Two days before Thanksgiving, I received an email that reminded me exactly why I’m so thankful for the community we’ve built here in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication. This fall, we started an Alumni Spotlight series with names, photos, titles and fun quotes rotating through new video screens in Vilas Hall. We had hoped not only to celebrate our incredible alumni, but also to inspire current and future J-Schoolers with the vast career possibilities available to them after they graduate. Undergrad Mia Hermansen wrote to tell me she had connected with alum Rachel Bozich on LinkedIn after seeing her Alumni Spotlight. Rachel is a documentary filmmaker, known for her work as producer on The Murdaugh Murders on Netflix. Mia wrote, “I feel like I am talking to a celebrity.”

Three things about this story make me most Wisconsin proud. First, Mia has clearly taken to heart the lessons we try to teach about building your network and taking the chance to get in touch with people and make connections. 

Second, Rachel of course responded to the LinkedIn message and offered her help as Mia develops her own career. “She also reassured me that everyone has their own career path, and I was doing just fine.” 

Finally, both Mia and Rachel took time to be in touch with me about how much the interaction meant to them. And honestly, it made my whole month. 

So as we close out another successful year in the J-School, let me extend my thanks to you for being part of this special community. And if you’d like to inspire the next generation of J-School leaders and creators, visit go.wisc.edu/jschoolspotlight and tell us what you’re up to. 

Warm wishes for this holiday season and On, Wisconsin!

We are so proud of what our alumni go on to accomplish once they leave Vilas, and we want to brag about it to current J-School students and visitors. Please submit this form to be highlighted on one of the screens in our 5th-floor lobby.

Alum and adjunct instructor Jacob Kushner's International Reporting course challenges students to venture outside of their comfort zones and do hands-on international reporting work.

On Monday, December 11, the MCRC welcomed thirteen researchers (several of them J-School alums) from across the country to present their health communication research. Topics included health media, health technology, digital therapeutics and more. Thank you to our featured speakers and to all who attended!

In November, three J-School graduates placed third in the Gary Corcoran Student Prize for Excellence in Reporting on Disability for their Curb Pulse article "The Only Way Forward is Together." The article addresses challenges that Wisconsin residents with disabilities face as well as a path forward.

This October, J-School senior Samantha Stidham was awarded the Grand Prize for the IES Abroad Study Abroad Film Festival. Her film, "Take the Goggles Off," was inspired by her experience studying abroad in Barcelona this past spring and encourages viewers "to embrace the profound beauty hidden within the everyday moments of life."

This fall, the J-School welcomed five adjunct instructors back to Vilas Hall. Adjunct instructors provide a unique opportunity for students to learn directly from those actively working in a real-world communications setting.

Garth Beyer (BA'14) is the owner of the popular Monroe Street bar, Garth's Brew Bar.

Ethan (BA'12) and Sammy (BA'11) recently merged their business with A La Carte Media Consulting.