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A young alumni career panel

Ball State’s College of Communications, Information and Media held a live career panel discussion for students.

MUNCIE, Ind.--- Recent alumni and graduate students from the College of Communications, Information and Media (CCIM) came together to talk to students within the program about life post graduation. 

The panel was hosted on Nov. 9, from 7-8 p.m. in the Art and Journalism building and was aimed to help students envision what they might experience after they graduate from Ball State.

“I just thought this was a great opportunity for some of my students to see and hear from people who were in the same exact spot as them not too long ago,” said Brian Hayes, coordinator of the event.

The panelists discussed various topics such as the power of networking, internships and building a personal brand. They spoke about how their time at Ball State helped them in the corporate world, even if they weren’t pursuing something in their original major. Emma White, communications and social media manager for admissions at Ball State, speaks on her experience.

“Honestly, as a freshman, my goal was to pursue public relations and go to law school, but I ended up loving the work I was doing within communication. I learned quite a bit, and then I just ended up staying,” White said. 

For students such as senior Alex Bracken, this panel was his moment to make the most of his college experience and speak with professionals about his future.

“I am studying journalism and graphic web design, but it is hard to sort of figure out and decide what field I want to break into. This event and talking to the alumni gave me more insight on that,” Bracken said.

The panelists were all very encouraging and gave the students reassuring advice. Do not be afraid to pursue your passions.

“It was nice to see that everything always works out in the end. They all were in a place where they felt their contributions were valuable and they’re happy there,” Bracken said. 

If you are interested in more events similar to this, CCIM is hosting a career and internship fair this week Thursday, Nov. 17 in the Letterman Building from 10 a.m.to 2 p.m. 

Contact Paris Enninful with comments at paris.enninful@bsu.edu