Category: Communication Department

Perspectives session serve as a mechanism to build bridges between our current undergraduates in the Department of Communication and your young alumni who have blazed new trails in the professional world and are seeing success in their early- to mid-career endeavors. We invite all current students, faculty, and staff to attend our virtual sessions. If you would like to be involved or learn more, please contact communication@clemson.edu.

John-Oliver Valentin is a 2016 graduate from Sacramento, California. After finding a home in Clemson, he moved to New York City to live out his dream of residing in the city and working in the entertainment industry where he currently serves as a booker for the Tamron Hall Show. Valentin began his Clemson career as a marketing student who was unsure what career path he would take until he learned about entertainment marketing. Learning about this new sector of marketing opened Valentin’s eyes to the idea that one could have a career, earn money, and have fun on the job.

The key turning point for Valentin in his undergraduate career occurred during his broadcast journalism class with Wanda Johnson. Johnson told him “if you do not do something in this industry it will be a waste of talent.” From that point on, Valentin worked with various professors, notably Eddie Smith and Dr. Lori Pindar, and local commentators to put himself in the best situation to break into the industry.

Valentin’s first internship was with the WFBC radio Hawk and Tom Morning Show. Instead of living the life of a typical college student with time spent between the library and downtown, Valentin spent all of his free time working at WFBC. His dedication to the radio show was worth it to Valentin because he was able to make connections to industry professionals and was later promoted to promotion director at WFBC..

Valentin continued to network and used his connections and past experiences to earn a summer internship at US Weekly in New York City the summer before his senior year. After returning to Clemson, Valentin got in contact with Debra Norville, a friend of Eddie Smith and the host of Inside Edition. After speaking with her, he was offered an internship in January of 2016 and promptly left Clemson to finish out his semester in New York. By May of that year, Valentin became the first intern to be offered a full-time booker position. Later, a former coworker reached out to Valentin to offer him booker position for the Tamron Hall Show that he currently holds today.

Valentin stressed that to be successful in the entertainment industry one needs a passion for the business because it will lead them to work harder. He also suggests that students use this time to figure out their work style and how to adapt to best fit to those at the organization they are working for and hope to work for—because when the work styles are compatible, you become invaluable. Further, Valentin stresses that there is no direct path and “if you can’t get through the front door, throw a rock and take a new path.” Nevertheless, a crucial step that is necessary in all paths is building a network. To do so, Valentin suggests simply walking up to someone, get their card and say, “let’s keep in touch.”. He also suggests reaching out to professionals in the business one is interested in and ask them what they like about it and then what positions are available at the company.

John-Oliver created a way for himself in the entertainment world through tenacity, listening and believing in himself the way his professors, advisors, and employers did, and despite being a minor in Communication, using all his resources to build a career for himself while a student. For current and prospective students, we encourage you to work with your advisor to share your interests and gain insights that will help you also find a way to make your dreams a reality.

John-Oliver Valentin Perspective Video:

Author and Producer: Bridget Kane

We want to recognize our May 2020 graduates and congratulate them on their achievement. Please watch our video tribute and learn a bit more about our seniors in the following article.

Highlight of Accomplishments

College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences Awards:

• Award for Professional Engagement – Sophie Robinson, Communication
  • This award is presented to a graduating senior for academic achievement, outstanding professional engagement and future professional promise with that discipline. Activities such as internships, co-ops, publication, professional memberships and active participation in professional meetings and conventions are the primary determinant of this award.

• M.S. Award, Outstanding Teaching Assistant – Caitlin Anderson, Communication
  • This award recognizes a Master’s Degree candidate who has excelled in all areas of their Clemson graduate experience including academics, collegiality, research and departmental service. Above all, the awardee must demonstrate a genuine flare and passion for classroom teaching as reflected by faculty, peer and student evaluations.

Department of Communication Awards:

• Outstanding Academic Achievement in Sports Communication – Joseph Bober
• Outstanding Academic Achievement in Communication – Katherine Kenney
• Outstanding Graduate Researcher Award – Joey Fontana
• Doreen Geddes Memorial Award for Excellence in Women and Communication – Kayla Craig

A Note From Leslie Hossfeld, Dean of the College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences:

“You have reached an incredible milestone, and it has been our honor to walk alongside you as you pursued this achievement. I know these last weeks have been an unusual way to finish your final year at Clemson, but know how proud we are of the way you have navigated this time with character and resilience.”

Interview with Communication Seniors

Rachel Mumau, Communication (BA) ,Athletic Leadership minor:

Rachel Mumau is a 2020 graduate from Millstone Township, New Jersey. Rachel’s favorite memory while at Clemson is the Louisville football game her freshman year. The energy at this particular game was immense and reminded her of her recruiting visit to Clemson when she attended the Notre Dame football game. Feeling the energy she felt that day in Death Valley only affirmed for her that she had made the correct choice when selecting to attend this university.

While at Clemson, Rachel’s favorite professor was Dr. Angela Pratt. Dr. Pratt is extremely caring and made an effort to relate to Rachel, making Rachel feel like a friend, not just another student in class. Their relationship inspired Rachel to make the most of all of Dr. Pratt’s classes and opened her up to expanding her knowledge base in the world of sport.  Rachel built a strong relationship with Professor Pratt and continues to keep in contact with her on social media.

Rachel is disappointed that she had to finish her classes online and away from her friends. During her time at Clemson, Rachel was able to develop a broad network of friendships that became her family at Clemson. Considering that Rachel built a second family while at Clemson, the hardest part of leaving Clemson abruptly was missing out on the anticipated send-off from the people she values in her life.

Currently, Rachel is working with kids and spending her time tutoring, nannying, lifeguarding and teaching swim lessons. In the future, she plans to work in a collegiate athletic department with student-athletes.

Brett Long, Communication (BA) ,Business Management minor:

Brett Long, a native of  Southern California, made the brave decision two years ago to travel across the country to the small town of Clemson, South Carolina to pursue his undergraduate studies. Brett believes this decision was the best one he has made thus far because living here and being a student at Clemson University has shaped him into a man that he is proud of. While at Clemson, Brett’s favorite memories include attending sporting events, especially football games. The memories that stand out most are the past two National Championship games, specifically when Clemson beat Alabama in San Jose, CA.

Brett enjoyed all of his coursework and his favorite professor was management professors, David Peyton. Professor Peyton is known by the Clemson student body as someone who cares deeply about his students and their success. Additionally, he is a great lecturer and is able to explain things to his students like no other professor.

During his time at Clemson Brett built strong friendships which made the postponement of graduation frustrating since he was unable to say goodbye to the people and places he cares about. Despite these changes, Brett expressed “it is what it is” and used this to make the most of the situation. He is planning to move back to California and work in the sports media industry. Since he is moving so far away, Brett is going to miss his friends on the East Coast more than anything. He will also miss all of the football and baseball game days, but Clemson will forever be in his heart.

Caitlin Anderson, Communication, Technology and Society(MA)

Caitlin Anderson is a 2020 graduate of the  from the Communication, Technology, and Society graduate program. During her time at Clemson, she notes that her favorite professor was her thesis advisor, Dr. James Gilmore. She was fortunate to take two classes with him and he brought to life complex topics in interesting and thought-provoking ways. Caitlin explained, “never did I think that I’d enjoy discussing complex theory so much! He is a kind and thoughtful individual as well, taking the time to work with students that both pushes them to think more critically while also emphasizing the positive qualities they possess. His feedback is a joy to receive!”

While at Clemson, her favorite memories involved the conversations with the members of her graduate cohort, which varied from silly debates to deep discussions. Specifically, she remembers the Communication department’s holiday party, the Fall party at Dr. Pratt’s home, football games, and birthday parties. Another highlight of her time in the master’s program was teaching. She loved getting to know her students as unique individuals through group activities and discussions in her lessons. Caitlin explained, “while I’ve taught nearly 300 students at Clemson, each one has left a permanent mark on me! Plus, I get to learn from my students as much as they can learn from me, which makes me a better teacher in the process”.

Caitlin will miss her cohort and professors the most, as she became very close to everyone in the Communication department. Luckily, she is returning to Clemson in the Fall to pursue her Ph.D. in Learning Sciences so she will be able to keep in touch with members of the Communication department. Additionally, Caitlin intends to keep teaching and researching with her GTA position in the College of Education. After earning her doctorate, Caitlin’s goal is to become a professor researching online learning, which she noted “is certainly relevant right now.”

When tasked with switching to online classes this semester, she struggled. Her courses are discussion-based seminars and she noted how the online synchronous style made it “difficult to get a ‘vibe’ for the flow of conversation.” Fortunately, she worked with fantastic colleagues and professors who were able to make it work and tackle deep concepts despite the distance. Caitlin also defended her thesis, virtually, which she described as “an unusual experience, but ultimately worked out!”

The best part about being a member of the Clemson family for Caitlin is the people. She explained that among “my professors, peers, and students, I’ve met some amazing folks that have added to my lived experiences in deep and meaningful ways.”

Thank you Class of 2020

Although the ending to your journey here at Clemson was one that was not expected, we thank you for all the time, effort, and love you have put into your journey at Clemson University. Your achievements and ability to navigate these times make your class that much more phenomenal! Your hard work and perseverance is noted and we look forward to celebrating your graduation as a Clemson community as soon as it is deemed safe to do so. Congratulations Class of 2020!!

Mike Jones, Darien Rencher, Cornell Powell, and Trevor Lawrence

Clemson students Mike Jones, Darien Rencher, Cornell Powell, and Trevor Lawrence were able to rally the Clemson community around them for games and events surrounding the Clemson Football program as members of the football team. When organizing this event, the four men envisioned themselves bringing individuals of different racial and ethnic and backgrounds together to rally around them once again. This time, instead of supporting their athletic endeavors, the community was tasked to rally around Mike, Darien, Cornell, and many more to fight against the social and racial injustices they have dealt with their entire life. When asked why he organized this event, Communication student, Mike Jones, explained “I felt it in my heart, I wanted to do something. I felt like we could make a change in our own community.”

In conjunction with Mike’s desire for change, on Saturday, June 13, 2020, over 3,000 members of the Clemson community made their way to Clemson University’s Bowman field, marching side-by-side and standing in solidarity with the black community. When standing on stage looking across Bowman Field and seeing the diversity of the crowd gathered, Darien Rencher exclaimed, “I find myself here with hope because I’m seeing the good already coming out of this madness and tragedy.”

Talking with event organizer Mike Jones after the event, I found that he was on the same page as Darien and was feeling hopeful:

“It meant so much seeing everyone come out to the demonstration. Seeing more of a turnout than just black people showed me that the issues facing the black community aren’t necessarily just black issues anymore, and it showed me that people are starting to realize that it takes more than one group of people to create change and promote equality. Both the oppressed and the oppressors have to do their part in other to change the system.”

Throughout the event, the voices of not just student-athletes, but black men were heard. They not only expressed the pain and suffering contained in their own hearts as black men in America today, but also encouraged the audience to look into their own hearts. For Darien Rencher, this was the most important

and influential element of the event because “when we look in the mirror and deal with what is inside, this is what brings about change. When our heart changes, we change. As we change our homes change. As our homes change our society changes and hopefully our future changes.”

The turnout for this event gave these four student-athletes the affirmation that they can use their platform and extend it beyond football. Rencher noted, “step by step we are seeing we have the power to create change.”

When catching up with another one of the event organizers, Cornell Powell, he mentioned his satisfaction with the way he was able to use his platform to unite the community and is prepared to continue to do so:

“Saturday was beautiful. It was everything I could have imagined and more. To see the community come out and unite as one for the same cause was simply amazing! It was definitely a step in the right direction along with the renaming of the Honors College and the executive board requesting authority from the South Carolina General Assembly to rename Tillman Hall. Saturday showed that together we can achieve more. But it doesn’t stop there. We have a lot more work to be done and won’t stop until every black student, athlete or not, feels equal on Clemson campus.”

Call to Action

It is time for Clemson student-athletes, students, faculty, staff and fans to take the famous Clemson motto “ALL In” seriously. It is our job as members of this Clemson Community to support the students and athletes and off the field, inside and beyond of the classroom. It is time to stand up as a community to fight against and eradicate racism. If you can support members of the black community on game days, as a colleague, their roommate, or a friend; then you can support them every day and be a part of the change to combat racism.

We Thank the Following Student-Athletes for their Contributions to this Article:

Mike Jones: Communication Student and Student Athlete (Football) at Clemson University

Darien Rencher: Psychology Student and Student Athlete (Football) at Clemson University

Cornell Powell: Business Management Student and Student Athlete (Football) at Clemson University

All Photos Attributed to Clemson Athletics Staff (Via @clemsontigers on Twitter)

Author: Bridget Kane

The COVID-19 pandemic brought a great deal of uncertainty to individuals worldwide. Due to the rapid spread of the virus and the deadly impact it has had on nearly 120,000 Americans, many businesses were closed down for in-person operations. These actions led companies to downsize and lay off workers as well as convert their operations to an online arena.

COVID-19 directly impacted students who had summer internships, jobs, or study abroad/work abroad plans. Despite the new challenges presented by the global pandemic, many Clemson Students still found a way to advance their career development.

Read about how Clemson Students have turned their challenges into opportunity:

KJ Henry, Sports Communication with a minor in Athletic Leadership:

KJ’s original plan for the summer was to stay in Clemson to take classes and participate in summer football workouts. However, when team workouts were postponed and classes were moved online, he had the freedom to travel home to spend time with his family.

The class that has been impacted the most by being in a virtual setting is his sign language class. KJ mentioned that learning a new language, especially sign language, is very hands-on during a face-to-face class. Instead, KJ has to watch videos and lectures to learn the language. His class now involves a lot more assignments than his previous sign languages courses. These assignments are often videos that he must take of him signing to ensure to his professor that he is learning the language. Still, KJ found that one positive aspect of the online forum is that he is able to do the assignments on his own time and has as much time as he needs to think things through before turning them in.

If this had been a typical summer, KJ would have been in week 10 of summer workouts with his team, instead he has been working out from home. This has been difficult for KJ because he strives to be the best player he can be and can never know for sure if he is getting the full workout his coaches would be giving him. Additionally, KJ does not have access to nutrition, rehabilitation, and medical staff resources. Nevertheless, KJ has been able to make the most of the situation by working out with family and friends, sleeping more, and being able to fit his workouts more easily into his schedule.

In his newfound free time KJ has mostly been hanging out with his family and friends, getting schoolwork done, and playing video games. Overall, the best thing that KJ has been able to do during this time is take a step back and think about life. He has been able to reflect and make sure he’s doing what he wants to do and that he is on the right path to achieve his goals. Further, KJ has had more time to think about and process the current social and racial injustices that are finally receiving the global attention they deserve and how he can foster change.

Natalie McCrudden, Marketing:

Before the COVID-19 disrupted the world, Natalie had planned to move to Charlotte, NC and start her job in July at E&J Gallo Winery in their Sales and Leadership Development Program. The program would place her as a sales representative where she would be work directly with the distributor. Natalie would have managed several accounts where she would go to liquor stores and bars and work directly with the owners to engage and encourage them to sell them different wines and liquors based on their consumer touchpoints. Her tactics to do so would include building displays, having wine tastings, and more. Given the level of engagement and interactivity required in her position, her start date was pushed back to August 2020, at the earliest.

Since Natalie does not know when she is going to relocate, she is using this time to change her driver’s license, buy a car, and do other little things to make the transition easier. Some positives that have come out of the delay in starting her job are that she is able to spend more time with family and friends and has more flexibility to be able to do things such as home workouts, making homemade meals, and reading books. She has also been able to go on walks and appreciate nature. The best thing she has done during this time is talk to her study abroad and high school friends, whom she has not had the time to contact in years.

On the other hand, if she is tasked to work remotely in the near future, it will make her job a lot harder because a lot of it involves trying to get people to try a product which is harder to do if you cannot show it to them or let them taste it. Additionally, it will be harder for her to start a new career without face-to-face communication—a key driver in the sales experience.

Isabel Strinsky, Mathematical Science:

Isabel planned to spend the summer in Morocco studying Arabic through ROTC Project GO. Project GO (Project Global Office) is a program that provides cadets with language intensive training in a foreign country. Unfortunately, due to travel bans, the summer program was moved to an online forum that will provide her with two months of lessons for four hours a day. This was a disappointing change for Isabel because she will no longer be able to supplement her language lessons with everyday communication with native speakers. She is nervous to have to learn the language at a rapid pace without engaging in any face-to-face conversations and knows it will be a lot more difficult and she will have less available helpful resources. Further, Isabel is often hesitant to speak up or ask questions in Zoom calls because she does not want to interrupt a classmate or fellow student.

To supplement her time, Isabel applied to and was granted a UPIC internship with the College of Science Recruiting and Inclusive Excellence. Here, her main task is managing the science information accounts where she answers email questions about the college of science. She is also involved in COSMIC, a program designed to provide mentoring to incoming students and to increase the inclusivity of minority groups in the College of Science. Towards the end of her internship she will be using this found data to write an end-of-year report. The best part about this internship being online is that Isabel is able to pick her hours, allowing her to often work in the evening. The only negatives Isabel sees about solely being online is that she has to be more adamant about communication with her supervisor than she would if the internship was in person.

In addition to her internship, Isabel has been doing home improvement projects. Her biggest accomplishments were plumbing, taking the door off her shower, and cleaning up and redesigning her loft.

Jack Grozier, Civil Engineering with an emphasis in construction engineering and management:

Jack’s initial summer plans were to work as a paid intern at Bohler Engineering in Center City Philadelphia, PA. Here, he would have shadowed engineers who did design work for land development in the city, including land planning, determining where buildings and roads will go, and deciding how to properly integrate utilities. Jack would also have had the opportunity to go to site visits in person, attend meetings with customers, and get involved with as many aspects of engineering as possible.

Unfortunately, Jack’s internship transitioned into a 2-month unpaid virtual internship. This internship is still a great learning opportunity for Jack because he is going to be taught the programs he would have used, attend live lectures, and learn what he would have needed to know to do the job. The biggest downside for Jack about this transition is that he will not get as much hands-on experience which he believes is the best way of learning and would have given him a better understanding of what he wants to do in the future. Additionally, he will still be able to talk about this internship in future interviews, but he believes the lack of experience is a detriment. Further, now that this internship is unpaid, he has had to find other forms of income.

Through this challenge there has been opportunity. The internship transition gave Jack more free time to work and earn income in a warehouse where he helps ship flags. He also able to help renovate his parents newly purchased beach house and help his youngest brother with online school. He has also been able to sleep in and spend time with his brothers and parents.

Since Jack does not have to commute to Philadelphia every day, he is able to live in his parents’ beach house in Ocean City, New Jersey where he also works at a bike shop in the hours that he is not completing his internship. Additionally, since this internship is now less of a time commitment, he will have more time to enjoy summer with his family, since it is his last one before he moves out. Overall, the best thing that Jack has been able to do during this time of uncertainty is safely hang out with his friends while maintaining social distancing. Being able to interact and talk with his loved ones has made this bad situation more bearable.

Have you found yourself in a tough spot this summer with delayed, altered or cancelled internship and job opportunities? See below for resources for students to engage in career development:

Clemson’s Center for Career and Professional Development is offering virtual programming, workshops, and guest speakers throughout the summer. This is a great summer to fine tune marketable skills that employers are looking for and the career center is here to help. Below is a schedule of the upcoming events.

https://career.sites.clemson.edu/events.php

Author: Bridget Kane