Class of 2023

Photos: Spring 2023 Graduation Celebration

Anonymous — Fri, 26 May 2023 16:58:12 +0000

Photos: Spring 2023 Graduation Celebration Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 05/26/2023 - 10:58

Students, their families, friends and CMCI faculty gathered last week to celebrate graduating. At CMCI's Recognition Ceremony May 12, 2023, nearly 700 students crossed the stage, accepted their diplomas and became alumni. In total, more than 800 bachelors, master’s and doctoral students completed their degrees.

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2023 William W. White Outstanding Seniors by Department

Anonymous — Thu, 27 Apr 2023 14:56:24 +0000

2023 William W. White Outstanding Seniors by Department Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 04/27/2023 - 08:56

William W. White Outstanding Seniors are chosen by department faculty to recognize academic merit, professional achievement and service to the college.

Areyana Proctor, Department of Journalism

After graduation, Proctor plans to join the Communication Arts MA + Ph.D. program at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

Growing up, my parents always stressed to me the importance of going to college. Now that I am preparing to graduate with my degree, I am astonished and amazed that I have been able to fulfill not only my own dreams, but also the dreams of those that came before me."

Bailey Ghashghai, Department of Advertising, Public Relations and Media Design

Bailey’s CMCI experience in three words: challenging, rewarding, growth

"One of the most memorable projects has been competing in the PRSSA Bateman competition. This experience was really demanding but so rewarding. Having this capstone span two semesters, allowed me to build such strong relationships with my team and mentors. I could not have asked for a better way to end my time in CMCI.

Emmett Raymond, Department of Communication

Emmet’s CMCI experience in three words: world-building, evocative, perspective

To graduate from ��Ƶ with distinction, having given this program everything I have, is proof to myself that I can pull off massive undertakings and reorient my life when it’s needed. It’s also the culmination of a LOT of support from my family and friends, so graduating for me celebrates that too!"

Julia Foley, Department of Information Science

After graduation, Foley will spend six months working at Disney before looking for opportunities as a data analyst or UX designer.

"Take the time to explore classes and subjects that you are interested in, so that you can find the major that best fits you and the path you want to take during your time here at ��Ƶ.

Kelsie Kerr, Department of Media Studies

After graduation, Kerr is excited to move to Los Angeles and immerse herself in the film industry, pursuing her passion for camera work and cinematography.

The most memorable project that I completed during my time at ��Ƶ was flying to Phoenix, Arizona to take pictures for the band Bleachers at Zona Music Festival. I gained so much from the experience on the technical/camera end of things, but I also learned how to effectively communicate with band management and other professionals in the music industry (and Jack Antonoff even posted one of my pictures on his Instagram story!!!)."

Sky Kelsey, Department of Critical Media Practice

After graduation, Kelsey is joining the non-profit, Eldora Mountain Ski Club, as the head FIS coach for the next season.

"My time at ��Ƶ has allowed me to realize the importance of finding your own voice. If you have a cause and if you have the will, there is a support system for you at ��Ƶ Boulder. Show your passion and the people will come.

William W. White Outstanding Seniors are chosen by department faculty to recognize academic merit, professional achievement and service to the college.

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Class of 2023: Isabella Fincher

Anonymous — Mon, 24 Apr 2023 19:24:41 +0000

Class of 2023: Isabella Fincher Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 04/24/2023 - 13:24

When she was admitted into ��Ƶ Boulder, Isabella Fincher enrolled in one pragmatic major, economics, and one passion major, classical guitar

performance. A few weeks before the semester started, one of those majors was replaced with journalism.

Driven by her passions for music and writing, she quickly became involved in various organizations on and off campus. She wrote an honors thesis focused on media representation of female guitarists and studied under world-renowned guitarist Sharon Isbin at the Aspen Music Festival and School. Her dedication to both academics and personal growth has culminated in a number of awards.

Fincher is now graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and a Bachelor of Music in Classical Guitar Performance, along with a business minor and certificates in music entrepreneurship and music theory. Additionally, she has been recognized as the College of Media, Communication and Information's William W. White Outstanding Graduate. This award is bestowed to the student graduating with the highest GPA in CMCI. She has also been named the College of Music’s Outstanding Graduating Senior, an award based on academic merit and strong records of musicianship, service and leadership.

"Graduating from college represents empowerment and self-determination through hard work, especially for women from diverse backgrounds," Fincher said, who identifies as a mixed-race Japanese American. “I’m so inspired every day by how they [my mother and her sisters] have persevered and carved out their own American dreams.”

Her grandmother, who first came to the U.S. from Japan, encouraged all four of her daughters—Fincher’s mother and aunts—to pursue their education, and this encouragement was passed onto her as well.

Fincher has had quite the undergraduate experience at ��Ƶ Boulder. In addition to being a high achieving student in multiple programs, she's received a number of awards including: the Mu Phi Epsilon Foundation’s Gerke Collegiate Award, the College of Music’s Outstanding Junior Award and the Presser Foundation’s Undergraduate Scholar Award.

Throughout her time at ��Ƶ, she found many ways to meld her love of storytelling and journalism with her passion for the guitar and music. She covered the arts beat while writing for the ��Ƶ Independent—where she later served as managing editor—and had a regular column in the classical music blog Sharps & Flatirons.

"As a student journalist, I primarily covered the local arts scene, drawing from my previous experiences with theater, art, film and music in high school," she said. “It has been such a great opportunity to write about the vibrant arts and culture scene in Boulder and the greater Denver area, especially highlighting the stories of diverse LGBTQ+ and BIPOC creatives.”

"Graduating from college represents empowerment and self-determination through hard work, especially for women from diverse backgrounds. . . . I’m so inspired every day by how they [my mother and her sisters] have persevered and carved out their own American dreams.”

As an honors student, she investigated how female guitarists are portrayed by the American music press and was invited to discuss her findings at both the 2023 National Conference on Undergraduate Research and the 73rd annual International Communication Association (ICA) Conference.

“My project, ‘An examination of mainstream media’s treatment of female guitarists,’ was inspired by my own personal experiences of the barriers faced by women in guitar,” said Fincher. “It was very interesting to see how the music press has contributed to the erasure and marginalization of women in rock and blues over time, an issue that stems from the patriarchal structure of rock music culture and the music industry.”

She was also a member of the College of Music’s Diverse Musicians Alliance (DiMA). She explained that this group was particularly impactful for her because she was able to find camaraderie with fellow students from diverse backgrounds and advocating for marginalized, BIPOC composers and musicians is important to her. In fact, her senior recital features the work of three female composers, in part inspired by her work with DiMA’s Persevering Legacy project.

In fall 2023, Fincher is planning to study under René Izquierdo at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee as a master’s student in classical guitar performance. While there, she plans to continue working as a freelance journalist focusing on the arts.

Until then, she’s grateful for all the experiences she’s had in the classroom and beyond.

“I am aiming for a portfolio career where I can perform and teach classical guitar and work as a freelance writer,” Fincher said. “After the ICA conference, I will be working to get my honors thesis published in a research journal. I’m really excited to see where this research will take me and how I can contribute to raising awareness and addressing the racial and gender inequities of the music press.”

Izzy Fincher found multiple ways to meld her love of writing with her passion for music. Her hard work in academics has led to her being named CMCI’s William W. White Outstanding Graduate Award.

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Class of 2022: Rylee Vogel

Anonymous — Tue, 06 Dec 2022 17:06:38 +0000

Class of 2022: Rylee Vogel Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 12/06/2022 - 10:06

Rylee Vogel is a performer with a love for musical theater. She also loves communication and how it connects people. Now, these two degrees will help her make her way in show business.

This December, Vogel will graduate with a degree in communication, a minor in theater and the distinction of earning the William W. White Outstanding Graduate Award. This honor is bestowed to the student graduating with the highest GPA in the College of Media, Communication and Information. After years of hard work—sometimes even holding multiple jobs at once—Vogel is graduating with a 3.96 GPA and plans to move to New York City.

“CMCI has really taught me how to have personal conversations in the real world and how to walk into an audition or a job interview and be confident and know how to communicate with people well,” she said. “It makes you stand out when you are walking into that room.”

Vogel was initially attracted to communication because she had an interest in law as it seemed a good combination. But she soon realized that wasn’t a path she wanted to pursue. Instead, she enrolled as a double major in communication and musical theater.

Then the COVID-19 pandemic abruptly interrupted her freshman year. Suddenly, she and her peers were sent home, zooming into class, trying to connect over the screen. Not long after, her two majors began conflicting, and it became apparent that keeping the dual degree would tack on more time in school.

“I realized I could start working [in the theater] instead of spending an extra year,” she said.

After a meeting with her counselor and determining that she could get her theatrical training outside the classroom, she decided to keep her major in communication and change her theater studies from a major to a minor.

Vogel maintained her full course load while auditioning for plays in the area. She also landed a job at the Candlelight dinner theater, sometimes working up to 40 to 60 hours per week.

“I found, even though it wasn’t school-related, my comm professors were very, very helpful in making sure that my career was able to get started outside of class,” she said.

She chose communication, in part, because of its practicality: In addition to performing, she’ll be able to do media marketing or public relations, especially for theater companies. The combination will help her performance career be more sustainable, she said.

“CMCI has really taught me how to have [personal] conversations in the real world and how to walk into an audition or a job interview and be confident and know how to communicate with people well. . . . It makes you stand out when you are walking into that room.”

Along the way, she’s found unexpected moments of joy from studying the topic. Although she never took a formal family communication course, she found elements of communication theory in her other classes that offered new insights into family dynamics.

“I’m very family oriented,” Vogel said. “Anything that dealt with family communication, I always found really, really fascinating—the way that families communicate with each other, how different families are built and what the effects of that are.”

Beyond that, Vogel found her studies in communication actually help her be a better performer. She connects with the audience, director, castmates and even the characters she plays at a deeper level, all because of the lessons she’s learned about communication styles.

“You can find different motivations for each character through connection and communication, and then on the personal side of it, you’re able to connect with directors and castmates to understand what their point of view is,” she said. “For instance, intimacy is an interesting thing on stage. Understanding how the other person is feeling, what their process is as an actor, and having these conversations is super important. It's communication that’s able to actualize that.”

For her, it’s an honor to be recognized by the college that has given her so much support.

“Throughout my time here, time and time again, CMCI is supporting their students in ways that are not traditional, and I appreciate that so much,” Vogel said.

Rylee Vogel is an actor and a communicator. This year, she’s also the recipient of the December William W. White Outstanding Graduate Award.

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