Communication Day Connects Students with Alumni

RCC320 was packed with students attending the panels
at the Communication Day. The panel pictured here features
graduates within the past five years.

By Marina Schweitzer and Sophia Scearce

The fifth annual Communication Day on Friday welcomed back to Trinity 15 graduates who majored in communication, along with hundreds of alumni, current students and faculty.

Room 320 in the Richardson Communication Center was completely packed. Additional chairs were added and lined up the side way, as students flocked into the room to hear what the alumni had to say about their career and life experiences.

Leni Kirkman (‘84), senior vice president of strategic communications and patient relations at University Health System in San Antonio, said she used to write down her goals for the future and knew she wanted to be a broadcast journalist, which she did for a while but later changed her career.

She told students in the audience to just “say yes” to job opportunities and encouraged them to go somewhere where they would bring value and make a bigger impact. “Do something that makes a difference,” she said.

Mary Ullmann Japhet (‘84) is the senior vice president of communications and community engagement at San Antonio Sports. She discussed how the world of media has changed dramatically and stressed the importance of making connections. “Internships are important to open doors for you,” she said, and emphasized all of the skills she learned at Trinity that helped her.

The panelists encouraged students to take risks in their career, and to always be willing to adapt and adopt new approaches to a task. “To survive is to be adaptable,” said Kevin Mohs (‘87), vice president of production and development at National Geographic Partners.

“I think they changed the way I even view internships,” said Mary Feit, a senior communication major, after the panel. “They gave great advice to new grads.”

These panelists have worked in communications for more than 30 years and now hold senior job positions. Before this panel there were two other panels, one consisting of young, recent graduates and the other featuring graduates from a wide range of careers, from newspaper writer to donor cultivation specialist.

Emme Bettes, a junior communication major, spoke highly of the panels. “These panels further solidified my belief that the comm degree is the key to unlocking a future that is uniquely yours,” she said.

Following the panels was a networking reception where students could speak with the panelists and other alumni over food and drinks. Studio A, where the reception was held, became a sea of people.

Japhet, of San Antonio Sports, had more advice for students at the reception. “You are in college; this is your time to learn. But I do expect you to have a great attitude, a sense of team work, a willingness to show up on time dressed appropriately and be willing to pitch in. All of this gives you an opportunity to show everything you know.”

Leah Woehr, a sophomore communication major, said her biggest takeaway from the Communication Day is that “it’s OK if things don’t work out as you planned. You just have to say yes and you will end up where you need to end up.”

Other students echoed the point. “As a junior and going to be a senior soon, this is something I had to start thinking about,” said Reagan Herzog, a junior communication major. “What am I going to do after Trinity? And it was reassuring to hear the different paths that everyone took.”

The Department of Communication launched the Communication Day in 2014. This annual event features alumni panels, keynote luncheon and networking reception. The programs provide an opportunity for current students to connect with past students, highlighting what a communication degree has to offer, plus career advice and stories of post-graduation adventures.