SMAD Alumni Messages - 2004
(Prior to September)

Message Posted 7-28-2004
Clark Nesselrodt
Year Graduated: 2004
Current Address: New York, NY
Email Address: cnesselrodt@nyc.rr.com
Employer: Hunter PR
Hello SMAD Friends:
I hope that everyone in the deparment is doing well. I moved to New York two days after graduation, and am now working as a Junior Account Executive at Hunter PR. Things are wonderful, and I am putting my SMAD background to use daily.
They are always looking for different things at my agency, and I am pretty well connected through the Publicity Club up here. Any SMADdies can feel free to email me.

Message Posted 7-28-2004
Lindsay Yowell
Year Graduated: 2002
Current Address: Charlottesville, VA
Email Address: lindsay@musictoday.com
Employer: Musictoday LLC
So despite my concentration in digital video production, I managed to parlay the minimal Photoshop experience I got in 201, etc, into a design job here at Musictoday (I started out here on the phones as a customer service rep, taking any job I could get in the crappy '02 job market). We're owned by DMB's management, so I do a lot of work for their website, online store, and fanclub, but we also provide online stores, ticketing, and fanclubs for hundreds of other bands and clients (including online ticketing for JMU :o) You can check it out here: www.musictoday.com. I was also a Music Industry minor, so yes, my job does happen to be a disgustingly perfect combination of my Major and Minor. What can I say - I lucked out!
Good luck kids...
L

Message Posted 7-28-2004
Michael Monroe
Year Graduated: 2001
Current Address: Washington, DC
Email Address: mm1@votemonroe.com
Employer: Chef Geoff's Restaurants/Mikemon International
Fellow Smads, You're going to have a friend in Congress. I'm the Republican Candidate for the Delegate to the US House of Representatives from DC. I'd really appreciate your support. I'm Marketing Director for Chef Geoff's Restaurants and do a lot of independent work. I'm looking for some people to help me make a documentary of this historic race. If you're interested, email me.

Message Posted 5-13-2004
Nicole Reyes
Year Graduated: 2003
Current Address: Fairfax, VA
Email Address: reyesnr03@yahoo.com
Employer: Feld Entertainment
Marketing Coordinator - West Coast
-Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus
-Disney on Ice
-Disney Live

Message Posted 5-13-2004
Dan Bowman
Year Graduated: 2003
Current Address: Manassas, VA
Email Address: bowmandh@hotmail.com
Employer: The Culpeper Citizen
I guess it's about time I updated this thing. I've been working as the sports editor at a brand new weekly newspaper in Culpeper, VA called The Culpeper Citizen since the week after graduation last May. It's kind of funny actually, Wendelken's connections helped me to land the job ... one of his former students -- Lou Emerson -- is the editor and co-publisher of the paper. Anyway, things are going well, but I don't plan on staying here forever ... New York hopefully awaits, but that remains to be seen.

Message Posted 3-9-2004
Kristen Thomas (Malinchock)
Year Graduated: 2001
Current Address: Herndon, VA
Email Address: kristen_thomas@hotmail.com
Employer: Amendment I, Inc. (Leesburg Today)
Despite my insistence that magazines and, more specifically, yearbooks, were far more interesting than newspapers, I find myself entering my third year as a graphic artist on a small town newspaper as well as art director of for a local business journal. I use my creativity on side jobs as the graphic artist for my church and have taken on several freelance projects as well. Including one in Director! Time to get that big old book out again... Also got married four months ago, so I have resisted letting the freelance build up too much!

Message Posted 3-9-2004
Christina Olson
Year Graduated: 2003
Current Address: College Park, MD
Email Address: christina4olson@hotmail.com
Employer: Bayard Advertising
Well, here is it is 9 months after graduation (has it really been that long??) and I finally landed a job that I actually want. I backpacked Europe for 2 months after graduation and slowly eased my way into the real world working in my dad's office while I searched for a job. I was just recently hired at Bayard Advertising in Silver Spring, MD and I think I am going to like it alot. Best of luck to all my fellow SMADDIES :)

Message Posted 2-26-2004
Katy Kain
Year Graduated: 2003
Current Address: New York City
Email Address: Katyball@aol.com
Employer: VNU Business Media
So after moving up here in September 2003 and working for a sketchy artist manager, a $10 an hour fashion PR firm, a temp-to-not-so-perm job for Creative Artists Agency, and not to mention, THOUSANDS of interviews...I finally landed a permanent job (that I actually wanted) as a Communications Coordinator with VNU Business Media. After my dreams of working in the music industry pretty much faded, who would of thought that I would end up with a job in my concentration- Corp. Comm! I remember vowing that I never wanted to work in that corporate setting, but guess what? I actually like it, and it suits me I think! And I guess I'm still tied into the music through Billboard- one of our companies! So anyway, although I moved up here several months ago, things are definitely just getting started.

Message Posted 2-21-2004
Justin Tolley
Year Graduated:
Current Address: New York, NY
Email Address: tolleyjb@yahoo.com
Well, here I am in NYC. I've been here since October slowly trying to figure things out. Mostly I've been pursuing a career in theatre/performance and playwriting. I am currently working on a show called "Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind" which opens in April and runs until ????. I am a company member of the Chicago based theatre company called the NeoFuturists, which produces "Too Much Light..." here in NYC. They are an experimental theatre company that performs/writes/directs their own plays...We've got BIG plans for the group. So if you're in NY and want to check out the "cutting edge of American theatre", not the theatre for your grandparents, check out the show. You can see Chicago company website at www.neofuturists.org...the NY cast should be on the site soon. I'd love to hear from you SMADies.

Message Posted 2-15-2004
Bryan Aspey
Year Graduated: 2000
Current Address: Alexandria, VA
Email Address: aspeybl@yahoo.com
Hello Comrades! This is my first post here. A long, long time ago...after about one HOT minute of being annoyed by not getting any response from some post houses in the area, I picked up my axe and hit the road. I've spent the last few years touring the States and abroad (Scotland, Italy) playing guitar in a Celtic group, cutting a couple albums with said group, and getting ready to record my own cd of acoustic guitar music. I have some other projects in the works, but will update when I'm a little farther along. If you want to know more, google me, or say hi and email me. I can think of more than a few of you fools I'd like to get back in touch with!

Message Posted 2-15-2004
Dan Sulivan
Year Graduated: 1999
Current Address: Arlington, VA
Email Address: sullivdr@hotmail.com
Employer: General Dynamics
Moved from my native Texas to D.C. in Aug. 2001. Start work as a govt. contractor as a public relations specialist for the Dept. of Defense in early '04. Worked previously in marketing/public relations.

Message Posted 1-20-2004
Kerrie Wudyka
Year Graduated: 2002
Current Address: Salisbury, MD
Email Address: wudyka@hotmail.com
Employer: WBOC-TV
Producing the 6pm newscast for a CBS affiliate station... it's been quite a challenge all around. Contract is up in a few months.... so I've got my eye on bigger and better markets.

Message Posted 1-20-2004
Melody Mathews
Year Graduated: 2003
Current Address: Los Angeles
Email Address: sirenia2525@yahoo.com

Hey everyone:) Since graduating I've actually done more in theater, my second major. I performed in JMU's Children's Playshop production of "Cinderella" in June. Then after that I went home and tried to figure out what to do next. Busch Gardens' Howl-O-Scream came along and I managed to snag a creature role and got to wear dead make-up. At the same time I went to Regent University in Virginia Beach for graduate work. I was on their Editing track for a semester. I was finally able to get some sound design experience. I really enjoyed it and my teacher said I had talent there. But as you can see by my address, I'm no longer in Virginia. I auditioned in October for the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York and was accepted to their campus in L.A. Since acting is also a passion of mine, I came out here. And when I did and started class, I saw they were looking for editors for their Acting on Camera class(es). So hopefully I'll be able to do that. I've already me! t the teacher and said I have experience. There are just a couple of things to check on first. Anyway, if you're ever coming out this way, shoot me an e-mail and let me know:)

Message Posted 1-20-2004
G. Tres Ikner
Year Graduated: 1996
Current Address: Prescott AZ
Email Address: tresikner@hotmail.com
Employer: Yavapai College

Message Posted 1-13-2004
Katherine Wilson
Year Graduated: 2002
Current Address: Medfield, MA
Email Address: St_Amour8@yahoo.com
Employer: Newton Public Schools
After graduating from JMU, I worked part-time as a production assistant at a small ABC affiliate in Virginia. My social conscience, however, was too much to handle! I now teach Special Education at an elementary school, and am getting my Master's in Elementary Education at Simmons College in Boston.

Message Posted 1-13-2004
Chris Clarke
Year Graduated: 2003
Email Address: chris.clarke@sycoleman.com
Employer: SYColeman
I am currently working for SYColeman in the D.C. are. We are a defense contractor who supports the U.S. Army. After spending some time travelling abroad and working stucco construction I was lucky enough to land this job as a web designer/developer. I'm working with a lot of php scripting and mySql database work as well as design work. I am also about to do my first live webcast. I'm having a blast and thanks to the recommendation of a certain smad professor.

Message Posted 1-13-2004
Maury Sugarman
Year Graduated: 2000
Current Address: Baltimore, MD
Email Address: msugarman@lycos.com
Employer: Constellation Energy
Since my last posting, I switched from my SMAD roots in Web Design to Computer Tech Support, my first computer love. Everything else is great, too (except the Ravens' loss, but they're going all the way in 2005!) I've been with Constellation Energy since June in a tight-knit, 15-person team. We're currently looking to add a few people; if you're interested in working with computers and fixing challenging problems in a very social environment, email me.