Messages from Alumni
We want to hear from our alumni. To post a message, go to our Alumni Form.
- Messages from 2011
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- Messages from 2009
- Messages from 2008
- Messages from 2007
- Messages from 2006
- Messages from 2005
- Messages from 2004 (September - December)
- Messages from 2004 (Prior to September)
- Messages from 2003
- Messages from 2002
- Messages from 2001
| Date Posted: December 29, 2004 Name: Kristin Short Year Graduated: 2004 Location: New York, NY Email Address: knharman@hotmail.com Employer: Hour Media Message: Hi all! Well, after graduating in May and getting married in July, I definitely took some time to find a job. After several interviews (like you all know so well) I finally landed one, thanks to another smad alum and my Bluestone buddy, Katy Kain. I am the Magazine Coordinator for Hour Media's brand new publication called New York Home. New York Home is a luxury shelter magazine dedicated to NYC, Long Island, the Hamptons, Westchester, Sussex and parts of CT and NJ.. Being a part of a start-up definitely has its perks. I am learning a lot about the process of starting a publication and all my smad knowledge and experience is being put hard to work. I hope everyone is doing well and if any of my DV or Print friends are ever in NYC shoot me an email. :) |
| Date Posted: December 29, 2004 Name: Sean Harrington Year Graduated: 1996 Location: Littleton, CO 80128 USA Email Address: seantharrington@juno.com Employer: Entercom Communications - KQMT-FM 99.5 The Mountain Message: Hey y'all ... After a brief stint at KOSI, I've been promoted to Senior Account Executive at KQMT-FM, 99.5 The Mountain here in Denver. I'm also heading up the Colorado JMU Alumni Chapter....and the guest room is open to anyone who's on their way out here for a ski trip! |
| Date Posted: December 23, 2004 Name: Sarah Clarke Year Graduated: 1997 Location: Arlington, VA 22201 USA Email Address: sclarke1129@yahoo.com Employer: Academy for Educational Development Message: I'm senior communications analyst with the Development Information Services contract for the United States Agency for International Development. http://www.usaid.gov |
| Date Posted: December 22, 2004 Name: Juli Zavacky Year Graduated: 2004 Location: Charlottesville, VA 22901 Email Address: juliannezavacky@yahoo.com Employer: Grey Communications--WCAV TV/WVAW TV Message: I was so hesitant for so long to post anything here because I always read things from alumni and everyone is so positive and successful and I wonder how much of it is just hype? Perhaps if salaries were posted, everything would seem a bit more honest! But I digress... After graduation, I knew I wanted to stay in my hometown for a while, and I landed a job at this brand-new dual TV station that is actually still under construction to this day (I can here the drills outside as I'm typing--today they are finally attaching the sign with our name on it to the outside wall!). I am part of the creative services department, which does all local TV commercials, all station PSAs, and promotional pieces for both brand-new newsteams. I dealt with the boring stuff at first, but about a month ago they promoted me to Webmaster responsible for all communications with our web design company. Ironically, I don't know HTML and I am more experienced in video than graphic design, but I am learning a lot and gaining more experience than I ever expected this early. The great thing about being here is how wonderful the staff is--a lot of new people to the industry, high energy, and lots of room for creativity and advancement. You can have your hands in as many things as you want here, and that happens more often than not. There are two other JMU 2004 alums here that are doing things far different than what they graduated with, and that amazes me. Which brings me to part two of this post. APPLY HERE! We are desperate for at least one more Creative Services team member to help us with all of the millions of promotions and commercials that we will need to do in the coming months. Having a staff of 3 to do the promoting for 2 (soon to be 3) TV stations is impossible. And I'm not really a part of the department anymore now that I have to take over 3 different websites. But here we use FCP as well as Avid, Photoshop, and a lot of the same SMAD goodness we all are used to. I figured out the standard of living here vs. salary evens out to what the ratio would be in D.C. (i.e. you get paid more in D.C. but you also pay more to live there), so if you like medium-sized cities that are 1-2 hours away from everything, Charlottesville is a great start. Plus, you get to hang out with me, and in my hometown, I'm really fun. I hope to hear from some of you soon! ~Juli Zavacky |
| Date Posted: December 21, 2004 Name: Christianne Page Year Graduated: 2002 Location: Chesapeake, VA 23320 USA Email Address: crabtreepage@hotmail.com Employer: Regent University Message: Hello, SMAD-grads! Glad to hear everyone is doing so well. As for myself, I got hired by Regent University's Center for Teaching and Learning right after graduation. I am now their Director of Media Production. My small team creates multimedia enhancements for our faculty's online courses. We come alongside the professors to make their curriculum more engaging with interactive websites, video scenarios, etc. Since we're such a small team, I get to have my hands in everything from Flash to Final Cut Pro. On a side note, I'm expecting my first child (a girl!) this March. Not surprising I guess from the girl who got married in college. Best of luck to everyone! |
| Date Posted: December 16, 2004 Name: Tina LaStella Year Graduated: 2004 Location: New York, NY 10121 US Email Address: tina.lastella@abc.com Employer: Disney/ABC Message: Hey SMADies...after leaving JMU and Clear Channel of H'burg in May I decided I wanted to try something different...but by fall I was back in radio. I'm working for Radio Disney in NYC as a marketing specialist, basically putting together (and selling) promotions and media packages. It is a very fun and very challenging job, but I love the people I work with and there are always interesting things going on, celebs floating around and other cool perks. Our sister stations ESPN radio, WABC and WPLJ share the same office so if anyone is looking for an internship don't be shy! Our office is right upstairs from Penn Station/ Madison Square Garden so the commute is so simple...absolutely one of the best parts! Hope that all is well at JMU -- nice of the football team to get so good after we leave!!! Oh yes, love to the AWC ladies! |
| Date Posted: December 8, 2004 Name: Anthony Marchegiano Year Graduated: 2003 Location: Brooklyn, NY 11211 Email Address: marcheac@hotmail.com Employer: ESPN / Spike TV / etc. Message: Well hello fellow SMADfolks- Glad to see some familiar faces on here, and looks like everyone is finding their way. As for myself, I have found a home and work up here in New York City. I bounced around to a few internships, which were helpful and necessary beginning steps, but have since moved into working as a production assistant in TV. This past summer I worked on the ESPYs for ESPN, specifically on the video production of the nomination packages and other video pieces for the show. I am now with Spike TV working on yet another award show, this one called AutoRox, the first ever car award show, well nationally televised award show, this gig is more research centered. But its cool, having a fun time in the city, it's hard not to, seeing the best movies and concerts, so I can't complain. Either way, glad to see all is well out there, and hopefully will connect with those of you I have been slacking on communication with as of late. |
| Date Posted: December 8, 2004 Name: Lindsay Czarniak Year Graduated: 2000 Location: Sunny Isles Beach, FL 33160 Email Address: lindsayczarniak@hotmail.com Employer: WTVJ Message: Hey guys - I moved from Jacksonville to Miami over a year ago and am doing sports reporting down here for the NBC affiliate, primarily covering the Dolphins -(which clearly, is not the most stunning subject these days:)... but if anyone needs any insight as far as sports/local news, drop me a line - I'd love to chat! |
| Date Posted: December 1, 2004 Name: Dan Bowman Year Graduated: 2003 Location: Manassas, VA 20110 Email Address: bowmandh@hotmail.com Employer: The Washington Post Message: Hello SMADies: So this is my second time posting on this site. Last time was a year ago when I was a few months into my gig as the sports editor at The Culpeper Citizen. Well, I recently got hired again, this time by The Washington Post. I'm going to be working in the sports department, putting together and editing agate pages (pages with scores, boxes and AP wire stories). It's a HUGE foot in the door and I'm extremely excited. I have two pieces of advice for anyone interested in listening -- first, definitely keep in contact with the people you meet in college ... connections are EXTREMELY helpful (ie, me with my first AND second jobs). Second, have tunnel vision and work your butt off in school ... it definitely pays off in the long run to be on the ball and to not goof off (at least not too much anyway). |
| Date Posted: November 24, 2004 Name: Patricia (Frenville) Churpakovich Year Graduated: 2004 Location: Jersey City, NJ 07306 USA Email Address: pchurpakovich@hotmail.com Employer: The Jersey Journal Message: After graduation, I sent out a seemingly endless amount of resumes and received very few replies, which kept me from posting any messages on the forum at all. In August, I got married (hence the really long, crazy last name), which is awesome. Finally, in September I got hired as a paid intern at the Jersey Journal, a daily newspaper in Jersey City. I work mostly with their regional weekly papers, writing all kinds of stories, making page dummies and editing. Hopefully, it'll land me a full time job in the future. If anyone hears of any jobs opening up in the New York area, let me know, I'm only a few minutes away from the city. |
| Date Posted: November 22, 2004 Name: Andrea Lange Year Graduated: 2004 Location: Atlanta, GA Email Address: langeah@hotmail.com Employer: Atlanta Parent magazine Message: Hello all! After I officially graduated (I had one last May session) I decided I deserved some time off. I didn’t start looking for a job seriously until September. Now, three months and hundreds of resumes later, I’ve finally been hired as the staff writer for Atlanta Parent magazine. It’s a small publication, which means I get lots of experience and lots more clips. Moving is hard, but hopefully it will be worth it. Email me if you are in the area and want to say ‘hi’ or if you want information (We use some freelance pieces) . Good luck to all of you! |
| Date Posted: November 19, 2004 Name: Meme McKee Year Graduated: 1999 Location: Santa Monica, CA 90405 Email Address: meme@coldopen.com Employer: Cold Open Message: Hello all! Wow. Almost 5 years and what do I have to say. I'm working in a small entertainment design/advertising firm as the account coordinator. We design movie posters, DVD packaging, consumer ads for Universal Studios, Columbia, Lions Gate, New Line, Fox and more. There are only 8 of us in the office, 2 blocks from the Venice Beach boardwalk. I never really thought this job existed, and it's opened my eyes to a new world of opportunities. It's quite the change from my Peace Corps stint in Nicaragua right after graduation but I really enjoy it. SMAD rocks! |
| Date Posted: November 18, 2004 Name: Christopher Hulick Year Graduated: 1991 Location: Fairfax, VA 22031 USA Email Address: smadalumni@hulick.com Employer: SAIC Message: Sorry it's taken me so long to post, they don't let me out too often at SAIC. As some of you know I have been checking in from time to time and am happy to see such a great program producing great graduates! Also happy to see that some of you still find your way to Interface (as I did in '91). I'm especially happy about the new Harrison! FYI my latest project is producing a videogame that we'll release next October (more on that later), but we also do a lot of web and web application work, some video stuff (FCP and After Effects), and Powerpoint remains the bane of my existence. I wish I could hire more grads (I've been able to bring in a handful) but the nature of the work that we're doing sometimes makes it difficult. But always happy to respond to emails, and if you do find an opening at saic.com please contact me so I can give you any insight I have into that particular opening (we have lots of openings - check them out!). I hope to come visit soon! |
| Date Posted: November 17, 2004 Name: Helene (Waligora) Gleason Year Graduated: 2000 Location: Johnstown, PA 15905 Email Address: helenew@paris.com Employer: Concurrent Technologies Corporation Message: Hi all! I was recently married and reside in Johnstown, Pennsylvania with my husband and puppy Chopper. I left television news as a reporter/anchor at Fox 8 here in J-town and am now in multimedia integration as a videographer for a defense contractor. Normal hours finally!!! :) If you need anything, email me. |
| Date Posted: November 13, 2004 Name: Robbie Carman Year Graduated: 2001 Location: Arlington, VA 22201 Email Address: robbie@dragonwell.net Employer: Dragon Well Digital Media Group Message: Hello all SMADies Well its been a while since graduation and I'm still working hard a Dragon Well. Recently, we moved our facility to the 5th floor of our building taking over the space that Roland House occupied for years. Not only as the extra 8000sq ft been helpful its really let us expand. Currently we have two rooms working with nothing but HD (as well as the new panasoic 1200 decks DVDPROHD) but 3 rooms uncompressed SD. I recently switched positions too. I'm now the Director of Broadcast Services having been the CTO before this is a breath of fresh air as it gets me back in the field and back in the editing room. Our editing staff has also expanded. I manage 3 staff editors and 2 assistant editors. (Recent Grad Melissa Hamill is one of the assistants) And on a whole our staff has grown into about 25. Going to '05 we are looking for some additional assistant editors as well as print graphic designers. And especially flash people. Last but not least we are doing tons of DVDs. We have an agreement with Victory records (the nations largest indepedent music label.) to distribute all of our DVDs. Currently you can find the discs in Best Buy, Amazon etc. Soooo. If you have ideas for content please drop me a line. I lied one last thing. If anyone is in the area and wants to come by to check out the facility please let me know our door is always open. Robbie |
| Date Posted: November 9, 2004 Name: Kate Marshall Year Graduated: 2004 Location: Alexandria, VA 22315 USA Email Address: katemarshall04@yahoo.com Employer: PerformTech Message: Well, I didn't waste much time throwing myself into the real world after graduation! I was hired at a custom design training firm in Old Town Alexandria the week of finals and started working four days after graduation (that's right, I said four). The company creates customized training (web-based, CD-ROM, and paper-based) for adult learners. Since I started at PerformTech, I've done storyboarding, research, audio, and graphic design for a variety of clients including Verizon, University of Maryland, TSA, NASA, and OPM. It's interesting and fast-paced, and definitely a great first job. Hope all of you are doing well. Drop me a line, and best of luck to everyone! Oh yeah...and I heart SMAD. |
| Date Posted: November 7, 2004 Name: Matt Stuart Year Graduated: 2004 Location: Brooklyn, NY 11211 USA Email Address: matthewxstuart@gmail.com Employer: Sudler & Hennessy/self. Message: Well, after sending out about 100 resumes and portfolios to no avail, I started interning for an ad agency here in Manhattan in the beginning of June, and then they hired me in August. I've been doing video, audio, Flash, HTML, and get this...PowerPoint for them, and it's been pretty good. I've been doing other freelance work on the side, because freelancing has some amazing tax benefits, which I encourage you all to look into. I have to say, Woody was definitely right about one thing...corporations are willing to pay a lot more for editing and other design work than a production house. SMAD kids try and get in touch with companies that might have/want to do their production in house, they have no clue how it's done and will be wowed by anything you do. And this sounds ridiculous, but learn the ins and outs of PowerPoint. So many companies are willing to pay $30-$40/hour for people to make their presentations look really good. Which may come in handy for any out-of-work editors/recent grads. The company I'm at does an internship program every summer, if anyone's interested email me for info. |
| Date Posted: November 5, 2004 Name: T.J. Imbrigiotta Year Graduated: 2003 Location: Arlington, VA 22201 USA Email Address: TJ@InterfaceVideo.com Employer: Interface Media Group Message: Greetings fellow SMADsters. Wow! Everyone seems to be doing really well. Once again I'd like to thank The Woodster for hooking me up with the cool gig. I've been working for about a year at Interface Media Group in D.C. as an Assistant Editor. Since I started we've done a lot of great stuff...K-Street w/ Soderbergh and Clooney, countless political commericals, 9/11 Report with Chris Matthews, live shots for Bill Maher, PBS, Time Life, and some Discovery shows. Personally, I've been trying to focus on the High Def end of the business......it's coming kids. We currently have a half dozen or so JMU grads and we're always looking for more. *Since I've been at Interface we've expanded from two FCP systems to five! Thanks again to the SMAD department and Woody for getting me into the FCP game early. Get that certification. p.s. Look out for JMU '04 Grad and co-worker Matt Uvena and I to partner on some "interesting" public access shows in Arlington. |
| Date Posted: November 5, 2004 Name: Amanda Hayes Year Graduated: 2004 Location: Buckhannon, WV 26201 USA Email Address: hayesal@praize.com Employer: News Media Corporation Message: Wow, it's great to see so many people doing well. Homecoming was a blast and it was great to run into some of you. I am doing exactly what I have always wanted to do: write!!!! I am a reporter for a 3x weekly paper in Buckhannon, WV since August 23. Check out the website: www.therecorddelta.com I cover Board of Education and City Council meetings as well as anything else that might come up. The other reporter has been here longer then me and he jumps on a lot of the good ones, but that's ok. I'm learning a lot and everyone is really laid back and it's just a great place for me to start out in. I'm learning to take better photos too, something I never had to do with The Breeze. I'm also slowly starting to learn layout. We use Pagemaker, but I wish we could upgrade to Indesign :) I miss the technology at JMU too...only one computer in the office has OS 10..the rest of us are stuck back in 9.1. My advice is consider going somewhere you haven't considered before. I never thought about West VA until I saw the ad on journalismjobs.com, but here I am. I hope to move closer to friends in a year or so, but for now I'm here in Wild and Wonderful West Virginia ;) Take care! |
| Date Posted: November 4, 2004 Name: Khalil Garriott Year Graduated: 2004 Location: Manassas, VA 20110 USA Email Address: KGarriott@hotmail.com Employer: America Online Message: Hey fellow SMAD Grads... Kinda forgot to update everyone on what I've been doing since graduation. I took a position with AOL at their HQs in Dulles, VA as a Sports Editor and really enjoy it. My job consists of myriad responsibilities, mainly editing articles, selection and cropping of photos, fact-checking, headline & cutline writing, Web design and some HTML work. I definitely use my SMAD education everyday in some facet, so the transition was pretty seamless. Also, I'll be taking up a couple freelance gigs w/ newspapers & magazines to make a little extra $ and hone my writing skills. The new SMAD site looks awesome--gotta love the couple Breeze pics at the top. Drop me a line or give me a call at work (703.265.1000 x31608) whenever; hope everyone's doing great in the "real world!" |
| Date Posted: November 3, 2004 Name: Leah McCombe Year Graduated: 2003 Location: Richmond, VA 23220 Email Address: LeahMcC@aol.com Employer: Royall & Company Message: I started out in Corporate Communications saying I would one day become an Art Director in an ad agency, even though many people said it couldn't be done without a graphic design degree (however, I did squeeze into as many graphic design classes as I possibly could). After many portfolio reviews, interviews and schmoozing, I finally landed a job as a Junior Art Director for a large direct mail agency in Richmond. I'm having a blast and although it may not be as glamorous as working in the traditional ad agencies that I had my internships in, it's great to finally be working with a Mac all day surrounded by young people wearing jeans who consider the iPod an accessory. We're always looking for talented people so feel free to contact me if you're in the area....if nothing else I have a lot of contacts and the inside scoop of the Richmond ad scene. |
| Date Posted: October 27, 2004 Name: Laura Creecy Year Graduated: 2002 Location: Reston, VA 20190 Email Address: creecyle@hotmail.com Employer: American University Message: I'm now in my third and last year of grad school at American University and should graduate soon with a MFA in Film and Electronic Media. Started my thesis project which is slowly going nowhere, but I have been the cinematographer on a couple of 16mm films, including one with fellow SMADy Elizabeth Veltri (2000). To pay the bills I freelance, manage a website at AU part time, teach Flash to middle school kids in Bethesda, and this past summer AU actually let me teach one of their intro classes to Photoshop. |
| Date Posted: October 26, 2004 Name: Rachel Guelzo Year Graduated: 2004 Location: Lynchburg, VA 24502 USA Email Address: rachelguelzo@hotmail.com Employer: World Traveler :) Message: Hello to all my fellow SMAD-ites! Hope life is finding you happy, healthy, and most of all, smiling at each new day that comes your way! Well, five months have passed since graduation, and I am currently preparing to take my first big adventure outside of school. November sixth I am flying to Germany where I will be spending one year working as an Au Pair for a family living in Eybach (an area near Bavaria and the Black Forest) and exploring amazing Europe! While this in itself has nothing whatsoever to do with my corporate comm. major (YAY!), traveling is something I am desperately passionate about, and believe that there really is no time like the present to seize the day and do what you love! If you happen to find yourself over in Europe as well over the next year, feel free to drop me an email! :) Just as a little recap of my life since gradution, I have been working at a bank, as well as doing some freelance graphic design work over the summer and fall. In fact, I actually have an ad I designed published in the Central Virginia Bridal Guide for photography/videography business "Stone Blue Productions"! (So exciting!!) Well, I better cut this short before it turns into a book and I have to started labeling chapters... (hee hee) God bless you guys whatever you may do! Seek after your dreams...they CAN come true! :) |
| Date Posted: October 25, 2004 Name: adam grace Year Graduated: 2004 Location: Locust Grove, VA 22508 United States Email Address: graceac@mac.com Employer: MAxUse Message: Hello All. Well after having an editing job given and then taken away from Bill Verecha of CBS C'ville this fall(even after I had quit my current as per his request), I was little hesitant to post something for you guys. I am currently doing some flash stuff and graphics for Bank of America, oh and I think that a curse has been placed on my Monster account as I have been applying to hundreds of job that only need high school education, but I still can't even get an employer to even contact me, so that i might let them see my work. Anyone need an editor or DVD creator? im better than the rest, and cursed to the bone. |
| Date Posted: October 22, 2004 Name: Katie Lewis Year Graduated: 2002 Location: Augusta, GA 30909 Email Address: Cur1yK8@hotmail.com Employer: The Augusta Chronicle Message: Hi Smaddies! Let me say this first. Internships can really take you places. My internship at the Daily News-Record in Harrisonburg got me a job there and a husband! Now we've moved to Augusta, Ga. where I'm a cops and general assignment reporter with The Augusta Chronicle. I work night and weekend hours but covering crime is fun. I miss Virginia though and being close to good ole JMU. |
| Date Posted: October 22, 2004 Name: Christine Chin Year Graduated: 2004 Location: La Vista, NE 68128 USA Email Address: cchin@km3news.com Employer: KMTV-Omaha Message: Well, I was quite fortunate to land a job working in News so soon after Graduation....all the way out in Omaha, NE!!! Contrary to popular belief, it's not just cornfields out here ;) I was selected to be a part of a 2 year Fellowship Program training to be a News Producer @ KM3 News (CBS Affiliate) in Omaha. I've only been out here for 2 months, but have gotten so much experience working with the reporters and producers. Right now, I am writing the news stories for the 5 o'clock and 10 o'clock news shows. I also update the website. It's great experience working in the news room and seeing ALL the work that goes into a newscast. One of the Associate Producers is going on maternity leave in 2 weeks, and my boss wants me to take over her position! Please email me if you have any questions, and remember that sometimes, it doesn't hurt to move far away for your 1st job ;) It'll pay off in the end! |
| Date Posted: October 19, 2004 Name: Susanna Simpson Year Graduated: 2003 Location: Arlington, VA 22206 USA Email Address: susanna_simpson-cw@discovery.com Employer: Discovery Communications Inc Message: Wow it looks like a lot of SMAD grads are doing well out there! As for me, I traveled around Costa Rica for a month after graduating and then took a job developing and directing an afterschool program in DC at Sidwell Friends School. Now i've been at the Discovery Channel for about 10 months as a coordinator in post production. They are always looking for people in these entry level jobs, so email me if you are struggling to find something! |
| Date Posted: October 19, 2004 Name: Kelly Wheaton Year Graduated: 2000 Location: Alexandria, VA 22304 USA Email Address: kwheaton@interfacevideo.com Employer: Interface Media Group Message: I'm still at Interface, thanks to Woody who got me my job right out of college. I moved up from assistant to editor a while back and am doing both Avid and FCP. Recently we had a little smaddie reunion of sorts when I got to work with Tim Libeau (and Tohry Petty too!) on a show for Discovery--Tim was the offline editor and I was the online editor. He even came in for a few of my sessions, it was almost like being back at Anthony Seeger...Rusty and Woody would be so proud...We tend to hire mostly JMU grads so this is a good place to get your foot in the door; drop me a line if you have any questions. |
| Date Posted: October 18, 2004 Name: Katy Kain Year Graduated: 2003 Location: New York, NY 10025 US Email Address: Katyball@aol.com Employer: VNU Business Media Message: Hey everybody! Just figured I would update this thing with Homecoming around the corner. I 've been in New York City for over a year now...living on the upper West Side and working in Corporate Communications for a business information company called VNU Business Media. The company is made up of basically 3 units- trade magazines, trade expos and eMedia. I think we are most well-known by some of our magazines- Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter, Adweek, Mediaweek, Brandweek, Photo District News, Progressive Grocer, National Jeweler, and the list goes on. I basically do internal communicatons for all of our employees and work closely with the corporate execs of the company. If you're looking for a job/internship with any of our magazines, let me know! I'm still involved somewhat in the music scene, helping out my friend with her booking and promotions company for some of NYC's finest indie rock bands. (www.kerriblackpromotions.com) So if all you really wanna do is rock out and start playing the NY club scene...email me for that too! |
| Date Posted: October 16, 2004 Name: Renee Hodgkins Year Graduated: 2004 Location: Stafford, VA 22554 USA Email Address: arainbwend@aol.com Employer: National Glass Association Message: Hello SMAD! As I am a recent graduate of our fine program, I wanted to let others know that though is hard to find a job in the Media world- there is hope! With persistence and the guidance of our professors, I recently landed my first job as a Magazine Publications Assistant for the National Glass Trade Association. If anyone is interested in a fine internship experience or a potential job in one year, please contact me. A friend in the business always helps! |
| Date Posted: October 14, 2004 Name: Danielle Potuto Year Graduated: 2002 Location: Arlington, VA 22201 Email Address: potutodm@hotmail.com Employer: American Society of Clinical Oncology Message: Hi fellow SMAD majors! Just wanted to update my profile as I recently took a position with the American Society of Clinical Oncology in their Communications and Patient Information Department. Basically I do PR and media outreach for the society's cancer patient programs. Its a great place to work, so if anyone is looking for a job in the PR/Corporate Communications field drop me a line or check out www.asco.org. |
| Date Posted: October 14, 2004 Name: Terrence Nowlin Year Graduated: 2002 Location: Alexandria, VA 22314 USA Email Address: terrencen@fb.org Employer: American Farm Bureau Federation Message: Hey guys, I've been busy since I left The Breeze, Curio and The Bluestone teary-eyed and bewildered. In the fall of 2003, I received my Master of Mass Communication from the University of Georgia, where I worked for the university's public relations news service department and helped redesign the UGA Web site. I have been working in Washington, D.C. since April as an editor with the public relations staff of the American Farm Bureau Federation. My primary project is the bi-weekly member newspaper, as well as press releases and other member materials. I cover agricultural issues, particularly following ag-related legislation through Congress. I sincerely miss the old stomping grounds and hope to hear back from SMAD buds soon. |
| Date Posted: October 14, 2004 Name: dylan king Year Graduated: 2000 Location: Arlington, VA 22206 USA Email Address: dylan_king@mac.com Employer: NRA Message: I am still "multi-media production manager" for the NRA. I have also been doing a lot of freelance editing and FCP teaching. Recently, a documentary that I edited called "Cooking for Julia" aired on our local PBS affiliate WETA--hopefully it will air nationally. In my spare time I teach the FCP class at my local apple store. Im currently studying to get re-certified for FCP. hope all is well. |
| Date Posted: October 14, 2004 Name: Norman Burt Year Graduated: 2000 Location: Arlington, VA 22201 US Email Address: normanburt1@aol.com Employer: AOL, Inc. Message: I landed a great gig as a live event producer at AOL. We take satellite feeds from concerts and sporting events and stream them for AOL members. It's a very exciting position to be in since streaming video is becoming more and more in demand all the time (this team didn't even exist a few years ago). We are in the process of building our new broadcast operations center which I'm fortunate to be a part of. |
| Date Posted: October 14, 2004 Name: Karol Ely-Urban Year Graduated: 1999 Location: Arlington, VA 22204 USA Email Address: karol@urbanaudiopost.com Employer: Myself & Discovery Channel Message: Life is good. I have been working as one of 10 audio mixers total for all of Discovery Network's in house audio post production. I get to play all day in a really fantastic suite. I mix originals in surround and stereo as well as promos and international reversions. Also I started my own business and have built a mini suite in my home in which I do sound for films by independet producers and video by government agencies. www.urbanaudiopost.com. (still under construction) I married Steve Urban the Smad lab nerd. He also works as a sound designer at a local company called postopmedia.com (Check it out he has a page.) He does sound design for political campaigns, National Geographic, and Summer Productions. We are both very blessed to be doing what we set out to do. However I do remember a time when all I had was a goal and I felt many times like it was unattainable or how of reach. My advise is to constantly look for new paths to your goal and do not become jaded. Many times I have felt helpess and caught up in the "I can't" mentality. There is always a way if you really want it. ( Can you tell I dig my gig?) |
| Date Posted: October 14, 2004 Name: Dana Zak (Miller) Year Graduated: 2000 Location: Reston, VA 20190 Email Address: dmzak@adelphia.net Employer: Booz Allen Hamilton Message: I started off 2004 working at Booz Allen Hamilton, "a global strategy and technology consulting firm." As a graphic designer for the company I get to work on a variety of print/web projects. I am part of a large team of other graphic designers, multimedia specialists and videographers. It reminds me a lot of SMAD :-) I enjoy working for the company. There are many opportunities to learn new skills, advance and meet other creative types. Booz Allen is constantly hiring talented creative professionals, if you are interested contact me OR check out http://www.boozallen.com for the most recent job listings. Best wishes to all you SMADies out there! |
| Date Posted: October 13, 2004 Name: Blu Nordgren Year Graduated: 2004 Location: Cambridge, MA 02139 USA Email Address: blunordgren@mac.com Employer: the Kendall Square Cinema Message: What can I say? I rip tickets and clean movie theatres for a living... it's real laid-back and I get free indie and foreign films as often as I'd like and my lunches and dinners consist of popcorn 6 days out of 7. On the side i do videography (corporate events and weddings) and graphic design for high-class shoe stores in Wellesley. I nannied for 2 months and am so desperate that I'm considering doing it again (hey, Swedish-speaking baby-sitter are in demand) though children aren't quite my favorite dish. I've worked on short films and I've been recruited to edit a series of programs on Cambridge but we'll see if that ever happens (oh how fleeting everyone in this profession is). Life is good in Cherry Street. Come visit some day. Boston rocks my world. |
| Date Posted: October 13, 2004 Name: Cory Jurentkuff Year Graduated: 1998 Location: Vienna, VA 22182 usa Email Address: cjurentkuf@aol.com Employer: America Online, Inc. Message: Currently I am an online editor for AOL and weekend grad student at American University, earning a masters in Interactive Journalism of all things. Bravo to the new SMAD Web site ... I look forward to seeing how everyone is doing! |
| Date Posted: October 13, 2004 Name: Brycen Davis Year Graduated: 2001 Location: Brisbane, 4000 Australia Email Address: brycen@anti-cubicle.com Employer: Sensis - Yellow Pages Message: Hey Smadies! Well, I'm still in Oz, but have moved from Sydney to Brisbane to obtain a managerial position (I know, they must be on crack!). I've been away from the States for a year and a half now and am poised to get permanent residency and eventually dual citizenship...especially if Bush gets back in = / Sorry, had to do it...but If anyone is interested in coming down under to get a job, please feel free to drop me a line and I'll send you some information on how to do it and what the current immigration obstacles are for Americans. Take care ~ Brycen www.anti-cubicle.com/oz.html www.oftheworld.tv |
| Date Posted: October 13, 2004 Name: Carrie Cassada Year Graduated: 2000 Location: San Francisco, CA 94117 USA Email Address: filmsproket@go.com Employer: The Orphanage Message: After college, I ran as far as I could . . . until I hit water. I've been living in SF for 4 years working mostly in commercial post-production as an assistant editor and then editor. For the past year I've made the transition to feature films in the Visual Effects industry. I work in post-production as a VFX Editor at The Orphanage, which is a great company that has its founders' roots in ILM. It's great to read about their history. Check us and our work out at www.theorphanage.com ps- Vote! or Shut Up! |
| Date Posted: October 13, 2004 Name: Arquay Harris Year Graduated: 2000 Location: San Francisco, CA 94107 USA Email Address: arquay@phlavor.com Employer: CNET Networks, Inc. Message: Hi Everyone! After a *long* two and a half years I finally graduated from the Academy of Art Collge in SF. Now I work for the ZDNet division of CNET. I guess seeing all of those ZDtv promos in Woody's class inspired me. :) I'm a Tech Producer so I do a lot of backend coding...I guess my focus shifted from graphics somewhere along the way. If anyone is in or moving to SF feel free to email me, maybe I can help. |
| Date Posted: October 13, 2004 Name: John Rantz Year Graduated: 2000 Location: North Hollywood, CA 91601 USA Email Address: rantzjj@aol.com Employer: Message: After working at PGA Tour Productions in Jacksonville, Florida, I moved to Los Angeles a little over a year ago, and have most recently been working as an associate producer on episodes of "Biography" for the A&E Network. For those students/graduates interested in sports television, drop me a line, hopefully I can help you get in touch with people. |
| Date Posted: October 13, 2004 Name: Nikki Veale Year Graduated: 1999 Location: Arlington, VA 22207 USA Email Address: nikki.veale@gd-ns.com Employer: General Dynamics Message: Hi! After 4 years, and 2 acquisitions, I'm now managing the Mktg./Comm. team for a company within General Dynamics. Definitely loving the position as I'm still hands-on with all of the multimedia and layout, but getting more involved in government marketing and communications. Working in the DC area. |
| Date Posted: October 12, 2004 Name: Morgan Riehl Year Graduated: 2004 Location: Melbourne, Australia Email Address: riehlma5@yahoo.com Employer: Lonely Planet Images Message: g'day from australia! i hope all is well back in the burg. ive gone and run back off to australia and am working for lonely planet in their headquarters here in australia. im not shooting for them yet, but have some things scheduled for later on. currently im working on photo editing and working with images for printing. i will be here until the end of the year and then traveling throughout the south pacific before heading back to the states to enjoy my thrid straight season of summer! |
| Date Posted: October 6, 2004 Name: Leigh Giblin Year Graduated: 2003 Location: Virginia Beach, VA 23451 USA Email Address: leighgiblin@hotmail.com Employer: Regent University School of Business Message: Well a little over a year later, and three different jobs under my belt, I have landed at Regent University's School of Business acting as the Marketing Coordinator for all the print materials, print ads and website. Even though I didn't go down the newspaper route, it helps to know to talk the talk and spice up a story to "sell" it to a reporter and get the info out there. My first job out of college was a very fun one - Marketing Assistant for Festevents in Norfolk, VA, but I got burnt out on that way too quickly. Not only was I doing my job from 9-5, but before and after I was setting up stages, decorating scaffolding towers, and actually working the events (they were all Fri/Sat/Sun-ugh) so I had no life at all. Then came my first advertising job. I was an AE and I have since decided that if I ever went back to advertising, I would want to be a Media Buyer. If you haven't already seen this, and if you've ever worked in advertising, check it out its SO funny and SO true: http://www.pioneer10.com/when_i_grow_up.mov |
| Date Posted: October 5, 2004 Name: Leslie Beatrice Year Graduated: 1999 Location: New York, NY 10009 USA Email Address: lbeatrice@nycopera.com Employer: New York City Opera Message: I've been in NYC for 4 years working in some of the shabby offices below Lincoln Center at New York's "hip, young" opera company. I do a lot of the graphic design, manage the website, and try to convince college students that opera is both hip and young. I also still dance a bit (my 2nd major) and recently performed at Dixon Place. Hope everyone is well. |
| Date Posted: September 17, 2004 Name: Jim Blackburn Year Graduated: 2002 Location: Harrisonburg, VA 22802 USA Email Address: jblackburn@myrealbox.com Employer: Blue Ridge Community College Message: I'm no longer a newsie; I'm currently supporting the distance learning technology at Blue Ridge Community College. That adds up to a whole lot of Blackboard administration and H.323 streaming video. Are you planning to work at a Gannett Company newspaper? Send me an email and I'll share my experiences of working at one. |
| Date Posted: September 15, 2004 Name: Katrina Purcell Year Graduated: 2004 Location: Fairfax, VA 22030 USA Email Address: JMUSMAD04@yahoo.com Employer: Discovery Communications Message: Hey there smaddies! I hope you guys are doing a good job and treating all your teachers right! I graduated in May and started working for the Discovery Channel in June. I love it and was even able to get a few SMAD friends hired a couple months later. So keep up the good work and be sure to suck up every once in a while to those great teachers who will be sure to look out for you after graduation! I miss SMAD! |
| Date Posted: September 13, 2004 Name: Ed Dyer II Year Graduated: 1998 Location: Fairfax Station, VA 22039 Email Address: eddyer@mac.com Employer: All Covered Message: SMADees, Currently working as a Macintosh Consultant in a nation-wide IT firm, locally in Alexandria, VA. If you're looking for an internship or starter position at design houses, architecture firms or any other number of places, let me know, I have several clients of that type... http://www.hearthwooddome.com (our house) http://www.allcovered.com (employer) |
