Welcome to Flash Focus! In this series, we introduce you to fascinating student Flashes from all walks of life.
Meet Camille, Malina, Hayden, Matthew and Timmy, five graduating seniors from across the College of Communication and Information who work for Kent State University’s Division of University Communications and Marketing (UCM). These students have been working on telling stories to the Kent State community through writing, social media, photography and videography, respectively. At UCM, students gain more than just hands-on experience; they help shape the university’s story.
Camille Duber, a senior communication studies major with a public relations minor, has been working at Flash Communications, a team of student storytellers on UCM’s content team, writing mainly for Kent State Today. For the past two semesters, she has gained hands-on experience crafting stories that highlight campus events, student achievements, university initiatives and more.
“Working here has helped me strengthen my writing skills but also my interviewing skills, which is something I didn’t have much experience with,” Duber said. “Talking to so many different people and having different conversations and translating that into written work is something I'm really proud of.”
Duber said her experience as a student storyteller helped her gain confidence in herself and her work. She thanked School of Media and Journalism professors Michele Ewing, APR, and Luke Armour, who is also the coordinator for Flash Communications, for their guidance and shaping her love for public relations.
“I am going to miss seeing all the people I have met throughout my college journey every day,” Duber said. “They have all impacted me, and I’m so grateful for that.”
On UCM’s social media team, Hayden Cruz, a senior journalism major, has discovered a new career interest and aspires to combine the fields of journalism and social media upon graduation after helping oversee and manage multiple university social media channels.
“Figuring out that social media is exactly what I want to do was a defining moment for me,” Cruz said. “Everything that I've done has culminated to this point and has proven this is where I need to be, and this is where I want to go.”
His work has helped him value teamwork, gain patience and understand social media from a business standpoint. Cruz’s experience also showed him new pathways to journalism that appealed to him.
“I wanted to find where I could impact the community and share stories in a positive way,” Cruz said. “Working with social media allows me to be able to do what I love, which is making content for people to enjoy and to be informed.”
Malina Andamasaris, a senior public relations major, is another social media assistant getting ready to thrive. She has been helping create and manage content for Kent State’s Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and LinkedIn accounts for two years as a social media assistant.
“When I started working at UCM, I fell in love with social media and realized that this is what I wanted to do for my career,” Andamasaris said. “I was nervous when I was offered the position, but I’ve learned not to underestimate my abilities.”
As she prepares to embark on a new journey, Andamasaris credits Deanna Stevens, director of digital content, for teaching her the creative and valuable skills she will leave Kent State with.
“She’s truly been my mentor throughout this job and helped shape me into the person I am today,” Andamasaris said. “I look forward to staying in the social media field and working in fashion, beauty or entertainment.”
Helping capture the visual dynamics of Kent State is Matthew Brown, a senior photography major, preserving the moments of campus life, sporting events and more. Reflecting on his two years as a photographer at UCM, Brown said his only regret was not starting the job sooner.
“In my field, getting experience is the best way to learn,” Brown said. “At UCM, working with others has been one of the most valuable skills that I will take with me wherever I go.”
Brown named Bob Christy, UCM’s senior coordinator of photography, as someone who has left a major impact on him.
“He’s been a great person to learn from and taught me a lot about photography,” Brown said. “I’m excited to graduate and apply everything I’ve learned.”
Timmy Carlile, a senior digital media production major, works as a videographer for UCM. Helping record and edit videos for the university, Carlile gained hands-on experience in his field that made his classroom experience more enriching.
“I'm learning camera techniques, lighting techniques and then reinforcing them in the classroom,” Carlile said. “It's cool because I get to expand my knowledge by asking more in-depth questions.”
Carlile said his whole team impacted him, and he will be missing them the most after graduation.
“They are my friends more than they are my coworkers. I really hope I maintain those relationships,” he said.
Are you a student interested in being featured in Flash Focus, or know a student who would make a great candidate? Send suggestions with name and contact information to kentstatetoday@kent.edu.