Messages from Alumni
We want to hear from our alumni. To post a message, go to our Alumni Form.
- 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 28, 2005 Name: Kara Atkins Year Graduated: 1992 Location: Richmond, VA 23231 USA Email Address: katkins@bossstaffing.com Employer: BOSS Staffing Message: It's been quite a while since I've graduated and even longer since I've been able to contact fellow JMU Alumni. Since graduation I have primarily been working in staffing and recruitment and I absolutely love it!!! For the last 4 months I have been working with a creative staffing agency in Richmond, Va. If you (or someone you know) are looking for an exciting opportunity (contract, contract to hire, or direct placement) in the CREATIVE realm, please contact me directly. We specialize in Marketing, PR, Graphic/Web design, etc. Just to give you an example, I am currently working with a client who has a direct placement need for a Print Media Buyer/Planner in the Richmond area. I look forward to hearing from some fellow Alumni. |
| Date Posted: December 16, 2005 Name: Tobey Van Santvoord Year Graduated: 2001 Location: New York, NY 10009 Email Address: tobeyv@mediaspangroup.com Employer: MediaSpan Group, Inc. Message: For the past 7 months I have been the Network Advertising Manager for MediaSpan Network (www.mediaspannetwork.com) located in Union Square in New York, NY. The MediaSpan Network is a network of 1,000+ local radio station websites in over 300 local DMA's across the U.S. We do 50 million impressions/month and reach almost 6 million unique visitors/month. As Network Advertising Manager, I manage ad operations across our network of sites. This includes trafficking interactive ad campaigns, optimizing campaign performance and creating/distributing national interactive sponsorship opportunities. If anyone is thinking of pursuing a career in the interactive advertising space and needs advice, please feel free to contact me. |
| Date Posted: December 13, 2005 Name: Nicole Hensley Year Graduated: 2005 Location: Huntington Beach, CA 92646 Email Address: elocin32608@yahoo.com Employer: Entertainment Tonight / The Insider Message: So much has happened since graduation... I try to plan everything and still life has a way of opening unexpected doors for me. Just after graduation I drove cross country to take an internship at Entertainment Tonight / The Insider (at Paramount Studios in LA). I interned for just three weeks before being offered a PA position. Three months later I was promoted to assist two supervising producers... I absolutely love producing!!! I have met so many interesting people - I even got to interview Quentin Tarantino! The experiences here have been amazing. Needless to say, an internship got me in the door. They are looking for interns all the time... if you're interested in moving to the west coast for a little while to work as an intern definitely get in touch. I will help fellow smadies the best I can! |
| Date Posted: December 11, 2005 Name: Chris Brown Year Graduated: 2001 Location: Richmond, VA 23229 Email Address: brown3cl@yahoo.com Employer: Royall & Company Message: My first job out of school was working as the webmaster/help desk at a private school in Richmond, but now I have moved on am a web designer with a unique direct mail shop called Royall & Company here in Richmond. If you have experience in xhtml and css and are up on web standards, please feel free to get in touch with me as we can always use good talent. |
| Date Posted: December 1, 2005 Name: Brian King Year Graduated: 2005 Location: Herndon, VA 20170 Email Address: brian.king@l-3com.com Employer: SYColeman (L3) Message: Job opening: Interactive Media Graduating in December? Looking for a job? We have an opening for an Interactive Media or Digital Video major who's into flash, the web, and designing. I work for SYColeman part of L-3 Communications we are a defense contractor and I work on a team of about 8 people which you would be joining. Our biggest client is the Army IE: we design their website army.mil, websites related to the Army, publications, animations pretty much anything that they need. Its a very team oriented atmosphere where everyone has their own specialties and if you have a problem everyone is really interested in helping you out. I've learned so much here its kind of ridiculous:) The benefits are fantastic, full health, parking/metro, stock options, bonuses etc., 3/4 of the office is JMU grads and they love the SMAD IM program because its the perfect combination for this job. We're based in Crystal City in DC, the metro is right under our building, and you would get a SECRET clearance working here, which means job security for the future:) Shoot me an email and I'd love to give you more information about the job, where to apply etc., Thanks! Brian King |
| Date Posted: November 25, 2005 Name: Vanessa Zuidema Year Graduated: 2005 Location: New York, NY USA Email Address: vanessa.zuidema@gmail.com Employer: Transperfect Translation Message: After a rough summer back in the city of my roots I landed a pretty cool, but very demanding job. I'm currently working as a Project Manager for a translation company called Transperfect Translations. The job is more catered to my language background, but I work in the Branding Marketing and Communications department, which means that the majority of the translation we do has to go to our Desktop Publishing department where typesetters pour the language back into printable format. For someone with a double major in SMAD and French I feel like I've landed the right first job. If anyone has a knack for languages and it's not required that you speak a foreign language (we translate anything into anything!) there are always positions open at my company so get in touch. |
| Date Posted: November 18, 2005 Name: Kelly Gray Year Graduated: 1999 Location: Glen Allen, VA 23059 US Email Address: kgray@wric.com Employer: WRIC TV-8 Message: I live just outside of Richmond and after working as a personal trainer and aerobics instructor, I finally got in a field that I went to school for. I am an assignment editor for the abc affiliate here in Richmond. I would love to hear from everyone! |
| Date Posted: November 17, 2005 Name: Kate Marshall Year Graduated: 2004 Location: Alexandria, VA 22314 Email Address: katemarshall04@yahoo.com Employer: Grad student at Johns Hopkins Message: I was recently accepted into the communications graduate program at Johns Hopkins University. The program is part-time and is at their D.C. campus near Dupont Circle, so I'm still working while going to school. If anyone is interested in getting a master's degree but doesn't want to be a full-time student (or, like myself, doesn't want to take out loans for tuition AND cost of living), definitely look into this program! They offer several concentrations and the courses are taught by D.C. communications/media professionals. And the best part? No GRE required. :) The website is: advanced.jhu.edu |
| Date Posted: November 10, 2005 Name: Molly Meyer Year Graduated: 2005 Location: Mclean, VA 22102 Email Address: mmeyer@bestroutes.com Employer: MicroAnalytics Message: Hi - I work for a small logistics software company that is looking for a new website (www.bestroutes.com - you'll see why), and I was wondering if anyone may be interested in doing a redesign. I know it's too late for a project this semester, but if anyone is interested please email me at mmeyer@bestroutes.com or call (703) 841-0414 and ask for Molly. |
| Date Posted: November 9, 2005 Name: Erin Fulgham Year Graduated: 2001 Location: Greensboro, NC 27410 Email Address: erin.blair@gmal.com Employer: Matthews Specialty Graphics Message: I have been meaning to give an update for so long and finally here it is. After graduation I ran off to Maui..yeah Hawaii and it was and amazing time. Believe it or not i got home sick, and moved back home to be near family and friends. It is just as good as any place to live...sounds crazy, its just geogarphy. If i could do it again i would...just wish it was closer! It was a great experience and so beautiful there. Best place to visit. I am now in Greensboro NC doing graphic design for Matthews Specialty Graphics. I design vehicle wraps for; buses, cars, vans, 53 foot trailors and just about anything that can have vinly on it! Check out some of our work www.matthewsgraphics.com Hope everyone is having a lot of success! |
| Date Posted: November 8, 2005 Name: Jeanine Gajewski Year Graduated: 2003 Location: Silver Spring, MD 20910 USA Email Address: jeanineleanne@hotmail.com Employer: National Apartment Association Message: I have a job announcement for SMAD alumni, especially recent grads. We have an opening at the National Apartment Association's UNITS magazine for a production and design coordinator. In January, UNITS will have a circulation of 62,000, and is a monthly, full-color trade publication, approximately 80-96 pages, read by apartment owners and managers. NAA is located in Old Town Alexandria VA. This person should have design and editorial skills. This is the position that I took when I started with UNITS two years ago, and I am now the publication's managing editor. In addition to managing production, the position involves designing UNITS house ads and NAA promotional materials (including brochures, flyers and special projects), writing occasional news and feature articles for UNITS and copy editing magazine content and other printed materials. Please send cover letter, resume and samples to Paul Bergeron, National Apartment Association, 201 N. Union Street, Suite 200, Alexandria, VA 22314 or e- mail paul@naahq.org |
| Date Posted: November 1, 2005 Name: Billy Hanger Year Graduated: 1982 Location: Sterling, VA 20164 USA Email Address: charles.hanger@fcps.edu Employer: Fairfax County Public Schools Message: I am currently the Media/TV Production teacher at West Potomac Academy/HS in Alexandria, VA |
| Date Posted: October 23, 2005 Name: James David Year Graduated: 2002 Location: San Francisco, CA 94114 Email Address: james.david@planetoutinc.com Employer: PlanetOut Inc. Message: Greetings. I am really glad to see everyone is doing so well. The company I work for is currently looking for a VP, Corporate Communications. Information about the position can be found on the net: http://www.planetoutinc.com/careers. It would be great to work with an alum. As for me -- After graduation in 2002, I went to graduate school in New York City at Columbia University and studied journalism. After graduating and wanting some warmer weather, I moved to San Francisco. (It is not as warm as I thought it would be out here.) I am currently the public relations manager at PlanetOut Inc., a global media company with flagship Web portals GAY.COM and PlanetOut.com. We went public a year ago becoming the first company serving the LGBT community to be traded on a major stock exchange (Nasdaq: LGBT), and raised the most amount of capital ever for an LGBT-identified business ($41 million in our IPO). Look at me always (gladly) towing the company line. I have also tried not to give up on my journalism roots, having written one article for one of our Web sites before my boss put a kabash on me penning stories for fear of interdepartmental poaching. |
| Date Posted: October 21, 2005 Name: Sarah Stahler Year Graduated: 2003 Location: Brooklyn, NY 11232 Email Address: stahlesl@yahoo.com Employer: Charlex Message: Hello Smadies! After moving from VA to Boston, Boston to LA, LA to Boston, I now find myself in NYC...for now at least! ;o) I was lucky to find work shortly after moving here at Charlex, a tv commercial production house that specializes in 3D and effects. I love the city, exhausting at times but a lot of fun! |
| Date Posted: October 18, 2005 Name: Abby Kasperbauer Year Graduated: 2005 Location: Boulder, CO 80304 USA Email Address: askasper@gmail.com Employer: InsightAmerica Message: Hello smaddies, After a summer of travel and fun I found my way to Boulder, Colorado. The city has been treating me very well. I spent a few months waitressing before I was hired in client relations for InsightAmerica. On the first day I was surprised to find out they wanted me in sales support instead! I am making my way and learning about the business world. I recently took the GRE and I am hoping to go to grad school at CU or Syracuse not too far in the future. Anyone wanting to hit up CO let me know! |
| Date Posted: October 15, 2005 Name: Julie (Cook) Goetzinger Year Graduated: 2002 Location: Columbia, MD 21044 Email Address: juliebcook@hotmail.com Employer: Baltimore County Public Schools Message: Hey everyone! It's fun to hear what everyone has been up to since graduation. :) The last time I posted on here I was a new employee to Discovery Communications. After working there for three years and gaining a lot of great skills, I decided that corporate media just wasn't for me. At Discovery, I was introduced to a volunteer reading program at our local elementary school. I fell in love with the kids and more and more thought about becoming a teacher. I am now working on my teacher certification and am a full-time substitute teacher for Baltimore County public schools. I really feel like I have finally found my calling. It's crazy where life can take you... I also just got married this past June! Lots of fun changes. :) ~Julie Cook (now Goetzinger) |
| Date Posted: October 14, 2005 Name: Keri (Brooks) Barcus Year Graduated: 2002 Location: Stamford, CT Email Address: keri.barcus@gmail.com Employer: Pitney Bowes Message: Hello SMAD friends! I remember when Dr. Wendelken said most people who concentrate in corporate communications will end up being responsible for a newsletter at some point - he was right. :) I have been working at Pitney Bowes since 2002, and I have enjoyed managing several newsletters. I moved from PB's Sales Comm. dept to Employee Comm. Communicating to 32K employees can be challenging, but it's fun. I get to do a lot of writing, editing, photography and event planning. I hope to get down to JMU in '06 to check out the new building. :) |
| Date Posted: October 10, 2005 Name: Sarah Manley Year Graduated: 2004 Location: New York, NY Email Address: SManley@elite-traveler.com Employer: Elite Traveler Magazine Message: Out of college I interned at Weight Watchers Magazine in the editorial Department for about six months fact-checking, writing sidebars and doing other editorial assistant tasks. I then moved to Elite Traveler Magazine doing the same sort of thing, hoping I would be hired there, or anywhere really. Shortly after being hired as an intern I was promoted and am now the Sales and Marketing Coordinator for Elite Traveler Magazine. Most of you have probably never heard of it because it is only available on private jets, charted yachts or any other gathering place of the rich and famous, and through subscription ($35 per issue). I basically assist everyone in the sales and marketing departments with media kits, sales calls, etc…as well as manage two databases dealing with our competitors (Travel + Leisure, Vanity Fair, Departures and many more). We are always looking for editorial and marketing interns, so feel free to send over resumes! |
| Date Posted: October 7, 2005 Name: Megan Castner Year Graduated: 2005 Location: Syracuse, NY Email Address: mecastne@syr.edu Employer: Graduate School Message: I chose to go onto graduate school rather than the real world after graduating. I am currently pursuing my M.A. degree at The S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. It's defintly a change from JMU & Harrisonburg. If anyone is interested in going back to get their master's degree I defintly recommed Newhouse - it's a 1 year program & the contacts/networking opps are great! Also, you get the chance to work with people who have studied all across the nation (and JMUs SMAD dept. seems to be have prepared me for this experience far more than other schools prepared their students). Anyway, I'll finally be out in the real world in May 2006. |
| Date Posted: October 6, 2005 Name: Heather Markelz Year Graduated: 2005 Location: Fairfield, CT 06824 USA Email Address: hmarkelz@onwardhealthcare.com Employer: Onward Healthcare Message: Hello all! I've been working the past couple months as a healthcare recruiter in CT and I just wanted to post a message to say how useful a lot of the information is that we learned in SMAD! I recently did a presentation on how we can improve our company and how to get our name out to more healthcare professionals and I focused it on how to acheive higher website placement and target market advertising. (A big thanks to Dr. Anderson and Dr. Holman!!) Now my boss has been hinting at a promotion to me and as a new grad I was able to turn quite a few heads! If anyone is looking to get into the recruting/marketing/sales business in CT/NY/NJ feel free to contact me! |
| Date Posted: October 5, 2005 Name: Kelly Lyon Year Graduated: 2003 Location: Baton Rouge, LA 70808 USA Email Address: kalyon@nc.rr.com Employer: Message: Hello, Smaddies! I am currently living in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Although Baton Rouge was not directly affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the area has had a major influx of people and has been changing every day. I am currently looking for employment in the Baton Rouge area (and was doing so before the hurricanes), and I would greatly appreciate any information anyone may have about openings. The availability of quality, long-term jobs in Baton Rouge is extremely limited since the hurricanes. I am looking for something in PR, corporate comm or journalism; however, I welcome information you might have concerning any jobs in this area. Thanks for your help! |
| Date Posted: October 5, 2005 Name: Kyle Phillips Year Graduated: 2005 Location: Alexandria, VA 22310 Email Address: phillikw@gmail.com Employer: WPO Message: Teehee, Mr. Lee. Hello everyone, I found a job! I am working at The World Presidents' Organization, updating their website and other SMAD stuff. I am getting on the board to say we have an opening. So if you don't have a job drop me an email and we can try to hook you up with an interview. McHardy if you read this be extra hard on Bubblez this semester! Good to see most of us are doing well, but I know there are still a lot without jobs, so don't hesitate to email me. |
| Date Posted: October 3, 2005 Name: Danielle Potuto Year Graduated: 2002 Location: Arlington, VA 22205 Email Address: potutod@asco.org Employer: American Society of Clinical Oncology Message: Hello Smaddies! Its been a while since I posted here but wanted to let everyone know of a potential job opportunity for those concentrating in Corporate Communications. I work on the PR Department of a non-profit oncology association and we are looking for a Program Assistant to work under me to assist with our various media programs and cancer patient programs. Its perfect for someone that just graduated. Drop me an e-mail if this sounds interesting. Would also love to meet up with any of my long lost SMAD/Breeze friends (or new one's) for a drink :) |
| Date Posted: September 26, 2005 Name: Renee Kart Year Graduated: 2004 Location: Fairfax, VA 22030 USA Email Address: kartfr22@yahoo.com Employer: PBS Message: Hey all! Who knew that a slow day at work would lead me to the SMAD alumni board?!? It's so great to hear how everyone is doing! I've been working for the head of Programming at PBS HQ since last July - it's a wonderful place and many fellow SMAD/JMU folks roam the halls. If anyone is ever in the NOVA area send me an email so we can catch up! |
| Date Posted: September 15, 2005 Name: Kristin Wilcox Year Graduated: 2004 Location: Alexandria, VA 22304 USA Email Address: kristin_wilcox@hotmail.com Employer: Discovery Channel Message: Hello my Smaddies! I'm glad to hear that so many of you are doing well. Thank you to our wonderful teachers (Rusty, Woody, and Kevin, to name a few) for doing such a great job in preparing us for our careers. My transition from JMU to the real world was completely seamless, and I owe much of my success to them. After graduation last year, I was immediately hired by the Discovery Channel. I work in technical quality control, which entails screening programs before they go to air. I love my job and I'm lucky enough to work with several other JMU grads, including DeeDee Jacobs, Jason Grant, Siobhan McFadden, and Anthony Schach. I'm currently living in Alexandria with my boyfriend and really couldn't be happier! I still see a lot of my old classmates on a regular basis, including Molly Baker and Kevin Barnhill, both of whom are doing extremely well in their respective jobs. If any other smaddies are in the area, please email me so we can catch up! |
| Date Posted: September 1, 2005 Name: Heather Geikie Year Graduated: 2005 Location: Herndon, VA 22031 USA Email Address: heather.geikie@gmail.com Employer: Time Life Message: SMAD got me 3 out of the 4 interviews I went on after graduation. Two of those (both SMAD connections) resulted in job offers. The moral: use SMAD to get you a job. Our professors have amazing connections AND they know what you are looking for so they can point you in the right direction. Right now I am a production assistant at Time Life working on commercials for music and dvd collections. It is really neat to actually use what I learned in school and be able to see that work on TV when you are flipping channels. |
| Date Posted: August 26, 2005 Name: Meredith Cole Year Graduated: 2004 Location: Richmond, VA 23233 USA Email Address: mcole@markelcorp.com Employer: Markel Corporation Message: I just wanted to put the word out that my company, Markel Corporation in Richmond, is looking for a Marketing Assistant for one of it's companies, Markel Insurance Company. Now, I know what you're thinking- "Um. Insurance? Thanks, but I'd rather slit my wrists." But I CANNOT say enough good things about working for Markel. I, myself, am a Marketing Assistant for one of Markel's companies, Essex Insurance Company. I do very, very little of the (SNORE) insurance work. My main priority is Event Coordinating (aka Plannin' the Parties!). I've had the most fun working here for the past 6 months. I've met great people, done a good bit of traveling, and have really put a good bit of my Corporate Comm. skills to use. There is a lot of PR involved in the position, as well as some design/advertising. The Hiring Manager here, Susan Felton, is a JMU Alumn and she asked me to let the JMU peeps know! Feel free to e-mail me (mcole@markelcorp.com) your resume or just to ask questions. You can also e-mail Susan at sfelton@markelcorp.com or if you'd just like info, go to www.markelcorp.com. (Just an FYI,the benefits are awesome and Markel was named one of the top 50 places to work in Richmond.) I love my job. You should work here too. |
| Date Posted: August 25, 2005 Name: Isabel Ramos Year Graduated: 2005 Location: Richmond, VA 23229 Email Address: mramos@timesdispatch.com Employer: Richmond Times-Dispatch Message: This past July, I started a graphic designer position at Richmond Times-Dispatch. I actually interviewed with them during school when there wasn't an opening, however the manager got in contact with me when there was one. They were mostly impressed by my work as the creative director for the Bluestone. So kids important lesson of today is, get involved in publications because it will only look good during interviews. I absolutely love this job. I design ads, help design the dining guide, and there are also commerical jobs in which i just did a 6-panel brochure. I owe the Bluestone & SMAD for helping me land such an awesome job! |
| Date Posted: August 19, 2005 Name: Ray Suthinithet Year Graduated: 2004 Location: Washington, DC 20001 United States Email Address: suthinithet@gmail.com Employer: NewsGroup Communications Inc. Message: I know I just posted a few months ago, but cool things keep happening. I'm leaving for Afghanistan at the end of the month to cover the elections over there. I'm a bit nervous, but mainly excited. I'm going to be doing sound and editing the feeds on a powerbook using FCP, which will be sent back over to the US. I never would have guessed that I would have an opportunity like this! |
| Date Posted: August 18, 2005 Name: Brian King Year Graduated: 2005 Location: Herndon, VA 20170 Email Address: bk@briankingpro.com Employer: SYColeman Message: Holler! Just graduated and found a job as a Multimedia Specialist with SYColeman, a defense contractor in Crystal City. I just started and everyone here is great and the benefits rock. I found out about it from SMAD graduate ('04) Keith Muth. Looks like I'll be doing a mix of print, web, CD/DVD-rom. Things that are big: CSS, Webstandards, 508 compliance, PHP. They love JMU kids here and I know of 3 other ones in my area that are doing the same thing I am. It's all about who you know random applications didn't work for me but the jobs where I knew people I got the interview and the offers from. Rock out. - BK |
| Date Posted: August 17, 2005 Name: Jason Flynn Year Graduated: 2004 Location: Greensboro, NC 27408 USA Email Address: jeflynn@uncg.edu Employer: UNC Greensboro Message: I'm currently working in the Drama/Broadcasting & Cinema Department to earn a couple of bucks while working to complete my MFA in Film & Video Production at UNC Greensboro. Hopefully in three years I'll have an excellent degree, some decent work under my belt, and a little something more to post here. On a personal note my wife and I are expecting our first child and we just bought our first house. If you have any suggestions of things I could add to my plate to increase my stress level then please feel free to contact me. |
| Date Posted: August 17, 2005 Name: Rachelle Lacroix Year Graduated: 2003 Location: Cincinnati, OH 45208 USA Email Address: lacroirj@hotmail.com Employer: Northlich Message: Despite going up an Air Force brat, I never thought the wind would blow me to Ohio! Following graduation, I spent almost a year working in London - first with a public affairs agency called Grayling, and then as a personal secretary (things could only go up from there!) for the director of stamp taxes at Inland Revenue, the British version of the IRS. An expired visa was the reason for my homecoming, but soon after I began work here in Cincinnati. I work for a full service advertising agency, Northlich, and am really getting a lot of it. We're one of the largest agencies in the region and count some great companies as clients. I work in the PR department, doing mostly corporate marketing and communications with Procter & Gamble and regional PR for Tiffany & Co. It's been a year since I arrived and I totally acknowledge how well SMAD and The Breeze prepared me for working in the communications world. As we're full service, there are always internships/jobs available, so check us out! |
| Date Posted: August 15, 2005 Name: Lisa Freedman Year Graduated: 2005 Location: New York, NY 10016 Email Address: lisabethfreedman@hotmail.com Employer: Time Inc. Message: After graduation I interned at Parenting magazine for about two months before I took a full-time editorial job at Golf Magazine. I have been here for a few weeks and have already gotten to know the sport pretty well and met a few players too. If anyone is up in the city and looking for a magazine job, let me know, there's a chance I might know somebody who can help. I heart SMAD. |
| Date Posted: August 15, 2005 Name: Jenny Villone Year Graduated: 2004 Location: Boston, MA Email Address: jvillone@redsox.com Employer: Boston Red Sox Message: I am one of the few who was lucky enough to land a job before graduating last year. And I am one of the VERY few who can say I landed my dream job right out of college. I got a job with the Boston Red Sox by approaching the owner at Spring Training '04 and asking if I could send him my resume. He said yes, and a few months later I was hired by the TV & Video Production department over the phone. I was hired as the line editor for a new TV show called The Red Sox Report which is produced by the team, and airs on the local UPN affiliate (and also in Providence and Portland.) One World Series ring later (yes, I got one, it has my name on it!) I have been promoted to Associate Producer, while still maintaining my editing duties. It is a small, young crew, but we crank out shows on a weekly basis, year round. Lots of behind the scenes, highlights, player profiles, etc. Thankfully, my boss is a Final Cut Pro fan, so after a month of hating AVID, he hooked me up with a new G5, and I'm enjoying editing much more than I ever thought I would. As a lifelong, diehard Sox fan, working for the team has been a dream come true. Thanks to SMAD, I had the skills they were looking for. And thanks to some sort of higher power (Babe Ruth's ghost?), I had really good timing. And I have no doubt they will repeat in '05! |
| Date Posted: August 9, 2005 Name: Adam Robinson Year Graduated: 2001 Location: New York, NY 10011 Email Address: adam.robinson@whitehousepost.com Employer: the Whitehouse/NY Message: |
| Date Posted: August 1, 2005 Name: Martha Cunningham Year Graduated: 2005 Location: Washington, DC 20008 USA Email Address: marcunningham@gmail.com Employer: The Ocean Conservancy Message: Hey fellow SMADies! After graduating in May I made the move to D.C. with no job and a bunch of optimism! Luckily, my chance paid off and I landed a job in the non-profit sector, just as I wanted, with The Ocean Conservancy. I am the Communications Coordinator, and as a Corporate Communications graduate I can't imagine a job more in-line with my work at JMU. I work on everything from our award-winning quarterly magazine, Blue Planet, to the Annual Report, to work with the Media Relations department. I am really enjoying my first job in the "real world" and am confident that the position will be an outstanding portfolio builder and lead-in to graduate school. Feel free to drop me a line in the future for position openings. Our Communications department is extremely professional and welcoming to new graduates! |
| Date Posted: July 29, 2005 Name: Katy Kain Year Graduated: 2003 Location: Herndon, VA 20170 USA Email Address: katyball@aol.com Employer: Deltek Message: It's been a while since I last posted so here it goes- after a year and a half in New York City, I decided to leave my corporate comm. job with VNU Business Media and move back home - just got too expensive for me and my credit cards to handle! Now I'm back in Northern VA, doing public relations for a tech firm and slowly paying off my massive debt. So my job has nothing to do with music or entertainment, but at least it's still PR, right? I do A LOT of writing, which is what I love and hopefully this will give me my 2-3 years of PR experience I'll need to work at the big PR agencies in DC. NYC was definitely an experience i'll remember for the rest of my life so I truly reccomend it to anyone who's ever thought of giving it a try! Shout outs for smaddies Brenna Walton, Matt Carasela and Kristin Short who are all still pluggin away in the city and doing GREAT! Miss you guys! |
| Date Posted: July 28, 2005 Name: Terrence Nowlin Year Graduated: 2002 Location: Alexandria, VA 22310 USA Email Address: terrence.nowlin@gmail.com Employer: Peter D. Hart Research Associates, Inc. Message: Hi Folks, After working for over a year as an editor with the American Farm Bureau Federation, I have moved on to bigger and brighter things. I am now an editor for Peter D. Hart Research Associates Inc. in Washington, D.C. This is a political research organization that does work for a number of political campaigns, media outlets and charitable organizations. I have to say that even though I've gotten an additional media degree and have had quite a bit of practical experience, nothing has better prepared me for what I'm doing now than the combination of SMAD and The Breeze. I'd love to keep up with DC/NoVA-area SMAD contacts and old classmates, so shoot me a line sometime. Terrence Nowlin Opinion editor, The Breeze, 2001-02 Class of 2002 |
| Date Posted: July 1, 2005 Name: Stephen Hockman Year Graduated: 2005 Location: Bealeton, VA 22712 usa Email Address: hockmasm@yahoo.com Employer: None Message: Hey smadies. I hope you all are doing well and have found employment. Unfortunatley, I was not able to graduate until after June session, because I needed 5 more credits for my degree. So, even though I got the award for having the highest GPA in Media Arts and Design, I feel like I have gotten shafted on all the job opportunities (because of my late start.) I just hope that one of my fellow smadies took the jobs I am looking for instead of some other school! I was hoping that a fellow smadie would read this post and shoot a job contact my way. I am trying to pursue a position as an Assistant Video Editor, Production Assistant, or Motion Graphics Designer. I need a full-time paid position, because I am a self supportor. My demo reel is available at www.n2ads.com/demoreel2.mov if that helps. I wish everyone luck and hope to hear from you all soon! |
| Date Posted: June 28, 2005 Name: Katie King Year Graduated: 2001 Location: Kailua, HI 96734 USA Email Address: katieking78@yahoo.com Employer: Hawaii Dept of Education Message: Aloha! I've been living on O'ahu for the past 2 years, teaching video production to middle schoolers. Basically it's SMAD for young Hawaiian kids, and I pretend to know what I'm talking about. If anyone is ever in the islands, holla. But my point in posting is that I am looking to move to LA at the end of the summer, and am currently collecting advice, contacts, people to hang out with and network with once I get there. Let me know if you are there or know anyone there! Hope everyone is well... |
| Date Posted: June 21, 2005 Name: Adam Grace Year Graduated: 2004 Location: Locust Grove, VA 22508 Email Address: adam.graced@gmail.com Employer: Anystream Message: Well Smadies, i guess it's true...if you wait long enough for a job, just before you move to beach and forget about life, you end up with a cool gig. I had done a few graphics contracts over the year since i graduated, but i finally landed a job with Anystream in Sterling. The create automated video encoding software for broadcast servers. Im currently QA/debugging the software from an editor's stand point, as well as creating and running through source material to judge the quality and output of their software. I thought i knew a lot about digital video until i came here! where was the class about Iframes, GOP's, and parsing? jk! it's pretty cool. so keep plugging along. Monster and those are a waste. just call a bunch of places. It worked for Mark Hoffman! |
| Date Posted: June 21, 2005 Name: Geoff LaTulippe Year Graduated: 2002 Location: Los Angeles, CA 90035 USA Email Address: goosetown@gmail.com Employer: New Line Cinema Message: Been working out here in LA for New Line Cinema for more than a year now. I'm making strides as a screenwriter and have been covering scripts for the studio. If any of you out there are writing or trying to get into the studio system feel free to get in touch with me. I can't guarantee that I'll read your script and I definitely can't offer you a job but I've made a lot of contacts here and I'll do my best to help out. Additionally if you're a JMU grad in LA drop me a line so we can continue studying (shhhh...I really meant drinking) like we once did in college. |
| Date Posted: June 9, 2005 Name: Christina Manikus Year Graduated: 2005 Location: Falls Church, VA Email Address: cmanikus@gmail.com Employer: Ikoya Productions Message: Hey smaddies! I am right now interning at Ikoya Productions in Falls Church, VA. We are about to shoot a SAG feature film in Crownsville, MD (close to Annapolis) from June 20th to July 25th. We need more PAs. They will pay if you have experience. If not then you can volunteer or do it for college credit. If you are interested please email rachel@ikoya.com your resumes. Other ways to contact Ikoya Productions is 703.534.0400 or 115 Rowell Ct. Falls Church, VA 22046. Feel free to also email me with any questions or to just say Hi. |
| Date Posted: June 8, 2005 Name: Krissy Callahan Year Graduated: 2003 Location: Chicago, IL 60622 Email Address: callahke@hotmail.com Employer: Hyatt Message: Hello All, I moved to Chicago about 9 months ago for the theatre scene but, like Justin said, you have to support that which you are passionate about somehow. I temped for what seemed like forever and just managed to snag a pretty cool job working for Hyatt.com in the Marketing department of Hyatt Corporate. So that takes care of the 9-5 and the rent and in the other hours I design posters for small Chicago theatre companies and audition for shows. If you find yourself in the area, or are looking to get a job out here, I’ve got some connections (after 7 months of temping who can’t have connections) so don’t hesitate to contact me, even if it’s for a beer and a tour of Wicker Park (yes, like the movie). It’s really exciting to see someone SMAD alumni doing great things, hope everyone is doing well! |
| Date Posted: June 1, 2005 Name: Justin Tolley Year Graduated: 2002 Location: New York, NY 10009 Email Address: Employer: ???? Message: It's great to see so many SMADies doing good things. I'm still here in NYC, paying incredibly high rent and getting very low pay. So it goes. So how is life post JMU? Hmmm. I'm working with a group talented actors/writers on creating a theatre company and opening a show in the west village in mid-august. But that's what I like to do and do for FREE. Meanwhile, to make money I waste an average of 40+ hours a week working in a horrible job as a data entry clerk or various other temporary employment oppurtunities (if you've ever wondered where the term "postal" might be easily applicable, you might find it here!) So this is what life outside of school is truly like, doing stuff you loathe to afford to do what you're passionate about. Hard lesson. Easy regrets. I like the city though. |
| Date Posted: May 16, 2005 Name: Gina Montefusco Year Graduated: 2001 Location: Washington, DC 20037 Email Address: gmontefusco@rif.org Employer: Reading Is Fundamental Message: I've never posted anything on this board, but now I have an incentive. My company, RIF, the nation's largest children's literacy non-profit, has a job opening in my department. I've been with RIF for a year and a half - it's a great job. It's a good work environment with great people, and lots of fun job duties (like creating interactive kids' games. The job description is below. Feel free to get in touch with any questions. Job Opportunity: Web Producer Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) is seeking a creative individual to play a key role in supporting RIF's online presence. The Web Producer will provide assistance to the RIF web team, with such responsibilities as designing graphics for the website, producing web pages, producing electronic newsletters, and assisting with daily website maintenance. Candidates must have strong design skills and 2-4 years work/internship experience. The full job posting is listed at http://www.rif.org/about/jobs/. RIF is the nation's oldest and largest nonprofit children's literacy organization.The RIF office is a very creative and friendly work environment located in Washington D.C.'s Dupont Circle area. Please send a cover letter and resume to the human resource department. email: employment@rif.org fax: 202-673-1649 |
| Date Posted: May 14, 2005 Name: Kevin Barnhill Year Graduated: 2004 Location: Ashburn, VA 20147 Email Address: kev_barnhill@yahoo.com Employer: National Geographic Channel Message: Hey everybody! I like that everyone took a year to post, it makes me feel better about the route that I traveled. I moved to DC a couple months after graduation to look for a job in cable. I landed a couple of interviews with some smaller post houses and one with Discovery but none of them panned out. I got a job waiting tables at the Cheesecake Factory (Kanye West anyone??) and that paid the bills, but its what got me a great opportunity. I waited on George Michael one night (for those of you not fluent with the area up here he is the Sports Director for NBC in DC and has his own show) and he offered me an unpaid job in the sports department at NBC to build my resume. It was awesome! Unfortunately after working 70 hours a week for very little money they didn't have a job to offer me, so I beefed up my resume for one more go. I just got hired as a digitizing expert at National Geographic in DC this past week. I don't really know what qualifies me for this job but I'll take it. It's been a fun ride though. If any of you are up in DC and want to hang out the nightlife up here is quite excellent. I have been keeping in touch with Kristin (Wilcox) but I know a bunch of you are up here too and I want to see you!!! Hope everyone is doing well! Good luck to all the new grads!! |
| Date Posted: May 11, 2005 Name: Melissa Puleo Year Graduated: 2004 Location: San Diego, CA 92109 USA Email Address: puleomk@hotmail.com Employer: Newgen Message: Wow a year has gone by since graduation, can't believe how fast time flies! I wanted to wait to post anything until I had something substantial to post. So right after I graduated I moved back in with the rents in MD and got a full time job as a Graphic Designer for a small print company. While I loved my job there, I couldn't let go of my dream to move to Cali. So in January I picked up and moved to San Diego. I worked as a waitress for almost 4 months in Little Italy, which was good money but def not what I went to college for! haha. F.Y.I. The job market for multimedia is big here, but its VERY competitive so jobs are hard to find. Finally I was offered a job as a Imaging Rep at Newgen a few weeks ago and thats what i'm doing now. Its not the position I want but its my foot in the door. Let me know if you guys are ever in San Diego and we'll meet up! |
| Date Posted: May 10, 2005 Name: Patricia (Frenville) Churpakovich Year Graduated: 2004 Location: Bayonne, NJ 07002 United States Email Address: pchurpakovich@hotmail.com Employer: Royal Media Group Message: It's been a couple months since I posted anything on the site, and since I got a new job, I thought now would be the time. I had been working as an editorial intern at the Jersey Journal, a daily newspaper in Jersey City, NJ, for the past six months. And I enjoyed my job and the people I worked with thoroughly, but as it turns out, it wasn't meant to be because they couldn't hire me on at that time. I ended up getting offered at job at Royal Media Group, where I've been now for almost three weeks, as a general assignment reporter. They put out seven trade newsletters -- some monthly, some every other week -- about different aspects of the business industry -- finance, loans, etc. I'm learning a lot, and while it's not a place I think I'll stay forever, I enjoy being here. They offered a great opportunity to move up and I get to work in New York City, which is fantastic. And on the home front, my husband and I are officially homeowners, having recently bought and moved into an adorable condo in Bayonne. So if anyone's in the New York/New Jersey metropolitan area, let me know! |
| Date Posted: May 3, 2005 Name: Ray Suthinithet Year Graduated: 2004 Location: Washington, DC 20001 USA Email Address: suthinithet@gmail.com Employer: Newsgroup Communications Message: I just realized that it's been a year since graduation and I still haven't gotten around to posting on this thing. Time really goes by quick these days. A few weeks after graduation I started my first job as a digitizer for Summer Productions in Alexandria, VA. It was crazy, I would come in at 5am everyday for about 2 months to digitize footage for the editors. After a while I was working normal hours as a PA/Assistant Editor, and eventually even got to edit my own little piece that aired on FitTV. I really enjoyed working with everyone at Summer Productions, but sadly, the company decided to go in a different direction, and the majority of people were let go, including me. So...for about 3 months I didn't work and lived off of Ramen and water. Suddenly I felt like I was a college student all over again. Then I landed a job at Discovery as a librarian. I stayed at Discovery for about two months, and freelanced on the side. I eventually got an offer to be a full time staff editor at Newsgroup Communications, and I decided that would be a better gig for me than Discovery. (Discovery is a good company to work for, but I'm just not the cubicle type) Newsgroup is fun, I get to edit lots, and go on shoots too. My most recent shoot was at the Whitehouse Correspondence Dinner. Newsgroup was hired by ET to do the shoot and we got to do those trashy red carpet interviews with all the celebrities. It was a crazy night, but amusing. Anyhow, I'm gonna give DC another year and then head off somewhere else. If anybody's ever in the DC area, feel free to look me up. There's way more things to do here than in Harrisonburg. The best part about living in the city is that you can walk everywhere. I sold my car about three months ago and haven't missed it once. Best advice for freelancers: Don't forget about taxes!! (I owed Uncle Sam A LOT more than I thought I would last year.) |
| Date Posted: April 19, 2005 Name: Shelby Crouch Year Graduated: 2000 Location: Richmond, VA Email Address: shelby_crouch@cable.comcast.com Employer: Comcast Spotlight Message: Comcast Spotlight in Richmond is about to have a position open for a Commercial Producer. Keep an eye out for it on the Comcast website. The position includes shooting, editing, and graphics. Please inquire - we really need some new blood with some fresh ideas!!!! Creating local commercials can get pretty stagnant. The position should be posted within the next couple of days. Don't forget - with this job you do get FREE Cable and FREE internet! We edit with 3 different systems - Old Media 100 - Old AVID Composer - and a new Final Cut HD (that the company refuses to train us on) Join the crew! |
| Date Posted: April 6, 2005 Name: Annie Santos Year Graduated: 2004 Location: Virginia Beach, VA 23456 Email Address: santosam@gmail.com Employer: Virginia Air & Space Center Message: Yeah! I finally get to post! I was holding out until I had something worth posting. Lets see, graduated in December and FINALLY after 2 months of searching... I landed me a pretty cool job! I was starting to give up hope myself! But I saw this job on careerbuilder and thought I'd give it a try. Didn’t think I'd even have a chance. Its actually kind of funny. The day I sent out my resume for the job, was the same day my diploma showed up in the mail from JMU. About a week later I got a phone call for an interview! Apparently out of the 100 people who applied I was the only one to send an interactive portfolio with my resume! (which impressed them and they loved it!) So thank you SMAD! A couple days later my boss called and offered me the job as Graphic Designer & Web Developer for the Virginia Air & Space Center here in Hampton, VA. I've been working there for about a month now, and every day I still can't believe I work there! It has a little bit of everything... just what I was looking for! Weekly newspaper ads, major print project (just had my first 15 page newsletter printed this week), photography for the museum (took pictures of the spring break camps last week.. too cute), to a little bit of updating the website and what not. So fun! And the people I work with are awesome! Come visit, I’ll hook you up with some free tickets, I’ve got connections! :) |
| Date Posted: March 30, 2005 Name: Kristen Gubala Year Graduated: 2001 Location: Richmond, VA 23223 Email Address: kgubala@wtvr.com Employer: WTVR Message: It's been a while since I updated everyone on my life. I recently moved to Richmond, VA and am now producing the news for WTVR CBS 6. It's a small move marketwise but a big move considering I just left Kentucky to come to a big city. Luckily I have a few of my good friends from JMU here to show me around. Still single thanks to the wonderful schedule of television... I'd been doing mornings/noon for the last 2 years! If anyone's ever in the area, drop me a line, I'd love to catch up! |
| Date Posted: March 7, 2005 Name: John Davidson Year Graduated: 1996 Location: Reisterstown, MD 21136 Email Address: johndavidson@mpt.org Employer: Maryland Public Television (PBS) Message: Hey all! I was a SMAD person before it existed at JMU! My degree is from JMU in music and audio engineering, but I work in the same industry as all you guys, so "can I play with you guys?" I'm currently Audio Post Production Supervisor for Maryland Public Television, a major supplier to PBS. I mix audio for documentaries on a 192-channel Solid State Logic Avant. I love working in post production, so feel free to drop me a line and I'll see how I can help anyone out. John (410)581-4390 |
| Date Posted: February 28, 2005 Name: Julia Filz Year Graduated: 2000 Location: Cockeysville, MD 21030 Email Address: juliafilz@hotmail.com Employer: National Museum of Dentistry Message: Greetings SMADies! I'm so glad to see that many of you are doing so well, both professionally and in your personal lives! Congratulations to all! After nearly four years, I left Ringling Bros. in July and moved to Baltimore. I'm now the Communications Director for the National Museum of Dentistry. It's been an interesting transition to say the least. I'd love to hear from anyone I graduated with and if you're in the Baltimore area, please come by and share your smile with us at the museum. :~D |
| Date Posted: February 18, 2005 Name: Shelby Crouch Year Graduated: 2000 Location: Richmond, VA Email Address: crouchse@hotmail.com Employer: Comcast Spotlight Message: There is a commercial producer position available in Hunt Valley Maryland (Comcast Spotlight) If you are interested in being underpaid and overworked (you get paid in free cable and internet) go to comcast.com and search in the jobs section for requisition #16877BR. You would be resposible for 30sec commercial developement from start to finish - not specialties here - only jacks of all tades. Good luck |
| Date Posted: February 18, 2005 Name: Rob Petrone Year Graduated: 2000 Location: Cordova, TN 38018 Email Address: rpetrone@abc24.com Employer: WPTY/WLMT-TV Message: In May of last year, I landed a gig as a sports reporter for the ABC/UPN affiliates in Memphis, TN. My wife, Chrsitie (also SMAD class of '00) is currently in Grad school at the University of Memphis studying criminal justice. We're both keeping busy ... It's great to see so many fellow SMADies doing big things ... if anyone's ever in TN or has any questions, feel free to drop me a line. |
| Date Posted: February 16, 2005 Name: Jackie Lasek Year Graduated: 2000 Location: Brooklyn, NY 11217 Email Address: jaxlasek@yahoo.com Employer: Institutional Investor Message: It's great to see that there are so many successful SMAD grads out there! I moved up to NYC last summer and have been working for a financial magazine publisher, working on their website as a Web Production and Design Associate. I'm basically in charge of making sure everything gets posted daily to the site, along with designing our many continual web projects -- banner ads, pop-ups, email templates, web sites, etc. The company is located right in Manhattan and always seems to have a wealth of marketing and editorial positions available, so if you're looking up here, shoot me an email. |
| Date Posted: February 16, 2005 Name: Brandon Montijo Year Graduated: 2002 Location: Richmond, VA United States Email Address: bmontijo@tijovideoproductions.com Employer: Tijo Media Message: Hope everyone is doing well! Things are going pretty well for me. Tijo Video Productions is now Tijo Media. I am actually going to be shooting for the month of March for a US travel company in Jamaica, Cancun, and Acalpulco so if you are spring breaking at any of those locations send me an email ASAP and I'll see if I can incorporate some Dukes into the project whether it's on camera or maybe some crew if you want to work & play at the same time. I moved offices to a place in Downtown Richmond so if you are in the area send me an email and stop on by. Oh and by the way that Capital One Bowl thing was a bunch of BS. Sorry just had to vent since I voted on that thing for like 3 months straight. Later |
| Date Posted: February 15, 2005 Name: Marcus Seiler Year Graduated: 1996 Location: Washington, DC 20003 USA Email Address: marcusjseiler@msn.com Employer: AnviCom, Inc Message: Hello everyone. Sharp Site - so great to see so much going on! Very exciting to see interactive portfolios as part of the standard toolkit for students - IPs had their birth over 10 years ago - very exciting to see them being widely utilized - I know that the couple interviews I have been on in the last 10 years have had a distinct advantage over others candidates b/c of my IP. Go Dukes. Marcus Seiler |
| Date Posted: February 10, 2005 Name: Kristen Thomas (Malinchock) Year Graduated: 2001 Location: South Riding, VA 20152 USA Email Address: kristen_thomas@hotmail.com Employer: Amendment I, Inc. Message: Need a job? Amendment I, Inc. located in Leesburg, VA is looking for a motivated graduate to work in the production studio. We currently produce three publications: Leesburg Today (weekly), Loudoun Living (monthly) and Loudoun Business (monthly) and we are always growing! The studio designs ads and lays out pages, and creates various in-house products, such as flyers, media kits, business cards and presentation pieces. Applicant must be willing to learn and transition with this always-changing and fast-paced environment. Some knowledge of Quark, PhotoShop and Acrobat preferred. Much room for advancement. Send resumé to studio@leesburg2day.com. I started this job right after I graduated from JMU and have been here almost 4 years now. It's deadline-oriented but a flexible environment and this company really takes care of its employees. Come join me in the other 'burg! |
| Date Posted: January 31, 2005 Name: Dawn Brooks Year Graduated: 1998 Location: Playa del Rey, CA 90293 USA Email Address: tekvixen@hotmail.com Employer: freelance Message: VFX coordinator finishing: "Sin City: The Big Fat Kill" @ Cafe FX starting in March: "Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe" @ Rhythm + Hues Studios |
| Date Posted: January 30, 2005 Name: Joey Groah Year Graduated: 1999 Location: Elkton, VA USA Email Address: joey@GoDigico.com Employer: Digico Message: Hey all. Took the plunge with full-time self employment this summer, and so far I can still afford the occasional DVD and cheese steak. This is a production company I started two years ago February, Digico, and we cover just about everything multi-media (commercials, TV production, graphic design, promotional videos, documentaries, etc.) and home electronics install. We even managed to trick one of our clients, Adelphia Cable, into giving us an award: Rookie of the Year for the Southeast Region. We supply Adelphia with commercials and websites; they thank us for ordering their cable modems. Mostly we do work in Virginia, and we're moving into Maryland, West Virginia and North Carolina. We just completed work on a thirty minute show designed for broadcast and tradeshows, and we're about to start doing some work with not-for-profits. If you're affiliated with a local (re: VA) not-for-profit and would like to discuss free spots or graphic design drop me a line. |
| Date Posted: January 26, 2005 Name: Sara Ross Year Graduated: 2004 Location: Nashville, TN 37215 USA Email Address: seross82@hotmail.com Employer: Country Music Television Message: Hi all! It feels like it's been a long time since graduation, but I guess I wanted to wait until I had some exciting news to write. I spent my summer sending out countless resumes and applying for jobs with not a whole lot of success. I was about two days away from accepting a job as a medical secretary and completely giving up SMAD when I got a call from CMT. About a week later (early September) I packed my car and left NOVA for Nashville - quite a change! I worked as an intern in the Graphics department until Thanksgiving and was then picked up to work full time. I am now the Coordinating Producer of Graphics and couldn't be happier. Even though I don't do a whole lot of design, I get to have a hand in each part of every project and I've really enjoyed that. And I also have gotten to work with the other departments and have learned a lot about television production in general. And since I love country music, a nice bonus is that I sit right by the Radio department so anytime a country singer is in the building, I get to meet them! Look me up if anyone's ever in Nashville! |
| Date Posted: January 25, 2005 Name: Keith Muth Year Graduated: 2004 Location: Arlington, VA 22201 Email Address: keith.muth@gmail.com Employer: SYColeman Message: Hey everybody. Sorry I haven't posted anything sooner, I've been pretty busy the past few months. After graduating in may I got a job in old town Alexandria doing freelance work for a small production company that did stuff for the discovery channel. Although it was a great experience, I soon realized I needed a more permanent job if I was going to move up to the northern Virginia area on my own. Just when I thought I would have to move back to my hometown of Richmond, a SMAD graduate sent around an email for a job opening at a company called SYColeman. Luckily I got the job and picked up a house with a couple other SMAD guys along the way. At SYColeman, I do multimedia for the Army, which means I get to do a wide variety of stuff. For example, I've done cd-rom/dvd, video, web, and print work since I've got here. Also, working with JMU grads (and living in an area with tons of them) is probably the next best thing to actually being in school. Feel free to get in touch with me anytime. |
| Date Posted: January 13, 2005 Name: Erin McManamon Year Graduated: 1998 Location: Arlington, VA 22206 USA Email Address: etmcmanamo@aol.com Employer: Hearst-Argyle Television Message: I am currently a TV News Producer for the Washington News Bureau of Hearst-Argyle Television. I started at Hearst a week after graduation. It is hard to believe I will celebrate my 7 year anniversary this May. I have been able to travel and experience so much during those years. This past year has been the most exciting for me. It started and ended consumed with politics. I covered the Iowa Caucus and New Hampshire Primary. I also produced coverage of the Democratic Convention in Boston, as well as several Presidential debates and election night in Boston. I am now focusing on Inauguration. The highlight of my year, though, was when I lead a team of 7 to Athens, Greece to cover the Summer Olympics for a month. It was a lot of hard work, but I wouldn't change it for the world. So once Inauguration is over with, I will be waiting for the next big event or scandal in Washington. We all know I probably won't have to wait long. |
| Date Posted: January 12, 2005 Name: Laura Trigger-Driskell Year Graduated: 2004 Location: Fredericksburg, VA 22405 Email Address: catnfidl01@cox.net Employer: Northrop Grumman Message: Hey Everybody! Can you say it's been a wild ride since graduation in May! I stayed in Harrisonburg for about a month working at my internship until I landed my first "real" job. This "real" job didn't happen to be the job I wanted, but I took it because I needed a job and I was ready to go home. I needed to be at home to plan my wedding that happened in September. This job was at the local paper and I was designing ads. I was getting to use Photoshop, Illustrator, and this program called Ad Suite. I wasn't allowed to be very creative because the ad reps always had an idea of how they wanted the ad, whether or not it looked good or not. So I kept looking and about a month ago I started my second "real" job at Northrop Grumman in Dahlgren, VA. This, too, is not the job of my dreams, but it has good things going for it and the people I work with are great. It's close to my new home, which is scheduled to be complete at the end of March, and its a place that I can get where I want to be as long as I'm patient. My main job function is to use powerpoint, but I get to work with other graphics people who create the actual images that go into the presentations. My boss is working on getting me photoshop and illustrator so I can eventually create some of the things that go into the presentations and to help reduce the work load for the other graphics people when major projects are due. So I'm excited about whats to come. I hope everyone else is doing well. Keep in touch via email and I will talk to you soon. |
| Date Posted: January 11, 2005 Name: Leigh Giblin Year Graduated: 2003 Location: Virginia Beach, VA 23451 USA Email Address: leighgiblin@hotmail.com Employer: Regent University School of Business Message: Have any SMAD alumni been enrolled/are enrolled in VCU's ADcenter program? Please email me if you have because I want to know more from a JMU/SMAD alumni perspective. THANKS! |
| Date Posted: January 8, 2005 Name: Melissa Mollet Year Graduated: 2001 Location: Gaithersburg, MD 20879 USA Email Address: melissamollet@hotmail.com Employer: ABC7/Newschannel 8 Message: Hello All! I hope everyone's doing well. I haven't written in a while, so I thought I'd post a little update. I recently (September) got a job at ABC7/Newschannel 8 in Washington as a reporter. I really love it. I'm from the area, so it's nice to be close to home! The newsroom is beautiful (very new) and everyone here is great. I'm also getting married in July, so I'm busy planning a wedding. That's a job in itself! I'd love to hear from anyone I graduated with. I miss you guys! Please write and let me know how you're all doing! |
| Date Posted: January 6, 2005 Name: Bret Jutras Year Graduated: 2004 Location: Fairfax, VA 22030 USA Email Address: bret@bretjutras.com Employer: Aquent/AOL Message: Whats up guys. Nice to see some posts from the 2004 and nice to see you guys are doing well. I'm currently working with AOL. I came back home after school and worked for a mortgage company where I normally worked over the summers, meanwhile being extremely lazy about looking for a "big boy" job. I didn't really apply anywhere for a couple of months so I decided to sign up with a recruiting agency. If anybody is still looking for a job I highly recommend this route. I signed up with Aquent (www.aquent.com) and they contacted me within about a week. Two weeks later I started at AOL as an Interactive Media Developer. Sweet title, I know :) I don't really do any design work, but it's a good starting position and a great name to put on my resume, and the money's not bad either ;) Anyways...I hope everyone is doing well and I look forward to seeing some more posts soon. If you're around NOVA, or even if you're not, shoot me an email and say hey. |
The JMU Journalism Alumni site is for JMU alumni who studied journalism, broadcasting or public relations or related areas at JMU, or who worked in these fields at JMU or after graduation. It is open to alums regardless of JMU major or current occupation.
