Alumni Spotlight

Katie Campbell, a double emphasis in advertising and public relations, graduated in May 2015. Campbell was a member and officer in the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) and TALK: Strategic Promotion Solutions, the student- run PR firm at Fresno State.

She had many internships that gave her experience in writing news releases, editing, creating social media content, managing social media marketing campaigns and measuring social media analytics. The most recent internship that Campbell had was for the Central California Women’s Conference (CCWC). Campbell has also had experience as an advertising sales representative for Fresno State’s newspaper The Collegian.

She is now the communications specialist for Fresno County Board of Supervisor Henry Perea. Campbell writes press releases for Board of Supervisors meetings, talking points for media interviews, and speeches and bios for events. She also creates content to post on Facebook and Twitter accounts, researches events for the Supervisor to speak at and attends meetings and events on his behalf.

Right now, she is most excited about working on drafting an editorial piece for The Fresno Bee about ways to mitigate homelessness in Fresno County on behalf of the Supervisor.

What Campbell loved most about studying mass communication and journalism is that she was able to get creative through writing and go the extra mile. At first she was a biology major. After taking MCJ 1 as a general education class, she was able to learn about the job opportunities, which included writing, and she knew that she was meant to be an MCJ major. Her greatest takeaways from being in MCJ include traveling to Washington, D.C. with PRSSA and talking with the Senior Vice President of Global Communications at Donna Karan International, Aliza Licht.

Campbell’s best piece of advice for MCJ students is to perfect the art of emailing in a professional manner by studying the way Betsy, Jan and your internship supervisors write emails and emulate that. As a professional, people should not be able to tell that you’re a recent grad. It works to your advantage if people view you as an experienced professional from your emails, since they’re more likely to respond to your requests in a timely manner.

Maggie Caples did not always see herself being a communications major – in fact, she changed her major three times before finally finding her niche in the mass communication and journalism department. She remembers being in Dr. Asahina’s advertising class, which she thoroughly enjoyed, and decided to stick with it. This is where her story begins.

A Clovis, Calif. native, Caples did not always plan on attending Fresno State. She dreamed of attending Portland State, but after some consideration, she decided to stay local and attend Fresno City College and then transfer to Fresno State.

After graduating from Fresno State in 2003, Caples accepted a job with Clear Channel Radio as a sales representative. She then worked for Westlands Water District in public affairs and then took a job with Thielen Partners (now Catalyst Marketing) doing media buying.

In 2006, she decided to move to Baltimore where she worked for two different agencies, then continued on to work in corporate communications for T. Rowe Price and Kelly & Associates Insurance Group for five and a half years.

Caples continued to follow her dreams and decided she wanted to complete her education and go back to school to get her master’s degree. She obtained her master’s degree in contemporary communications in 2013 from Notre Dame of Maryland University. While going to school full time, she accepted a position as a project manager for The International Vaccine Access Center at John Hopkins School of Public Health.

After completing school, Caples moved back to Fresno and accepted her current position as the lead client intake coordinatorwith Community Food Bank.

With Community Food Bank, Caples launched and co-createda softwaresystem forclient intake. She workswith around 200 agencies in fivedifferent counties training them on the softwareshe created.

Once finding her niche in advertising, Caples fell in love withthe MCJ department. She loved the classes she took and how passionate she felt and still does feel about communication. Being in communications is what made her want to go back to graduate school, and she enjoys the communications field because she feels like she makes an impact through what she does.

Caples feels the most beneficial skills she learned while in MCJ were taking public relations classes and learning how to write, and taking media buying courses that taught her how to manage math in a business setting. 

Without a doubt, Caples’ favorite MCJ teacher was Dr. Asahina.

“She had a charisma that was easy to pay attention to and an excitement that a lot of teachers do not have,” Caples said. “She makes youget excited for the project you are working on.”

Her favoriteclass was Dr. Asahina’s campaigns class and her most beneficial class was media buying.

Caples felt prepared after leaving Fresno State, but admitted that real life is different from being a full-time student with a part-time job.

“The first three weeks of workingfull time is exhausting,”  she said.

Caples has had a life full of experiences thus far, but her career is just beginning. In fiveto 10 years she sees herself teaching communications classes at a junior college.

When asked what advice she has for future MCJ students and graduating seniors, she said, “Find something you are passionate about and do it. I didn’t do that at first so I bounced around a lot, but after finishing graduate school I have found that passion and I am excited to see where my next adventure takes me.”

McCormick graduated from Bullard High School in 1989 and California State University, Fresno with a bachelor's in journalism/advertising and a minor in business/marketing in 1994. He made a large investment to start his company in 2008 when businesses were struggling for new, more effective marketing ideas, and it has resulted in great success for him as well as local businesses. Today he has over 175 clients and delivers over 250,000 texts a year for clients all over California. McCormick Mobile Media is still the only company in Fresno to offer a complete suite of mobile products for small businesses. 

Lauren Ruh graduated from Fresno State in 2013 with a degree in mass communication and journalism (MCJ) with an emphasis in public relations and advertising. Upon graduation she found a full-time position with a local full-service advertising agency, Jeffrey Scott Agency. There she is currently a public relations and account coordinator.

Pursuing college, Ruh loved how helpful and collaborative the MCJ department was. She said keeping up with this ever-changing industry is easy because everyone in the department is driven and willing to learn the latest topics and trends. She also really liked how the entire department had a great relationship with one another; it made for a fun and infectious learning environment.

Ruh originally chose public relations after being inspired by a family friend who opened her own PR firm; but grew to realize her social skills and strengths could help grow this passion into a fulfilling career.

Moreover, Villarreal always envisioned herself to be working at an advertising agency, so when the opportunity came to be an intern at JP Marketing, she took it. She received the internship and it led her to where she is now, serving as the assistant media buyer for JP Marketing.

Her position consists of generating an average of five traditional and non- traditional media buys per week using Strata software. She also manages clients’ budgets ranging from $3,000 to $80,000 and researches and implements digital media trends.

What’s remarkable about Villarreal’s passion for advertising and self- improvement is that she never stops; she continues to strive forward.

“Taking the initiative steps to move forward is what it takes to achieve your

goals,” she said. This led her to create her own website, miavillarreal.com.

Her website consists of her accomplishments, resume, and who she is.

You get to see her as a writer and the girl next door.

When she first started her blog, she wrote about her experience as a college student, the people she saw, and what she saw in others. She always included something inspirational. When not in school or at work, Villarreal wrote about her travels and adventures from attending baseball games to hiking and discovering new restaurants with friends.

As a blogger, she currently tries to blog every week but admits to only really blogging about twice a month. She revealed that having purpose and meaning made it easier to write and to create ideas. A challenge she faces is trying to differentiate herself from similar bloggers. Moreover, she includes writing about advertising and marketing, as well.

At the age of 22, Villarreal has already accomplished much and is just starting. She would like to expand her expertise by working on larger accounts in the future. Until then, you can find her hiking in Yosemite or playing with her adorable blinded pug. 

“I think the audience really appreciates the fact that they can watch local people that stayed here,” she said. “I do feel a great connection with this area because I grew up here, so it has been very positive for me.”

Prior to officially switchingher major to broadcast journalism, Booroojian was unsure of what she really wanted to do. It wasn’t until Candace Egan (a high school friend and now Fresno State professor), gave her a little push that she figured out what she wanted to do.

“Candace is the one who kind of directed me into that department,” Booroojian said. “I took news writing classes, and some journalism classes as well, and it seemed to fit better forme than what I was doing. That’s how I got into the program and thank goodness I did because it’s workedout into a really great career.”

Although Booroojian initially had not planned to become a broadcast journalist, she could not imagine it any other way.

“Youhave to do what makes youhappy and this career has made me happy,” she said. “I don’t know if the other careers may not have. You really have to follow yourdream to make it happen.”

Booroojian credits her Fresno State education with providing her the foundation fora successful career as a broadcast journalist at KSEE 24.

“I actually met my husband through my job,” she said. “So my whole life, the path of my life really, changed because I became a broadcasting major. When I think about it, it really impacted everything. So I owe a lot to my school time at Fresno State.”

Marilyn Cowley graduated from California State University, Fresno in December 2014 with a degree in mass communication and journalism with an emphasis in broadcast journalism, a minor in nutrition, and a special event planning certificate. Cowley, a woman with a versatile skill set and a passion for people and nutrition, recently landed a position that combines all of her passions into one.  It’s changed her life forever.

She completed five internships during college, including an internship at Alliance Advertising, a full-service advertising and public relations firm in Fresno. After only a month she was hired as a full-time employee and began working in the field of public relations and marketing.

Cowley is now an assistant account executive at Alliance Advertisting and the director of public relations at Culinary Competitions International, a company branched off of Alliance Advertising that serves commodity boards and private branded agriculture products such as California Fig, California Table Grape Commission and Andy Boy Produce.

At Culinary Competitions, Cowley is able to combine her broadcast journalism, event planning and PR skills with the nutrition component of the company. She also gets to do what she loves most - talking to people and showing her personality through her work.

“How did I get such a perfect job literally right out of college?” Cowley said. “It’s amazing! I’m extremely blessed.”

Cowley is currently working on planning a chef seminar in Williams Sonoma for a client in San Francisco. The seminar will educate chefs about the uses of broccoli rabe by allowing them to create their own dishes with it. She is also working with a client in Columbia providing full marketing and PR, websites, handouts, commercials, creative concepts, and planning a culinary competition featuring celebrity chef Fabio Viviani.

“Who knows, maybe I’ll be the host with Fabio one day?” Cowley said.

Cowley said one way MCJ students can make the most out of their time in college is by completing at least three internships. What made her stand out the most to her boss at Alliance Advertising and Culinary Competitions was her experience she acquired in her internships. She said even if the internship is unpaid, it will be totally worth it in the end.

“I wanted to be able to speak to people, I wanted to be able to write, and I wanted to be able to make things,” said Cassidy Smith of her mass communication and journalism (MCJ) education. “Every step I took was toward being a communicator.” Fresno State is where Smith formed her MCJ story, and she credits the opportunities she had here as equipping her with a full suite of abilities to be attractive to employers and competent in the workplace. 

Angelo Stalis Wins NATAS’s Silver Circle Award

Angelo Stalis, who retired from KFSN (Channel 30.1) in 2013 after more than 40 years on the air, received the “National Academy of Television Arts & Science’s Silver Circle Award."

The award honors individuals who have been in broadcasting for 25 years or more and have made contributions to Northern California TV for a major part of their careers. He will be one of six inductees into the “Circle.”

The 1964 Fresno High School graduate had a part-time job at KFIG (AM 1430) while he was in college. Angelo graduated from Fresno State in 1970 with a degree in Radio and Television Broadcasting. As soon as he graduated from Fresno State, Stalis was hired by the local ABC station, where he initially worked as an announcer/director. In 1977 he took over the weather duties. 

At first, Fresno State mass communication and journalism alumnus Stephen Trembley came to Fresno State not knowing exactly what field he wanted to pursue. All he knew was that he was interested in media, sports, business and political science. Needless to say there were a lot of different fields he could have went into, but MCJ was the lucky draw. Trembley’s MCJ story started with  taking the class MCJ 1, enjoying it and  then taking MCJ 10 with Dr. Gary Rice. Trembley loved the challenge of the class and that is when the journey began.

“Always have that mindset of wanting to learn and get as many experiences as possible,” he said.

Trembley’s advice is to remember that with anything you do, whether it is being in an internship, going to class or being with your friends, you should keep and maintain a positive and receptive attitude, and you will relate to all kinds of people. Having that good attitude gives you the opportunity to have a really successful and beneficial internship/job.

After graduating in 2008, Trembley began working for the Fresno State Athletics Department, which is another challenge, but very gratifying  to him. With communications, every day is different and most of the time you will never have the same day in a row. That is what Trembley enjoys the most.

“There are some things that repeat, but each day you come into the office and no matter what there is always something new,”he said.

Trembley is excited about the way MCJ is changing and emerging, and loves how there has been a focus on having that two-way communication with the fans. The communication can either be through social media or broadcast communications. Trembley has the chance through athletics communications to connect right  to the fans through media, which nowadays is the most effective way.

 Mass communication and journalism alumnus Nigel Burton is one of the many former Fresno State students  embarking on a path of success in what is commonly deemed as “the real world.” Almost one full year since his graduation with a multimedia  option, Burton continues to work on his clothing line “JustBeDope”  – a series of fashionable hats and garments.

“I chose this major because coming out of high school,  I was always interested  in art whether it was intentional  or on accident. Early on I realized I had an appreciation  for the media which is a form of art. A lot of figures I look up to are media-based  in the form of music, art, athletes, etc. My goal was to help positively  influence other kids that also have the same passion and relatable experience  that I had growing  up and I feel like I’m working toward fully accomplishing  that. I’m still a work in progress,” Burton said.

Eventually  Burton envisions  his clothing line as a recognizable brand akin to those of Nike or Levi’s.

“In the future I plan to continue hosting events as well as expanding  to include more clothing apparel and spread love and positivity  to as many people possible,”  he said. “Eventually  I would like to have JustBeDope  in the stores in the mall, and have JustBeDope  be a household  name known for dope clothing and positive,  fun, unique events. Stay tuned.”

A native of Fresno, Desa Belyea has spent most of her career in the newspaper business beginning with her first job at age 16 as a reporter for the Sanger Herald during summer vacation.

After graduating from California State University, Fresno, she moved to San Francisco to do public relations for CARE (Cooperative for American Remittances to Everywhere). She returned to Fresno to assume responsibility for the Women’s Section of The Fresno Bee and was instrumental in realigning The Bee’s resources to better serve the diverse population and changing demographics of the region. She was the first woman to hold the position of assistant managing editor at The Bee and was responsible for the newsroom’s strategic planning.

In 1995, Desa and her husband, the late George Belyea, established the George and Desa Belyea Charitable Trust to be administrated through the Fresno Regional Foundation, “because Fresno had been good to us and we wanted to do something good for Fresno.” Now retired, Desa divides her time between Fresno and San Francisco.

From the moment Tracy Correa won a sixth-grade essay contest at Winchell Elementary School, she knew that she wanted to pursue a career in writing. Fast forward 10 years, and Correa began living her dream.

Correa’s favorite type of stories to write are investigative ones. During Correa’s time at The Fresno Bee, she obtained a national award for an investigative piece about gastric bypass surgeries in Fresno. This is one of the stories she’s most proud of.

Correa, who had breast cancer, also places a story that chronicled her treatment with the cancer on that list.

When it comes to giving advice to future journalists, Correa believes that it’s important to double- check all of the facts of a story so that one doesn’t publish false information. Correa also stated it’s important for future journalists to know that no newspaper is too small.

 “You have to start somewhere, and any job you get is going to be experience for the next job opportunity you come across,” Correa said.

Correa also stated that although there is a lot of competition now that the newspaper industry is smaller, companies are more willing to hire younger, Internet-savvy people who are good writers and communicators.

“Good writing skills and good communication skills are key to any job,” she said.

Correa stopped working at The Fresno Bee in 2011 after the economy took a tumble and changed many aspects of the newspaper industry. The poor economy led to a decrease in advertising revenue, which led to a lot of downsizing and general changes to the business she had worked in for so many years.

“It wasn’t the newspaper industry I once loved,” Correa said. “So I didn’t think I wanted to stick around.”

When PG&E decided to add a news website within its corporate communications department, Correa applied and was one of the first people to be hired. Correa still works for the department, and now does PR-related writing, video production and edits the company’s employee newsletter. Correa said she is happy that working in the newspaper industry gave her a great career foundation.

Alumna Kirstie Hettinga earns her Ph.D

Kirstie Hettinga is one of our outstanding graduates who not only received her B.A. from our department, but she also completed her M.A. in the MCJ’s graduate program. After graduating with honors from Fresno State, Kirstie was accepted into the Ph.D. program at The Pennsylvania State University where she earned her doctorate in mass communication. Dr. Hettinga is now member of the faculty at California Lutheran University. We are proud of Kirstie’s accomplishments.

Eddie Hughes was born and raised in Fresno and grew up loving Fresno State. His family regularly bought season tickets to Fresno State sports and as a kid he dreamed of attending Fresno State and playing for the baseball or football team.

He started his college journey in 2000 and his love for writing and sports drove his passion to major in print journalism and cover sports. His second semester at Fresno State he started working for The Collegian on campus and it didn’t take much longer for him to become more involved with the MCJ department. The competitive atmosphere and student autonomy allowed him to become a successful journalist, and he became editor-in-chief for The Collegian in 2004.Hughes also regularly wrote for The Fresno Bee for three years during college and was hired by The Clovis Independent after graduating in 2005.

Hughes fondly remembers several courses and professors from his time in college who influenced his career. He recalls the rigorous coursework and strict guidelines for MCJ 104 taught by Prof. James Tucker because it always kept him on his toes, but also made him recognize his talents in writing.

Another professor who influenced his current outlook in his career is Prof. Betsy Hays and the public relations courses she taught. He said her upbeat, positive energy was contagious and she had the ability to make students feel good about themselves.

About a year after graduation, Hughes explored the PR industry and after holding communications positions at Community Medical Centers and Pelco by Schneider Electric, he was given the opportunity to work for University Communications at Fresno State. He said it’s a dream job being that he grew up loving the university and, on his own time, has always promoted Fresno State as a hobby. He was always first to defend his school over negative comments and often tried finding ways to change or improve on negative perceptions about the school.

Hughes has now been working for two and a half years at Fresno State as senior editor/writer, leading Fresno State Magazine and handling press releases, media relations and other projects. He finds himself loving what he does every day because it’s the perfect combination of print journalism and public relations, and he’s doing it while advocating for his favorite university.

As a proud MCJ alumnus, Hughes stresses the importance of meeting people, getting involved and supporting campus activities and taking a variety of classes. His favorite thing about the MCJ department was the way it fostered a culture of students with diverse interests in communication and media industries. The  courses, professors and his time at The Collegian are the reasons for his love for the MCJ department and Fresno State.

After graduating with her bachelor’s degree, Lochner landed her first big broadcasting job with KFOX 95.7 as the overnight DJ on the weekends. She also worked for KMPH news radio as a sports writer, editor and producer. After nine months of experience, she decided to move back to northern California.

Lochner worked in television news for 15 years in the Bay Area. Her positions ranged from writing, reporting, producing, editing and public relations for news stations. She spent most of her years at the assignment desk for KNTV news.

“I loved that I never had the same day twice,” Lochner said. “There’s always something new; there’s always something going on. I liked the aspect of getting to know different things.”

At the tail end of her television news career, Lochner was given the opportunity to produce a technology talk show called “Press Here” on KNTV. This was her first opportunity to produce television news. It was a position she enjoyed and allowed her to be more flexible with her time.

Although her producer position allowed her to be more flexible with her time, Lochner decided she needed to retire from the 24/7 news environment. She wanted to make more time for her blossoming daughter and family. She is now the social media marketing coordinator for Richmar Associates. She spends more time with her family and volunteers in her community.

“I do miss working in the newsroom,” Lochner admitted. “Every time there’s breaking news I get that extra little rush and feel my hands tingle and I’m like yes! I wish I was in the newsroom.”

Lochner encourages students to explore while they are young and find their passion. She advises students to try the things that they are curious about. If students do not like what they try, she encourages them to try something else.

“If it’s not making you happy, move on!” Lochner said. “If you love it, the money will come, but your happiness is more important than your paycheck.”

Josh Tehee has a degree in mass communications and journalism from California State University, Fresno and wrote for Fresno State's newspaper The Collegian.

Tehee is now an important part of Fresno's cultural landscape as a writer with The Fresno Bee, a Creative Fresno board member, coordinator of the Fresno Famous Web site, and founder of the Fresno Urban Sound Experience music festival.

As one of the key coordinators of www.fresnofamous.com, Tehee communicates his excitement and opinions on local life in the Central Valley to a vast audience of readers that may not be fans of traditional print and TV media outlets. He is engaged in the downtown redevelopment process and has been a vital part of the Creative Fresno team that has brought the FUSE festival to the area for 3 years in a row. 

Professors like Betsy Hays and Jan Edwards showed Bertolucci constant support while she was interning for the Central California Women’s Conference and she truly appreciates them. “Having caring and supportive professors made all the difference in my education,” she said. She loved every bit of her experience at Fresno State as an MCJ student and says that she still is a proud Bulldog.

Sara Frauenheim is a Fresno State mass communication and journalism alumna who graduated with an emphasis in public relations.

Amanda J. Fine graduated from Fresno State in 2010 with a bachelor's degree in mass communication and journalism (MCJ) with an emphasis in public relations. Fine knew that she wanted to make the most of her college experience and to be involved. During her time at Fresno State, Fine was involved in the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) from 2008-10. She served not only as a member, but as president during her third year. During her presidency, Fine and fellow PRSSA board members founded the Fresno State public relations club T.A.L.K.

Fine was not always a public relations major. She originally was a history major and during the fall semester of her second year she emailed Prof. Betsy Hays and signed up for MCJ 152S on a whim. From that point on, she knew it was a done deal and officially became an MCJ major.

What Fine loved most about the MCJ program was all of the opportunities it provides students, the professional experience that is gained, and the connections you leave with.

“I will be forever indebted to the MCJ department,” Fine said. “Every professor there wants the best for you. They provide you opportunities to grow and let you tap into their own network while at the same time teaching you inside and outside of the classroom. The MCJ department wants you to walk away with more than just a diploma. They want you to walk away with experience.”

After graduation, Fine’s first job in the public relations field was as social media coordinator at Valley Children’s Hospital. In addition to managing their social media outlets, Fine also assisted the public relations manager with media inquiries, hospital visits and outside marketing events.

Fine now works in the Los Angeles area at the law firm Best Best & Kriegar LLP as a digital marketing specialist.

Derek Franks, general manager of Triple-A baseball’s Fresno Grizzlies and a Central Valley native, is no stranger to change. The 2015 baseball season was full of that. Not only was it his first season in the GM position, the Fresno Grizzlies’ affiliationchanged from the National League’s San Francisco Giants to the American League’s Houston Astros. It was at this point that Franks became very thankful for his background in public relations from Fresno State.

“My PR experience and degree couldn’t have been more critical than when we were changing affiliation,” said Franks. “Alot of people thought this was a death sentence for the Grizzlies.”

Unbeknownst to all, this would be the ultimate opportunity for Franks to apply his educational background and experiences by initiating the rebranding of the entire Grizzlies organization.

Franks began his undergraduate study at Reedley College and later transferred to Fresno State as a mass communication and journalism student with an emphasis in public relations. It was a family friend that worked in professional baseball PR that piqued Franks’ interest in the field, and ultimately pushed him to pursue his current career. He graduated in 2007, the same year he obtained his first position with the Grizzlies organization. He believes the real world experience gained from his time at Fresno State is what prepared him for his career in professional baseball.

“Everything I learned in MCJ has been beneficial to my job here,” he said.

In fact, he still remembers his PRCases and Campaigns course. His class developed a campaign called Caught Green Handed. Students partnered with PG&E to educate the public about becoming more environmentally conscious. This type of real world experience is what Franks feels sets the Fresno State MCJ department apart from other MCJ programs out there and prepared him for his current position.

In Franks’ opinion, the rebranding and marketing changes could not have come at a better time for himself and the Grizzlies. The team would go on to win the PCL Championship and the Triple-A Baseball National Championship for the first time in franchise history. Franks would also be named PCL Executiveof the Year.

His advice to future MCJ students is to take advantage of all the real world experience provided by the Fresno State MCJ department.

“Do whatever youcan do to gain experience in the industry youwant to work in,” he said. Franks is married with one daughter and a son on the way.

He is proud to be a Fresno State MCJ alumnus and was recently inducted as an MCJ Fellow into the Fresno State MCJ Alumni and Friends Hall of Fame.

As a result of all her internship experiences, her advice to current MCJ students is to “intern, intern and intern! Make time to connect with people in the community and in the department because those people soon become colleagues.”

Gallardo’s goal for her work is for her to gain a reputation as a credible storyteller. She is currently working as a public relations specialist at Adrienne Young Communications. She enjoys her current career because she loves coming in and doing something different each day; including having creative meetings where everyone throws ideas back and forth.

“I feel like I thrive off of creative environments,” Gallardo said. Her biggest challenge is that she “wants to conquer the world but reminding herself that she still has much to learn.”

Taylor Gonzalez came to Fresno State in 2008 straight out of high school, and like many other freshmen, was an undeclared major. She spent her first year exploring different classes and completing most of her general electives. With the influence of some of her friends and teachers, she decided to major in mass communication and journalism with an emphasis in public relations.

“A strong suit of mine has always been the ability to form and maintain quality relationships,” Gonzalez said. “This is a skill that is so important in PR. Connecting with a client on a personal level as well as professional is what enables a successful business relationship.”

“Mass communication and journalism allows for so many different types of opportunities, which she has already experienced in her two years since completing her time at Fresno State,” Gonzalez said.

After graduating from Fresno State in spring 2013, she had the chance to spend some time in Los Angeles. With an ultimate goal of eventually being involved in event planning, she figured, what better place to gain experience than the city of events? She spent one year in West Hollywood, working for a large company named The ONE Group doing PR, marketing, and events.

The ONE Group is a global hospitality company that operates venues that are both restaurants and event locations. In her time there she organized on-site events such as Ne- Yo'spre-Grammy party, Kate Blanchett's pre-Oscars party, multiple movie premier parties, many celebrity birthdays, and off-site events that included food and wine festivals and her favorite, the Coachella Music Festival. She was in charge of celebrity relations for The ONE Group, and since their venue was located in West Hollywood, celebrities visited weekly.

“Having close interactions and conversations with people I have only seen on television is one way to get over any self-consciousness that often comes when you’re fresh out of college,” Gonzalez said. “I wouldn't change that chapter of my life for anything!”

Born and raised in the Bay Area, she has always known that she wanted to end up living and working somewhere near San Francisco. After her eventful year in West Hollywood, she felt as if that adventure was completed and it was time for what’s next.

Currently she is living in the Bay Area – much closer to her family – and is working fora consulting firm that specializes in all three of her professional passions: marketing, PR and events. She has clients in the Bay Area and Los Angeles, enabling her to spend time in both areas that she loves. Recently, they organized and hosted an event at Interscope Records in Santa Monica.

Gonzalez said that she is thankful every day for the array of opportunities that have been presented to her.

“None of these opportunities would have been possible without the MCJ/ PR program and the teachers who kept me motivated,” Gonzalez said.

In May 2015 she graduated from the MCJ department.  After she graduated she moved back to the Sacramento area to be close to her family.  She applied for jobs that revolved around students at the collegiate  level and she is currently working as an academic advisor for National University in their Sacramento branch. There she consults  with new and potential students while using what she learned at Fresno State to market their programs and show potential students what National University has to offer them and how they can achieve educational success. Once students start taking classes at National University,  Goss is responsible  for mapping out their classes, guiding them through the process and getting them to graduation.

In her spare time, she enjoys taking trips with her friends,  country line dancing and attending country concerts. In the future she hopes to attend University of the Pacific in Stockton to obtain her master’s degree in their higher education  administration  and leadership  program with an emphasis in student affairs.  Ultimately she would like to end up in some sort of program similar  to the new student orientation  program at Fresno State where she can have a positive influence  on students getting ready to start their college  career and the rest of their lives.

Hanlon said that her favorite MCJ class was the editing class she took with Dr. Gary Rice because she was able to do an oral history project that required interviewing and transcribing an interview with a veteran as part of the permanent War Veteran’s Oral History Project collection housed in the Library at Fresno State. This is the largest and fastest growing collection of oral histories from veterans. She enjoyed being able to contribute to the oral history project so much that she would recommend that class to all students. Even as a graduate, she wishes she had the free time to do another one.

Hanlon said her second favorite class was the public relations service learning writing class that allowed for her to work with downtown Fresno throughout the semester. She said she learned so much from that in-depth experience.

“I love the energy and passion,” Hanlon explained when talking about what it is that she appreciates so much about the MCJ department at Fresno State.

After graduating from Fresno State Hanlon moved to Lubbock, Texas to attend Texas Tech University where she will graduate in fall 2015 with her master’s degree in Meat Science, focusing on food safety and food microbiology. Her master’s degree is a further extension of her animal science background, but she is thankful she majored in Agricultural Communications at Fresno State because she enjoys writing and the technical sciences.

“My ultimate career goal is to be a liaison between the technical science world in the food industry, and be able to use my communication skills to either be promoting it or translating the technical stuff into words that the average consumer could understand and work with,” Hanlon said. “You have all these people from all these different backgrounds, but it’s finding ways to use your communication skills to promote or work in an area that involves something you are passionate about.” Hanlon said that pursuing agricultural communications was a way for her to work toward this goal.

Danielle graduated from California State University, Fresno with a degree in mass communications and journalism, with an emphasis in public relations. She also got a certificate in marketing, with a goal of working at a public relations and advertising agency. Today, she's an account executive and public relations specialist with Cohen Communications.

After creating a LinkedIn profile, an advertising agency approached him with a job offer. Perez said that he worked at the  ad agency for nine months until the agency lost a major client and had to let go of some of their employees.

“I was one of the lucky ones,” Perez said sarcastically.

Perez then posted on Facebook that he lost his job and that he was looking for a new one. Perez said Prof. Hays commented on his post and said that JSA was looking for an account coordinator.

“What I love about MCJ is that you really stay connected with your classmates and professors and they really help you out in the end,” Perez said. “I wouldn’t have thought that two years down the road Betsy would be helping me finda job.”

Perez is now an account manager at JSA and serves as a liaison between clients  and the agency, facilitating communication between both parties, ensuring that the client’s needs are met on time and under budget.

Perez graduated magnacumlaudein 2011 and remains involved with Fresno State. He currently sits on the board of directors for Fresno State’s MCJ Alumni Chapter and is becoming involved with raising funds for Fresno State’s Bulldog Pride Fund.

"I chose this major because it was well rounded and I enjoyed talking to people,” said Ragsac. “And you’re not limited to any specific business - you can work with whoever.”

What she loved most about being an MCJ major was being able to interview different types of people, do research, and come up with interesting and valid content.

Her favorite class was the PR Campaigns class and she really enjoyed being a part of an agency. She did her work with the Fresno Grizzlies and helped them with their community fund organization.

Ragsac said one of the most important things to focus on as a public relations professional is making connections with people and keeping them as your friends, not just calling them when you need things. It also helps build your brand and maintain a good reputation, which is really important in the field.

“Always having a positive attitude, communicating and compromising with your co- workers are things everyone should work on for things to run smoothly,” said Ragsac.

With all her internships and experience she was able to connect with many people who then helped her look for jobs as she was getting ready to graduate.

She was able to start working right away because she prepared herself by consulting with people who she had made connections with throughout her journey.

She went straight to working for Francis Ford Coppola Winery in Healdsburg, Calif.

Francis Ford Coppola - the director of the film The Godfather - owns the winery. Ragsac is currently doing sales and marketing for them so she helps manage the wine club.

“I get to work in such an incredible environment with beautiful views every day,” she said.

Ragsac knew a few people in the wine industry who helped her get this job, as they thought it would be a good learning experience for her, and a great foot in the door for what she hopes to accomplish in her future.

“My ultimate goal is to work my way up in the business and work for their marketing team, but for now I love my job and I can’t wait to see all that I accomplish,” she said.

Ragsac’s experience at Fresno State was life changing. She enjoyed her classes, gained experience, learned a lot, graduated in four years and has an awesome job with room to grown within it.

Matthew Schneider began his college journey at Fresno State in 2008. When he started he had no idea what he wanted to major in. For the first few semesters at Fresno State his major was undeclared. While trying to figure out his major and what career path he would like to take after college, he created a music blog. His music blog was called Wobble Beats, and it was an outlet for him to express his creative side. It allowed him to share new music with others who enjoyed the same genres as he did from EDM to indie rock. Through his music blog he was also able to cover various music festivals.

Since Schneider enjoyed the business side of his music blog, such as collaborating with various artists and people in the music industry, he decided to become a business major. At first he enjoyed being a business major but then realized it wasn’t for him. He then had a meeting with Prof. Roberta Asahina, and during that meeting she introduced him to what mass communication and journalism is and suggested he enroll in her advertising class. He quickly liked being in her class, and enjoyed the creativity in advertising. He liked meeting and talking to other students who were also MCJ majors and he also liked the MCJ professors he had and enjoyed their teaching methods. While being enrolled in several other MCJ classes he realized that becoming an MCJ major would be what’s best for him.

Around this time he became a staff member at The Collegian. While at The Collegian he became their special projects manager, then later a sales representative, and then general sales manager. In the spring of 2014 he graduated from Fresno State with a bachelor's degree in mass communication and journalism with an emphasis in public relations. Schneider is now working as a software specialist at MindBody which is a company that creates business management  software.

The company creates scheduling software for business management  forwellness centers, yoga gyms, and other health and wellness companies. MindBody is located in San Luis Obispo, so whenever Schneider has free time he enjoys going to the beach to relax. He enjoys his job there, and hopes to continue his career as a software specialist.