 2019/2020 production schedule begins with the play Peter and the Star Catcher. Other shows include: Crumbs from the Table of Joy, The Theory of Relativity and Julius Caesar. Meredith Cavaleri, a digital media major, wanted to find out more about the theatre arts program at Marquette and how plays are selected. She spoke to Stephen Hudson-Mairet, the department chair, and alumnus Nick Parrot.

We all experience fear at times in our lives. It’s a powerful force that impacts our decisions and actions. People fear a lot of things from heights and needles to being confined in a small space or public speaking.  And while you can probably limit your exposure to clowns, if that's a fear, public speaking is something you do all the time. Whether it’s a presentation in front of a small group or pitching an idea to someone, possessing public speaking skills is important.  At Marquette University, there's a new resource to support students' skills in this area. It's called The MIC Speakers Lab. It was started last fall by Tracey Sturgal, a faculty member in the Diederich College of Communication. Meredith Cavaleri, a junior studying digital media, has the story.