300+ students connect with alumni at Media Career Day
The Media School Report
November 19, 2024
On Friday during Media Career Day, students had the opportunity to visit 14 panels and a networking luncheon to gain further knowledge on their desired career paths. The panels featured alumni whose discussions were moderated by a Media School staff member. More than 300 students attended the event throughout the day interacting with 30 IU alumni in the media industry through informational interviews, panel discussions, and roundtables.
Getting Started in Advertising
by Emerson Elledge
Leighton Howard and Nik Traxler spoke at the Getting Started in Advertising career panel while the other panelists joined on Zoom from Chicago and LA. (Ranen Biswas | The Media School)
This panel featured six alumni who work in various aspects of advertising. Lindsey Dibble, BA’23, is an associate art director for FCB Chicago. Leighton Howard, BA ’22, is a copywriter for Inspire Brands. Molly Sawyer, BA’24, is an assistant account executive for Zeno Group. Emmett Sullivan, BA’21, is a copywriter for Highdive Advertising. Eva Topolewski, BA’24, is a junior art director for Rubin Postaer and Associates. Nik Traxler, BA’07, is a founding partner and managing director for Hot Lava Agency. The panel was moderated by professor of practice Bill Schwab.
After introductions, Schwab asked each of the panelists to go into their day-to-day lives in their respective roles in the advertising industry and how their education impacted their chosen roles.
“I graduated in telecommunications and you know the ad offering was not nearly as sophisticated as what it is right now. You guys really truly are so lucky to have professors like professor Schwab because there was no portfolio assignment, there was no real insight into the industry,” Traxler said.
“So when I entered it, I really had minimal exposure to it. So I did not go into the ad industry thinking or even knowing that producers existed. It [was] an entirely different world.”
Film & TV
by Emerson Elledge
Alumni Mike Kelley, Austin Francalancia, Lisa Levey, Greg Sorvig, and Ryan Roemer were guest speakers on the Film and TV panel. (Ranen Biswas | The Media School)
The Film and TV panel highlighted five alumni who work in the industry in various aspects. The panelists advised on “making it” in the entertainment industry and how to persevere through career obstacles.
Austin Francalancia, BA’09, is a producer for Hoosier Media Solutions. Mike Kelley, BA’89, is a television writer, producer, and creator and has worked on many notable shows including the CW’s “One Tree Hill and Fox’s “The OC.” Lisa Levey, BA’02, is a freelance executive and consulting producer. Greg Sorvig, BA’06, is an artistic director for Heartland Film. Ryan Roemer, BS’06 (finance), is a VP of content partnerships for Hulu. The panel was moderated by Director of Media Arts & Production and senior lecturer Jim Krause.
Beyond the IDS Newsroom
by Emerson Elledge
Insight from IDS featured four former Indiana Daily Student staff members who continue to work in the media industry. Cate Charron, BAJ’22, is an economic development & statehouse reporter for the Indianapolis Business Journal. Matt Dollinger, BA’10, is the deputy editor for The Ringer. Jeff Fleischer, BAJ’99, is a freelance author, journalist, and editor. Thom Patterson, BA’87, is a managing editor for the National Business Aviation Association. The panel was moderated by Charlie Scudder, who is also an IU alum and former IDS editor-in-chief.
Ready on Day One: Early Career Skills that Matter
by Emerson Elledge
Walter Center for Career Achievement staff set up the Career Chats, which were held for three hours in the morning and in the afternoon. More than 80 one-on-one sessions were held throughout the day. (Ranen Biswas | The Media School)
Alumni offered career advice ranging from obtaining internships to making solid connections that can be used to get jobs in the future. The panelists included RJ Crawford, BA’22, a news producer for WTHR Channel 13; Ken Giffin, BAJ’89, a leadership consultant for Corporate Path Leadership; Ryan Reske, BA’19 and BS’19, a game designer for High Voltage Software; and Greta Snell, BAJ’10, vice president for Ditto Public Relations. The panel was moderated by Luci Rainey, BA’90, the founder of Day One Executive Coaching.
A Conversation with the Wall Street Journal’s Elizabeth Bernstein
by Emerson Elledge
A Conversation with the WSJ’S Elizabeth Bernstein panel featured Bernstein, who has worked at the newspaper for 24 years as a columnist. (Olivia Smith | The Media School)
This panel included a conversation between Elizabeth Bernstein, BA’87, a columnist for The Wall Street Journal, and Herman B Wells Endowed Professor (Class of 1950) Radhika Parameswaran. During the talk, Bernstein answered questions from both Parameswaran and the audience about her career.
“It was really fun to be back, to talk to students, to talk about journalism, which is both wonderful, fun, exciting, but important, especially now,” Bernstein said.
“So that was really fun, and it was really great to hear from students, to hear questions, to see so many engaged students and so many journalists like that.”
Make Networking Work for You! luncheon
by Emerson Elledge
The networking luncheon included small group networking sessions, a mini-panel from alumni, and casual conversation starters at tables. (Emerson Elledge | The Media School)
While Media Career Day has long been a fixture at the Media School, the school still strives to find new ways to enhance the event and appeal to students. This year notably had the addition of the Make Networking Work for You! luncheon, where students talked to alumni in their desired careers, engaged with a mini panel on the importance of marketing, and then explored guided conversation with alumni.
In Presidents Hall, alumni were assigned two to a table from 1 to 15 based on their careers. Then students filed in and picked a table depending on their interest, with up to six students per table on a first come, first serve basis. While The Media School offered one-on-one Career Chats in the morning and afternoon, the luncheon provided a less intimidating avenue for students to converse with alumni without the pressure of being the sole person to maintain the conversation.
After about half an hour of eating lunch and conversing, alumna Luci Rainey introduced the panel.
“This is a new addition to Media Career Day, and I can tell by the energy in the room that it’s just going fantastic,” Rainey said, referring to the coordinated lunchtime conversation.
The panelists included Brittnee Hensley, BA’19; Sean Smith, BA’95; Nik Traxler, BA’07; and Alicia Webb, BAJ’04. Over 35 minutes, the panel took questions from Rainey and student audience members about networking and how to best get what they wanted out of their careers.
To start the conversation, Rainey asked Webb to quickly clarify what networking was for younger audience members who were not familiar or as comfortable with the career exercise.
“I think what people think networking is ‘I’m asking you for something,” Webb said. “[Networking is] really about building relationships and guiding people who you might not have anything in common necessarily, but over time there might be ways for you to partner or work together. And I think that’s why people get nervous.”
Hensley further emphasized the importance of networking and specifically advocating for yourself.
“You all are having conversations today, whether that was the morning sessions or the one-on-ones,” Hensley said. “I know for myself, I’ve got my digital business card and I’m offering it up to people. I’m like, ‘Here you go,’ I’m happy to offer it. But what you do with that is you tell me, I know you’re gonna contact me, you have my phone number, my email, my LinkedIn. So what I’d say is, how are you gonna take ownership of your career and your journey and [the] next however many years you’re here, it’s in your control.”
After the panel was concluded, students and alumni worked together at tables to develop professional conversation skills, with the alumni guiding the conversations with conversation starters and students practicing in small groups.
Interviewing to Get the Story
by McKenna Cardona
Alumni Lillian Dunlap, PhD’92, Araceli Gómez-Aldana, BAJ’13, Kristen Desmond LeFevre, BAJ’97, and Thom Patterson, BA’87, gathered in room 210 at 3:15 p.m. on Friday for the panel. Media School lecturer Mike Wells was the moderator. During the panel, alumni expressed the importance of preparing for an interview, doing research on the subject, asking the right questions, and dealing with pre-interview nervousness.
“Your job is to make them comfortable enough to share with you,” Gómez-Aldana said.
The panel also provided some tips on approaching sensitive topics with subjects. They emphasized the idea of making a human connection to the subject, through patience and understanding.
“The subject is going to be thrilled when they see you looking out for their humanity,” LeFevre said.
