By Iris Serrano and Hannah Stewart (Comm’19)
Photos by Kimberly Coffin (CritMedia, StratComm’18)
From classrooom to career
Alumni connections, networking opportunities and unique coursework give CMCI students access to incredible internships. A few recent examples:
Luis Licon (PolSci’24)
Licon hopes to work in environmental planning and law, so minors in both communication and environmental design were ideal supplements to his political science degree. This combination of studies helped him land internships not only in media, with KGNU, but also in politics for Colorado’s House of Representatives and Gov. Jared Polis’ communications team.
“I was able to talk and connect with representatives, even outside of politics, and it will always be one of the most memorable times I’ve had.”
Matthew Miranda (Comm, PolSci’24)
Miranda worked as a legislative intern for the Colorado House Democrats and also completed an internship for U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper.
“Communication helps you understand where to find information, and how to disseminate it. It also helps you write clearly and define the message you want to convey to clients. Those lessons from my classes really helped me during my internships.”
Madelyn Heath (Jour’23, MA’24)
Heath interned as a writer for her local newspaper, the Mason County News.
“We learn about the industry in class, but being immersed in a newsroom made me think about what else goes into a paper or a broadcast: Everybody has a purpose. The journalism world is very fast-moving. At ¶¶Ňő¶ĚĘÓƵ, we take a variety of classes that make us really versatile in a newsroom.”
Alex Roller wasn’t sure an internship with Snarf’s Sandwiches would be her bread and butter. But when her professor encouraged her to apply for the competitive advertising position, she set aside her hesitation and threw her hat in the ring.
Today, Roller (StratComm’24) is a marketing coordinator with the sandwich company, which has stores in Colorado, Texas and Missouri. Her day-to-day with the in-house Snarf’s marketing team builds on the design, event planning and social media work she did as an intern.
“Everything that I’ve learned in my advertising courses has transferred over seamlessly,” Roller said. “The biggest thing I learned in school that I’ve carried over to my work is the importance of communication skills and how to reach your target audience.”
At CMCI, students land coveted internships thanks to the college’s unique curricular emphasis, the involvement of alumni in attending recruiting events and providingĚýmentorship, and industry-active faculty who put their networks to work in helping students find opportunities. Roller credited Morgan Young, an assistant teaching professor, with putting the Snarf’s opportunity on her radar. As president of Young Ideas, Young has worked with clients such as Nissan, General Motors, Bank of America, NASCAR, Visa and Walmart.
“I wouldn’t have a job and be where I was if Morgan didn’t mention the internship,” Roller said.Ěý“My biggest piece of advice would be to just take new opportunities and run with them—it’ll benefit you in the long term.”
Roller’s story isn’t unique, said Brandi Bradshaw-Reyes, assistant director of advising, internships and student professional development. Most students enter college without a clear idea of their career paths, discovering what drives them as they take courses, meet people and complete internships. Bradshaw-Reyes said that’s something she tells students unsure of where to interview or whetherĚýto accept an internship offer.
“When you’re getting your first internship, it’s going to teach you what you like and what you don’t like,” she said. “I’ve had a lot of students who end up finding the role they want to work in once they graduate or are offered full-time roles.”
Plenty of those roles, of course, come from connections to alumni. Bradshaw- Reyes said alumni are regular participants at major events, like career fairs, as well as in the classroom.
“Navigating the job market as a new graduate is challenging. Having alumni serve as mentors is an amazing experience for students,” Bradshaw-Reyes said.
Get involved
Looking to make a life-changing introduction with a CMCI student? Attend our Oct. 16 career and internship fair to meet our students and help them build a strong network or identify work opportunities. Visit colorado.edu/cmcicareers to get involved.