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Messages from Alumni

We want to hear from our alumni. To post a message, go to our Alumni Form.

- Messages from 2011
- Messages from 2010
- 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: November 8, 2009 Name: Matt Uvena Year Graduated: 2004 Location: Washington, DC 20003 Email Address: mattuvena@gmail.com Employer: Interface Media Group Message: Hey SMAD Alumni, We've started up a monthly happy hour club in DC called SMAD Meet Ups - DC. These casual networking events are a great way to keep in touch with friends from SMAD and meet some new ones. If you're in the Washington, DC are come out and join us for the next event on Thursday, 11/19 at Continental Billiards Lounge in Arlington, VA and find out more about the club on our Facebook group "SMAD Meet Ups". - Matt Uvena

Date Posted: October 16, 2009 Name: Kirsten McGlone Year Graduated: 2008 Location: Boston, MA 02114 USA Email Address: kirsten.mcglone@gmail.com Employer: EF Education http://www.eftours.com Message: I got the following message from a recruiter, and wanted to pass it along to anyone who may be interested! Location: Boston Salary: Up to $80k We are working with a stable startup in the SEO and Advertising space. This company has under gone extensive growth in the last two years and needs to add a great engineer to their team. This person should be able to design and develop excellent web applications. Candidate must be fluent in CSS, HTML, Javascript and one programming language (C,C++,Java, Perl, Ruby …). This person also needs to have working knowledge of SQL and Unix/Linux. It is important that this person be willing to wear multiple hats and contribute in different areas. Ideally they would be designing 80% and developing the other 20% of the time. We have a great relationship with the hiring manager and have had success placing Lynx candidates a few months ago. Please call us for more information. (781) 274-6400

Date Posted: October 12, 2009 Name: Anne Feild Year Graduated: 2009 Location: Richmond, VA Email Address: alovefeild@gmail.com Employer: RVAtv Message: Hey all, I just got my first "real" job working at RVAtv! We are getting content ready to air on Comcast OnDemand in the Greater Richmond area, and my job is to get advertisers. It is a dream first job, and I love the people I'm working for. I am still really really new there, and I'm both excited and terrified. For those who grad this year: pay attention in business class! Check out some of our content at rvamag.com/videos.

Date Posted: September 19, 2009 Name: Karl Channell Year Graduated: 2001 Location: San Francisco, CA 94117 Email Address: mail@karlchannell.com Employer: Apple Message: I just spontaneously felt like giving a shoutout on the SMAD alumni board, class of '01 reprazent! I have no idea how the SMAD curriculum is these days, I highly doubt that there's still a Director class. Hopefully no there's a bigger focus on aesthetics and not just learning software. These days I'm doing front-end web development, 3d renderings and data visualization for Apple. Modo and Quartz Composer are my 2 current favorite tools of choice. It's definitely a good team to be a part of and nice to design work for such a large audience. If there are any old skool SMAD heads on the west coast give me a shout on facebook. Keep rocking in the 'burg… cheers, Karl Channell

Date Posted: September 14, 2009 Name: Megan Clarke Year Graduated: 2000 Location: Reston, VA 20190 Email Address: megan@siteorganic.com Employer: SiteOrganic Message: Hello Everyone, Just wanted to drop a quick note to say that my company is looking to hire both a flash developer and a CSS guru. We are super-fun, laid back and flexible web shop in Reston, VA and I would like to hire a JMUer. If you are in NoVa and are looking for a gig, please give me a buzz. Megan Clarke

Date Posted: September 2, 2009 Name: Stephen Hockman Year Graduated: 2005 Location: arlington, VA 22204 usa Email Address: stephen.hockman@aaae.org Employer: AAAE Message: My company is looking to hire someone entry level to help with recent work influx. It’s a great opportunity to do “real editing” not labeling tapes or doing dub work. I’d love to push for a JMU grad to fill the position. Shoot me an email and we can try to set something up. stephen.hockman@aaae.orgt

Date Posted: August 28, 2009 Name: John Goshorn Year Graduated: 2005 Location: Casselberry, FL 32707 Email Address: john.goshorn@knights.ucf.edu Employer: University of Central Florida Message: Hello SMAD Dukes! This message is specifically for Digital Video and Cinema students, but might also apply to any other SMAD majors who have considered graduate film school ... I have just begun matriculating toward my MFA in Film and Digital Media at the University of Central Florida in Orlando. The MFA program is very young - they graduated their first class in 2008 - but full of opportunity. What kind of opportunity? How about making a full-length digital feature for your thesis project? UCF is the only MFA program in the country that requires a feature-length thesis. The program is guided by the "microbudget digital paradigm," essentially meaning that: 1) you make your feature on a budget no larger than $50,000 2) that budget becomes part of your aesthetic, rather than a "limitation" on a Hollywood-style story not suited for the paradigm (apply to FSU for that) 3) your process is shaped from the beginning by your delivery system or distribution strategy (i.e. festivals, online, mobile streaming, broadcast) Also, if you are interested in teaching at the university level, you stand a solid chance of getting to be a graduate teaching assistant, working closely with faculty members your first year, and teaching your own courses the second and third years. I will be happy to answer questions from interested parties, but most of the relevant information can be found at film.ucf.edu if you click on links about graduate programs - the track I'm in and I'm describing is "Entrepreneurial Digital Cinema," but other students might be more interested in the "Visual and Interactive Media" track. A final suggestion: if you're a Virginia resident, check into the Academic Common Market and be willing to do a little research and petition for the program to be made available if it is not listed. In-state tuition for a graduate program can help a lot!

Date Posted: August 4, 2009 Name: Sandra Mendoza Brown Year Graduated: 2001 Location: Tucson, AZ 85708 Email Address: brownsm@hotmail.com Employer: Tucson Newspapers Message: Hi SMAD folks! It's so nice to see all the graduates doing well. It's been a long time since I've been to back to JMU, but I am excited to read about all the changes and improvements. I've been a copywriter/editor and freelance writer since I graduated in May 2001, and am currently with Tucson Newspapers writing ads for the paper, web and writing radio and tv spots. BUT... I am in the process of moving back east! So, if anyone has any openings in your area, please send them my way at brownsm@hotmail.com. My husband and I have been in Tucson for almost 5 years now (b/c of his Air Force career), but we're looking forward to coming home. We're also pregnant with our first baby. Thanks for keeping in touch, ya'll, and I look forward to reading everyone's posts!

Date Posted: July 30, 2009 Name: Betsy Jones Year Graduated: 2007 Location: Newark, NJ 07105 United States Email Address: betsy.n.jones@gmail.com Employer: Magic Garden Productions Message: Hey everyone! I've been working at a documentary film and tv company (www.magicgardenproductions.com) in Manhattan for the past 9 months, but am now leaving to move to Prague again. We are looking for a replacement for me, and who'd be better than a JMU SMAD alumnus?? It's a production assistant position, but also entails managing day-to-day operations in the office, fulfilling DVD sales, etc. It's a small company which allows for experience in a variety of aspects of producing. If you are in the New York area and are looking for a full-time position, feel free to email me: betsy@magicgardenproductions.com. It's been really cool seeing how well SMAD prepared me for work in this industry, and good luck to everyone!

Date Posted: July 24, 2009 Name: Lane Robbins Year Graduated: 2007 Location: Washington, DC 20007 Email Address: lane.robbins@gmail.com Employer: The Advisory Board Company Message: Hey! Just a quick message to let everyone know my company is currently hiring a graphic designer. I work for The Advisory Board Company, a leading best-practice consulting firm focused on the health care industry. The opening is for an entry-level or mid-level designer (0-2 years experience). Everyone here is young, fun, laid back, and just great to work with. If you're new to the DC-area, it's a terrific place to get to know people. The office is in Foggy Bottom -- a 5-minute walk to Georgetown or to the Metro. The job itself entails designing anything and everything -- books, invitations, HTML emails, marketing collateral, you name it. It's a great opportunity to learn a ton about the design/publishing industry while working for an amazing company! Send your resume to lane.robbins@gmail.com if you're interested or have questions.

Date Posted: July 8, 2009 Name: Jason Showalter Year Graduated: 2005 Location: Charlottesville, VA 22902 USA Email Address: jasonwshowalter@yahoo.com Employer: Crutchfield Message: Hey guys, just wanted to let everyone know that my company (Crutchfield, located in Charlottesville VA) is looking for a web designer to join our team. Said person must be very adept in HTML, CSS and Javascript. A familiarity with Visual Studio is a plus, but not necessary. Hit me up if you are interested and I can mention it to my manager. This is a great company to work for, very relaxed atmosphere and unbelievable benefits. My manager is totally fun and chill. If you email me any portfolios, I can send them straight to him and give you a reference. You can e-mail me at jasonwshowalter@yahoo.com. Thanks!!!

Date Posted: May 21, 2009 Name: Billy Hanger Year Graduated: 1982 Location: Suffolk, VA 23435 USA Email Address: hangecwi@cps.k12.va.us Employer: Chesapeake Public Schools Message: I was just reading SMAD about you and the picture on the back page took me back to the "Good old days". Those were my teachers who gave what I needed to work in TV. The only people who I can remember who were not in the picture were Dave Tucker who taught radio and Jim Miskimem who was advisor and taught broadcast management. Many thanks from some who learned broadcasting when we had reel to reel video tape and u-matic was a newer format. Good luck to the new graduates, it is a great field to work in.

Date Posted: May 19, 2009 Name: Ben Haslup Year Graduated: 2006 Location: Rockville, MD 20853 Email Address: haslupbf@gmail.com Employer: Freelance Message: Hey everyone. I can't remember the last time I posted on these boards, but I think it was when I was producing stories for America's Most Wanted. I am now working on a documentary series for National Geographic. I've also launched a web site called The Loki Times. It's a strange entertainment site with a focus on news where science fiction and science fact converge. Check it out: www.lokitimes.com. Other than that, I wish you all the best of luck. I'm in the DC area, so if any of you are looking for a connection in "Docuwood" I'm always available by e-mail. Take care, and don't let the economy scare you! There's still TV, movies, magazines, websites, etc. to be made!

Date Posted: May 18, 2009 Name: Lauren Peterson Year Graduated: 2008 Location: Steamboat Springs, CO 80487 Email Address: peterslaster@gmail.com Employer: RSN Steamboat Springs TV 18 Message: I cannot believe it's only been a year since I graduated- moving out west by myself made it feel like 5! ANYWHO I wanted to fill all juniors and seniors in on an AMAZING internship opportunity called "PLUM TV." It's a station that was created by the guys who started Nantucket Nectars. Legend has it that they traveled to various resort towns selling their product to upscale markets and were disappointed to find that most local TV stations supplied NO information for tourists. Thus, PLUM TV was born. They currently have 7 different markets- each of which hosts some sort of INTERNSHIP PROGRAM for both summer and winter season. Most markets offer free housing, a stipend and lift ticket, depending on the season. They also train you to produce "high quality" segments for their live morning shows, which you will also work on 4/5 days a week. During my winter internship in Vail, I produced/edited 13 different segments- 3 of which were "partner pieces"(commercials) for big name companies in Vail. In the early days of the season, I would go on shoots with current employees and learn from them, so by April, I was going out on my own. Some highlights of the season were getting 50 days of Snowboarding, shooting at an Olympic preliminary snowboarding halfpipe event and INTERVIEWING athletes, occasional free gourmet meals from filming commercials and a media pass to the Vail Film festival. Check out Plumtv.com for more info, and if you want to see some of my stuff, check out my website at shemedian.com/video.html. Sadly, my internship did not lead to a job at Plum -as there were not any openings by the time I left- BUT all the experience I acquired lead to an instant hiring at a RSN station in Steamboat Springs, CO. I'm still an intern, BUT the company is looking to expand and I'm told that if I prove myself as an indispensable asset to the station, a job is a define possibility in my future. I'm keeping my fingers crossed, working hard and hoping the third internship is the charm! So, good luck on the job trail to all you SMADies out there! Do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions about Plum, RSN or Colorado. Be sure to check out plumtv.com if you are looking for an amazing internship!

Date Posted: May 12, 2009 Name: Brad Williams Year Graduated: 1991 Location: Fairfax, VA 22033 USA Email Address: bwilliams@nab.org Employer: National Association of Broadcasters Message: As a forerunner to the SMAD program (Mass Communications guy, we didn't have a cool acronym like SMAD), I was thoroghly pleased to hear such great things about the JMU program and the incredible video they put together at the recent NAB Show in April. Very nice work. You made one NAB employee/JMU alumni proud, so much so that I will be in touch with SMAD staff to see what opportunity may exist for a more formal program with NAB. I am also pleased to see staff so invested in the students' futures, taking the extra initiative to get them involved, so thank you Professor Woody and staff. I want to make sure I am available to my fellow JMU alumni and students so feel free to contact me at bwilliams@nab.org at any time. Brad Williams VP, Business Development & Member Benefits National Association of Broadcasters

Date Posted: April 27, 2009 Name: Andre Mattingly Year Graduated: 1999 Location: Newport News, VA 23602 Email Address: pantherx60@hotmail.com Employer: Cox Communications Message: S'up ya'll?!! Wow!! I can't believe that it's been 10yrs since graduation!! Anyhue, not long after leaving JMU, I got a job with Hampton City Schools Channel 46. I really didn't have a job description, but the experience helped me to learn and apply all of the basics of video production and NLE. Part of my job included working with and mentoring middle school and high school students in TV/Video production. One of those students (Rachael Barnes) actually became a SMADdie herself later on, and another one of my students went to Va. Tech and helped produce an award winning piece on the tragedy that occurred there. I went on to earn an Associate’s Degree in Web Development and left Channel 46 to become a Web Developer at Hampton University. That was cool for a few years, but doing an 8 to5 desk job just wasn’t me. Of course my passion is media production, and my current degrees allowed me to get hired at Cox Communications as a Video Engineer/Playback Operator/ Senior Editor. I never imagined that any title that I could have could be such a mouthful! My position allows me to do all aspects of production, meet celebrities, ride military vehicles, and to travel! I couldn’t ask for anything more at this time. I do plan on going back to school for my Master’s, and eventually my Ph.D. (yes, I will become Dr. Dre!). Who knows, I may even end up back at JMU as a Professor!! (lol) Anyway, as one of the first SMADdies (remember EMANON anyone?), it’s great to see how the program has progressed! It almost makes you want to come back!! Well, if anyone is heading to the Hampton Roads area of VA, drop me a line!! Good luck everybody!!

Date Posted: April 12, 2009 Name: Jack Harris Year Graduated: 2009 Location: Virginia Beach, VA 23455 United States Email Address: jacksontharris@gmail.com Employer: Christian Broadcasting Network Message: Hey everybody! So, I posted a message on here about 2 years ago once I started working for the Redskins in DC doing opens and graphics for some of their TV shows. But now, I have moved back to Virginia Beach and am a full-time video editor at the Christian Broadcasting Network. I put together news shows stories that play all over the world. I'm also still freelancing for the Redskins too. Since I am doing news TV shows, here is my advice to other post-production SMAD students: LEARN THE SHORTCUTS! Woody isn't kidding. If you got an hour to do 10 news stories, shortcuts are your best friend. I hope everything is going great at JMU, and everyone graduating succeed in whatever they do. JACK

Date Posted: March 30, 2009 Name: Kate Marshall Year Graduated: 2004 Location: Washington, DC 20008 USA Email Address: katemarshall24@gmail.com Employer: Edelman Public Relations Message: I'm currently working as an Account Supervisor on Edelman's Digital Public Affairs team in the Washington, DC office. If you're looking to break into the wonderful world of PR, feel free to contact me!

Date Posted: March 10, 2009 Name: Chris Brown Year Graduated: 2001 Location: Richmond, VA 23229 Email Address: chris [at] chriswho.com Employer: SnagAJob.com Message: Just taking a moment to update you all on where I am now. I've now been at SnagAJob.com for two years and all is going well. Being the web designer for a site that has over 14 million registered users is kind of crazy but I love it. We have a great work environment, the company cares for it's own, and it is nice knowing that the work I do helps others find work.

Date Posted: February 23, 2009 Name: Regina Mannino Year Graduated: 2006 Location: Arlington, VA 22209 Arlington Email Address: regina.mannino@gmail.com Employer: Advisory Board Company Message: Hello SMAD! I must say, this website gets better and better everyday! Now that I am nearing my third year out of school, I thought it was time to get on the SMAD alumni board (how I miss the days!) Since I graduated, I've been working at the Advisory Board Company (a best practice research/consulting firm that primarily works with hospitals and health systems across the U.S.) I started off in the Sales division, and have now moved over to Account Management - managing our client relationships which involves a lot of conversations, presentations, and travel. If anyone is looking to relocate to the DC area and would like to talk more I'm happy to! Good luck and enjoy SMAD/JMU!

Date Posted: February 4, 2009 Name: Fareine Suarez Year Graduated: 2008 Location: Virginia Beach, VA 23451 Email Address: fareine.suarez@gmail.com Employer: O'Brien et al. Advertising Message: I just wanted to drop in and say hi to all my fellow SMAD majors/alums! I graduated in December, and was lucky enough to land an awesome job as a photographer/videographer at O'Brien et al. Advertising in Virginia Beach. We're actually looking for an entry level video editor to help us out in the Photo/Video department. If you're in Virginia Beach area and are interested in working in a laid-back environment right on the beach, please contact the Photo/Video Director Jon Abrahams at jon@obriental.com and tell him that I sent ya! You can view the work that OEA's done at http://www.obrienetal.com. Thanks!

Date Posted: January 30, 2009 Name: Jeri Moser Year Graduated: 2001 Location: Salem, OR 97301 Email Address: jeri.moser@gmail.com Employer: Cristom Vineyards Message: Quite a bit has changed since I was last on this site. I am still living in Salem, OR but I am now employed. I have acutually been working for Cristom Vineyards since 2007. I am the Direct Sales Manager, which means I run our tasting, coordinate our Cellar Club, and take care of all internet sales. My job is absolutely amazing. It has afforded me the chance to do things I never dreamt of doing, such as a two-week wine tour through Italy. If anyone is planning a trip to the Willamette Valley, shoot me an email. I would love to take you on a tour of wine country! Cheers!

Date Posted: January 18, 2009 Name: Greg Brandon Year Graduated: 2007 Location: Los Angeles, CA Email Address: brandoga@gmail.com Employer: Freelance Message: Hey everyone, after a year and a half of living and working in Los Angeles I'm finally posting. I moved to LA right after graduation and started working for a production company as a Production Assistant (PA). I jumped around from show to show but have finally landed a gig working with Dirty Jobs on the Discovery Channel. I am the field coordinator (think PA but with more responsibilities) and I travel with the crew all over the country to work in some truly dirty places. The first episode I worked on airs this Tuesday, Jan 20th at 9pm so make sure to watch! To all SMAD students thinking about moving to the west coast, do it right after you graduate, don’t wait or else it will be much harder to make the move. And to anyone that does make the move or is just in town visiting, email me and my roommates and I would be happy to play tour guide and show you around this crazy city. Good luck to everyone.

Date Posted: January 13, 2009 Name: Arnold Edwards Year Graduated: 2006 Location: Toluca Lake, CA 91602 USA Email Address: Arnold.Edwards@cbs.com Employer: CBS Message: "From Television City in Hollywood..." That line began many a classic television show. It's where the Carol Burnett Show, All in the Family, and Three's Company taped, among many, many others. And it's where I type this message. :) I started out here at CBS as a Page (one of those people in the red jackets you see on The Price Is Right). If you're wondering what a Page does, they mainly manage the studio audiences, getting them in and out of the studios for shows like The Late Late Show, Dancing with the Stars, and American Idol. Recently I became a post-production coordinator for CBS End Credits. I am responsible for producing the "squeeze and tease" end credits for CBS daytime programming using FCP and After Effects. So the next time you watch "The Young and the Restless" and wonder who made the credits, it's me! Finally, if I could give one piece of advice, pay attention in all your classes. It's a very competitive job market, and you never know what you'll be doing after graduation or what tidbits from JMU might come in handy. I never thought in a million years I'd be creating end credits, but, here I am and enjoying every minute of it.