Northern Kentucky University
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Northern Kentucky University: Where Communication graduates become industry leaders

A degree at Northern Kentucky University (NKU) leaves an impression, just ask graduate Hannah Flynn – an Electronic Media and Broadcasting major under the School of Media and Communication. Today, Flynn works as an A2 (Audio Assist) at ESPN where she’s responsible for the upkeep of microphones and understanding of worldwide audio systems. Some of the studio shows she works on include: SportsCenter, NFL Life and Outside the Lines. 

Flynn is just one of the many successful graduates to come out of the School of Media and Communication, which is part of the College of Informatics. Her journey demonstrates how an NKU degree arms graduates with a 21st century perspective on the disciplines that have information at their core. 

Flynn credits her hands-on NKU experience and the encouragement of the supportive faculty for her skillset today. It was while working on campus during NKU’s sporting events that she was first exposed to her first live television/sporting experience. 

“The opportunities available at NKU helped me develop the skill sets that I started to learn in college. The experiential learning experience that NKU offers really sets it apart,” says Flynn. “What’s more, this also gave me the opportunity to get one-on-one advice from professors who are experts in this field. I took an internship at Florence Freedom and started as a Production Assistant at Local 12. Both of these jobs gave me the experience I needed and helped me apply everything I was learning in the classroom. I eventually got promoted at Local 12 and became one of their Master Control Operators.”

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Hannah Flynn at Sportscentre. Source: Northern Kentucky University

Another unique aspect outside the classroom is the opportunity to study abroad with other students in the School of Media and Communication, workingon exciting, high-impact projects in places such as Belize, Czech Republic and more. 

Professor in the Electronic Media and Broadcasting programme Chris Strobel has led study abroad classes in South Africa, Belize, and Sri Lanka. “On each we made media with, and for people whom we were working with,” he says. “These videos were used by the businesses and their startup incubator to raise funds to help start their enterprises.” 

In South Africa, students and faculty members worked with a dozen startups. In India, they documented Dr. Daryl Harris teaching English as a second language through the use of theatre in partnership with the Sri Lanka International Buddhist Academy. “Beyond making media we lived among the locals, experiencing their culture and enjoying the food!” says Strobel.

He believes that the exposure to creating media in different environments encourages students to experience a community and culture different than their own, sharing that “that expansion of perspective is valuable for their personal growth.”  

“The media our students make overseas is a differentiator when they’re seeking their first jobs in the industry after graduation,” says Strobel. “Having a commercial on your reel from a company down the road is nice, but when you’ve got a piece on a startup from around the world or a documentary on non-mainstream medicine from Belize – that gains employers’ attention.”

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Students build last memories within a warm and welcoming community. Source: Northern Kentucky University

NKU’s Communication students do as well as Strobel says. Flynn’s success story is not an isolated one. Graduates Seirra Newton and Logan Linkmeyer also built fulfilling and rewarding careers after NKU. 

Newton landed a role as a Digital Content Producer for WLEX-TV in Lexington, Kentucky. Linkmeyer started his own creative agency called Link The World where he specialises in videos and photos of all kinds, capturing moments for big names like NBA all-star athletes D’Angelo Russell, Devon Booker, and NFL pro bowler Kyler Murray.

Graduates leave NKU with more than just a career-boosting degree. They are embraced with a lifetime of great memories etched on campus too. 

At NKU, there are endless opportunities to build lifelong skills, get involved, and create lasting relationships with others. The OINK Film Festival not only celebrates the work of young filmmakers, but connects them to the larger media community, and encourages them to kick start their dreams. The public relations event planning and messaging class organises MashComm36, a weekend experiential event where teams of students create solutions for challenges experienced by non-profits and small businesses.

Craft your own success story as a media and communication graduate with Northern Kentucky University today. Learn more here.

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