Be Connected

College students put in a lot of time and effort when it comes to selecting a university to attend and what to major in, but there's also planning along the way to help with life after graduation.

How can a student ensure he/she is making the best career choice? When does a senior need to look for a job? How can a student plan for the future?

Dan O'Keefe, a digital media major, went in search of answers by talking to Sheena Carey, the internship coordinator for the Diederich College of Communication.

James Ford Murphy has been an animator on "A Bug's Life," "Toy Story 2," "Monsters Inc.," and the Academy Award-winning features, "Finding Nemo," "The Incredibles," and "Ratatouille." He was also the Supervising Animator on the Academy Award-winning short film, "For the Birds," and a Directing Animator on the Golden Globe-winning feature film "Cars." Those are just some of his contributions since he joined Pixar Animation Studios in 1996.

Jim Murphy attended Marquette University and graduated from the Diederich College of Communication in 1986. When he was in Milwaukee, he stopped by the college to share his career journey and advice with students. Rome Gandelsman, a senior majoring in journalism has Murphy's story.

Imagine having over 30 years experience in sports journalism and working with noted sports journalists like Adrian Wojnarowski, Dan Wetzel and Charles Robinson. It's not something Gerry Ahern has to imagine, he experienced it when he was at Yahoo.

The Marquette alum came back to campus in the spring of 2019 to share his wisdom with students in a sports journalism class.

Dan O'Keefe, a digital media major, has Gerry's story.

There's a lot of freedom to experiment with film these days. Whether it's exploring a different approach to storytelling, incorporating more diversity in stories or using technology (like virtual reality, augmented reality or mixed reality), now is a time when experimentation is being encouraged.

Drew Britton is a visiting assistant professor at Marquette University and an independent feature filmmaker who brings his passion for film into the classroom. Maggie Gillette, a digital media major, spoke to Drew about indie filmmaking and how he incorporates the lessons he's learned into the classroom.

Ron Smith is a Marquette graduate, professor, and director of the Neighborhood News Service. He has been everywhere in the field of journalism, from the Marquette Tribune to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel to USA Today. Now, he's back where he started, as editor and chief of the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service.

Dan O'Keefe, a senior majoring in digital media, talked to Ron about NNS and the many hands-on learning opportunities that exist at the organization.

Today's Be Connected episode shares the story of an alumnus who is grateful for the assistance he received from the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) at Marquette University. The program supports first generation college students and students from low-income families.

It seems fitting for National Hispanic Heritage month (September 15-October 15) that we focus on a Latino alumnus from the Diederich College of Communication who is making a difference. His name is Luis Hernandez, who describes his most positive aptitude as his ability to adapt and improvise.

Dan O'Keefe, a senior majoring in Digital media, has his story.

As the saying goes, 'change is the only constant in life,' and today's episode of Be Connected focuses on a Marquette alumnus who's gone through some big changes in the last year.

Since graduating in 2018 from the Diederich College of Communication, Matt Mallinger ended up taking a position in an unexpected medium, podcasting. Then, 11 months later, he moved over 2,000 miles from the Midwest, where he's lived all his life.

Meredith Cavaleri, a junior studying digital media, sat down to talk with Matt about these changes, and the ways he's keeping his passion for art and music alive.

It's rare that your career path will go on a straight line from graduation to dream job. There will be many stops along the way, some expected others unexpected.

Today's episode of Be Connected focuses on Marquette alumna, Dana Leonard. The 2014 graduate is currently a senior producer at SJR, a creative agency based in New York. Dana is living in London, but her position has her traveling all over the world.

She shares her story and the risks she had to take to jumpstart her career in production. She'll also reveal things she wish she knew before starting her career and give her advice to student as well.

Dana was interviewed by Maggie Gillette, a junior studying digital media.

Today's episode of Be Connected focuses on the creative work being done by students and faculty in Helfaer Theatre. This building houses a vibrant, collaborative community that impacts students in the space and the community beyond its borders.

In September, the 2019/2020 production schedule begins with the play Peter and the Star Catcher. Other shows include: Crumbs from the Table of Joy, The Theory of Relativity and Julius Caesar.

Meredith Cavaleri, a digital media major, wanted to find out more about the theatre arts program at Marquette and how plays are selected. She spoke to Stephen Hudson-Mairet, the department chair, and alumnus Nick Parrot.

We all experience fear at times in our lives. It's a powerful force that impacts our decisions and actions. People fear a lot of things from heights and needles to being confined in a small space or public speaking.

And while you can probably limit your exposure to clowns, if that's a fear, public speaking is something you do all the time. Whether it's a presentation in front of a small group or pitching an idea to someone, possessing public speaking skills is important.

At Marquette University, there's a new resource to support students' skills in this area. It's called The MIC Speakers Lab. It was started last fall by Tracey Sturgal, a faculty member in the Diederich College of Communication. Meredith Cavaleri, a junior studying digital media, has the story.