By: Rithik Kavanakudy

Photo Credit: Kendall Blunt

Everyone say hi to Josh Gillis, a junior here at UMBC!

For many students, deciding on what major to pursue can be a long trial and error process, but for Josh Gillis, his eyes were set towards Media and Communication Studies. “I decided to focus my strengths in writing,” he elaborates, “and thought it could lead to a solid, stable, and enjoyable career”. With his appreciation for effective communication, MCS appeared not as a generic field of study but as a stepping stone to creating impactful work in our ever-evolving digital world. He hopes to take the skills and knowledge he has acquired through the program in hopes of one day achieving his career goal of starting his own consulting company and being able to run a business – a means of connecting his skills in communication with entrepreneurship.  

Now that Josh is wrapping up his third year here at UMBC, he has leaned his area of study to help further his writing skills and toward the field of technical writing and communication. He says, “Hopefully, I can focus my internship opportunities here” when describing his plans for the future once he graduates. 

When asked about the experience he’s had with MCS, he notes two classes in particular: MCS 355: Social Media: Networking and Mobility and MCS 333: History and Theory of Mass Communication and Media Studies, with which he had with two of his favorite professors, Dr. Snyder and Dr. Loviglio, respectively. “Both of them are super engaging and awesome to work with,” he says. “I love the content presented in both.” He notes that MCS 355 has direct relevance with real-world communications careers and helps develop skills necessary for certain career paths. 

Social media marketing strategy is among his favorite skills and pieces of information that he has picked up over his MCS journey. “And also just general writing skills,” he adds. With his plans to go into the field of technical communication, he has been focusing on improving his skills. “If I want to go into technical writing now, my skills have to be more developed, so working on that has been super great.”

When talking about the MCS program and its importance, he believes that it is an important field for study and that “In a practical sense, everyone needs to know how to communicate effectively, and in an increasingly digital business landscape, studying this field allows some of us to get a headstart.” In an age where content and information are shared through so many mediums, communication is key. 

In addition to pursing MCS, he is pursing a minor in Psychology, a field that compliments MCS well by looking at how people think, interact, and respond to one another and to other stimuli. 

Outside of his academic life, Josh likes to keep himself busy gaining experience with producing media. He casually edits YouTube videos, enhancing the content for his friends who run small channels. Meanwhile, on campus, he currently manages the Instagram page for the UMBC Billiards Club (@umbcbilliards) and will be planning to take over leadership of the club in due time. 

Aside from media, he also works as a manager at Chik-fil-A in Eldersburg. Creating a balance between his academic life and work isn’t the easiest, but he makes it work. “They worked with me so I can fit in around 20 hours a week on weekends,” he says, “and I work full-time on breaks.”

Josh has a variety of ways that he spends his free time, from working on cars to playing video games and working out at the gym. On top of this, he is a pool enthusiast, spending hours of time practicing and playing with his friends, oftentimes in the UMBC Gameroom. 

And for a fun fact? Josh is a big fan of metalcore, a genre of music that combines aspects of heavy metal and hardcore punk. One of his favorite artists to listen to is Breaking Benjamin. “I was top 0.5% of Breaking Benjamin listeners last year,” he exclaims, “0.001% incoming!” 

All in all, Josh Gillis has worked hard to set himself up for success in his future by building up his portfolio of experience and having a clear vision of where he wants to take his career after his expected graduation in May 2026. 

By: Erin Cusick

Photo Credit: Rithik Kavanakudy

From backyard videos in middle school to managing content for organizations, Rithik's creative journey has been anything but ordinary. His passion for making content began early, playing around with video editing just for fun. That curiosity evolved into a deeper appreciation for media, especially during his time as a Media and Communication Studies (MCS) major at UMBC.

Though he once imagined himself pursuing a career in science, Rithik quickly realized that his true interests lay elsewhere. "It was just a high school science phase," he says. What stuck with him, however, was the joy of storytelling and the freedom to create something meaningful and fun, far from the traditional office life he hoped to avoid.

Through courses like MCS 334: Globalization of Media with Professor Yang, Rithik gained a new perspective on media beyond the U.S. He says that the class really opened his eyes to how media shapes and is shaped by global culture. Professors Yang and Anchor became major influences, not just for their teaching styles but for how they made learning engaging and inspiring. 

One of Rithik’s favorite projects was producing TikTok-style videos for MCS 360: Internet Video Production, a class that blended creativity with practical skills. He thrives on drawing inspiration from both old and new forms of media, watching movies, playing games, and connecting the dots between different storytelling techniques.

Outside the classroom, Rithik keeps busy. At the UMBC Gameroom, he works both behind the desk and behind the scenes, co-running its social media accounts. He’s also interning with UMBC’s Division of Information Technology (DoIT), where he's helping the Southwest Visions Foundation build its social media presence. These opportunities have shown him what it’s like to create content that’s actually seen and used by real people.

A dreamer with a practical edge, Rithik hopes to one day work in film, perhaps as a video editor or in music production for movies or games. In five years? “Hopefully with a job, in an apartment, with a cat,” he says.

For Rithik, media is more than entertainment, it’s an evolving language, one he’s learning to speak fluently and creatively. A piece of advice he holds close came from a professor: "Work on every project as if it's going into your portfolio, not just for a grade." And that’s exactly what he’s doing, building a body of work with passion, purpose, and play.

By: Isy Davy

Photo Credit: UMBC Women's Soccer

For Ava Schreiber, a Junior and a Division 1 soccer player at UMBC, media isn't just something consumed passively, it's an influential force she's interacted with since childhood. Initially drawn to the Media and Communication Studies (MCS) program by her experiences as an athlete, Ava was intrigued by how athletes are portrayed across various media platforms and how those narratives shape public perception.

"Growing up as an athlete, I've always been exposed to different types of media," Ava shared. "I've seen firsthand how media shapes the environments athletes navigate, and that's what initially sparked my interest in MCS."

Choosing MCS at UMBC was not a difficult decision for Ava. She was searching for a degree that catered to her creative instincts and allowed space for innovative thinking and application.

"I was drawn to a more creative way of thinking, and the MCS degree allows for exactly that," Ava explained. "It gives me room to express my ideas creatively while understanding and engaging with media critically."

Throughout her academic journey, Ava pinpointed specific MCS courses that have significantly shaped her professional trajectory. Currently enrolled in MCS 144, Ava highlighted the practical benefits she's gained from the course. This class has actively equipped her with essential professional skills, from mastering LinkedIn profiles to perfecting her elevator pitch—skills critical for life beyond graduation.

"MCS 144 has truly been invaluable. It has helped me envision clear career pathways, showing me how to build a strong professional presence online and communicate effectively in professional settings," Ava remarked.

One pivotal moment for Ava came during her MCS 399 capstone project, where she focused on the discrimination faced by women's sports in media. This project was deeply personal, given Ava’s lived experiences as a female D1 soccer player. It provided a profound realization about how media portrayal influences real-world attitudes and treatment.

"Doing my capstone on the discrimination against women's sports allowed me to directly explore issues that impact my daily life as an athlete," Ava said. "It deepened my understanding of media's power and relevance in everyday life."

Ava also noted MCS 377, a visual communication course, as instrumental in her skillset development. Aspiring to pursue a career in marketing, Ava recognized the practical value of design and photography skills she acquired in the class.

"377 opened up an entirely new avenue of professional skills for me," Ava mentioned. "It's given me confidence and capability in visual communication, which directly helped me secure my upcoming summer internship."

This summer, Ava will put her MCS education into practice during a marketing internship with Headstrong Lacrosse, a prominent sports organization. She expressed enthusiasm about applying the theories, design principles, and professional communication strategies she's learned at UMBC.

"I'm really excited about my internship with Headstrong Lacrosse," Ava noted. "It'll be the perfect opportunity to apply everything I've learned in MCS, from design skills to effective marketing strategies."

Reflecting on her journey so far, Ava Schriber's experience illustrates how the UMBC MCS program empowers students by intertwining theoretical knowledge with practical applications. Her blend of creativity, athletic insight, and professional readiness shows the powerful potential of an MCS education, preparing students not just for graduation but for impactful careers and lives beyond the classroom.

By: Rithik Kavanakudy

When Dan Truckenbrodt began his time at UMBC, he started off on an engineering track. However, like many students just starting college, he discovered it wasn’t the right path for him. He soon found the MCS program and decided to give it a shot, as it piqued his interest and seemed to be the best fit from the other majors he had looked at. 

“I went into my freshman year on an engineering track but very quickly realized that it was not for me,” Dan recalls. He “eventually attended an intro-level MCS class – if I’m remembering correctly, Dr. Snyder was my professor – I really enjoyed the topics that we covered and the discussions we had in class.” This class would serve as the catalyst for Dan’s MCS career.

Dan would go on to graduate in Winter 2015 with his major in MCS and a minor in English/Writing. Though he wasn’t entirely sure where MCS would lead him when he decided on the major, he didn’t let that stop him from immersing himself and taking away key skills that would one day prove to be useful. One of his favorites was learning to create and do voiceover for stop-motion videos, which he did for an MCS assignment. 

“The assignment was to create a presentation discussing one of your favorite pieces of technology, but I decided I wanted to take it further than just a PowerPoint presentation. It was a lot of work for just a 1-2 minute video, but I was super happy with how it turned out.” He explains that he had fun going through the process of compiling photos and putting them together and putting a voice over to create a finished product. 

Today, Dan is working as a project manager at a web agency in Baltimore that specializes in building websites for high-end clients, as well as museums, cultural institutions, and some multinational corporations. Recently, they won a Webby for one of the sites they had produced. Before this position, he was working as a marketing manager at a publishing company for 5 years here in Baltimore. 

For Dan, career goals can be defined in two ways: where one looks at job titles/positions and the money they earn, and the other looks at what one gets out of their career. He goes on to note that “a solid work-life balance, finding satisfaction in the work you do, and having great coworkers that make your days enjoyable are all things that I find myself placing greater importance on. I still want to make money! But, I also want to have an enjoyable time doing it, too.”

Going back to skills, Dan recommends that students focus on gaining skills in communication and personability. “So much of media, comms, marketing, and management jobs are people-facing, and being able to effectively communicate is extraordinarily important.” He goes on to note how many other technical and job-specific skills can be picked up along the way, but that being able to communicate effectively is one of the most important. 

For new MCS students, Dan notes that one of his regrets was not doing more internships when he had the chance. “Internships can really open the door to so many more opportunities and connections post-graduation that you otherwise will have to work 10x harder for.” He adds that they are a great way to see the working world and potential fields of interest to work towards. One of Dan’s bigger regrets was not planning to do study abroad earlier in his academic career before it became too late. Studying abroad can allow students to explore and experience the world outside of their home countries.

Despite these regrets, UMBC still helped to shape Dan’s career in tangible ways. He was able to make connections with some of the hiring managers at some of the jobs he’s worked at after he noticed they were UMBC alumni, and thus mentioned that in his cover letters to them. He also notes that he got his first office job through a friend he had met at UMBC.

The process to Dan’s current role was, as he describes as “Unusual?”. He continued working at his restaurant job for several months until he got the aforementioned job from his friend, with which he started to build up his resume. He goes on saying, “After leaving that job and taking a bit of time off to do some post-education soul searching, I found my way into the marketing and publishing world by happenstance.”

Outside of work, Dan enjoys a multitude of hobbies. “I’ve always been into photography, that’s a bit of a mainstay in my life. Last year, I bought a super-telephoto lens, so I’ve been getting more into bird photography recently.” Dan also loves to travel, for which he has a few trips planned for this year, as well as partake in pottery classes, which he's done for 2 years now. 

Dan does not forget about his time at UMBC. When asked about his favorite memory, he jokes, “Graduation day? No only (half) kidding. Honestly, just walking around campus, especially on nice spring days,” He explains how it wasn’t something he truly appreciated until after he had graduated. 

Dan most often consumes media through social media, “though I don’t love that that's the case.” A fun fact about Dan is that he has officiated a friend’s wedding and recommends it to those who have the opportunity.

By: Baylee Seabolt-Wilbanks

Q: What is your name and year?

My name is Morgan Seabolt-Wilbanks and I’m wrapping up my second year here at UMBC.

Q: Why did you decide to pursue a degree in media and communications?

I chose media and communications as my major because I didn’t feel particularly passionate about what I wanted to do/what industry I wanted to go into. So media and communications being a versatile and easy (compared to other majors) major appealed to me. And I’ve always had an interest in communication and psychology so I knew I wasn’t going to be completely uninterested in what I was learning.

Q: What has been your favorite MCS course so far?

I think my favorite MCS course so far is MCS333 (History and Theory of Mass Communication). I love theory, so it being a very theory involved class really had me in my element. I also had a really great professor who made the content extra interesting.

Q: What has been your favorite MCS assignment/project?

I think my favorite MCS project was producing a social media strategic plan for a company/brand of choice. I enjoyed this project because I felt like I was really putting my MCS skills to work and it was for something I was passionate about.

Q: Do you feel properly prepared by the coursework/classes?

I would say I have the necessary qualities to go into the media and communications industry but not necessarily the experience—I have the framework to succeed in a MCS related position but not the skills. However, I have yet to take the required internship so my answer would likely change after completing that.

Q: How have you applied MCS outside of the classroom?

Aside from using some of the production skills I learned for personal projects, I wouldn’t say that I really use MCS outside the classroom. But that’s mainly because I don’t have anything to apply it to (my current job isn’t really MCS related). Although, I 100% carry with me an “MCS mindset” all throughout my daily life—just thinking about the things I encounter through an MCS lens.

Q: Would you recommend this degree to others?

I would definitely recommend this degree to others. As I said before, it’s a versatile and interesting degree which makes it a great option for those who are unsure what they want to do and those who are actually interested in media and communications.

Q: Describe your MCS capstone project.

By: Nate Walton

Photo Credit: Jonathan Han

The ability to navigate a dynamic landscape is more important than ever in a world that is being shaped more and more by digital media and diverse communication strategies. Johnathan Han, a  student in UMBC's Media and Communication Studies (MCS) program, is a prime example of how a solid academic background coupled with real-world experience can mold a student into a self-assured future media professional. In a recent interview, Jonathan talked about his experience in the MCS program, including the importance of the Capstone Seminar, the interdisciplinary nature of the program, and his goals for a career in marketing.

Johnathan acknowledges that his knowledge of the MCS major was limited prior to enrolling in the program. He recalled, "I only knew that the major offered a wide range of opportunities." When selecting a communications-based degree, many students feel this way: hopeful but unsure of the precise directions it could take them. But for him, the experience was far more than he had anticipated. According to Jonathan, the program confirmed and strengthened his interest in media and communications, which heightened his desire to pursue the career paths that MCS had to offer.

For Johnathan, the MCS curriculum's integration of theory and practical application is one of its distinguishing features. This is especially clear in MCS 499: Capstone Seminar, which is the culmination of academic research and study and calls for students to integrate their knowledge from various program areas. For him, this was a turning point rather than merely an academic obstacle. He saw the Capstone Seminar project as a chance to demonstrate a variety of skills and information he had learned in previous classes, including globalization and MCS theories, in order to organize a paper that advanced media education. It was an opportunity to make sure that the curriculum was accurately understood. This extensive and demanding final project not only tested him but also made a substantial contribution to his academic growth by forcing him to apply intricate theoretical frameworks in a logical, practical setting.

He also highlighted the importance of the program's elective courses, especially those that let students push the envelope. He gained a wider range of media tools by taking classes like MCS 366: Podcasting and MCS 370: Special Topics in MCS, which pushed him to experiment with different formats and topics. He says these classes give the program a surprising depth. “I think it does really well with expanding or adding upon what you thought you already knew,” he said, underlining how these offerings opened up avenues that may be directly applicable to future employers.

Johnathan's development has also been significantly influenced by real-world experience. He has gained practical experience with technical skills that are becoming more and more sought after in the media industry thanks to programs like UMBC's Television Production Crew. Although MCS has been known to help aspiring writers and journalists with their academic readings, he points out that this is only one of the numerous opportunities that make the major so alluring. He has taken advantage of the technical opportunities offered by the major, which expand into filmmaking, editing, and television techniques. In a media setting where adaptability is essential, these technical skills distinguish students such as Johnathan.

He also discussed how the program influenced his use of public and digital platforms. He recognized the value of deliberate and considerate communication as a member of a generation that is closely connected via social media. As new talents like him continue to blossom in the professional landscape, Jonathan has grown more aware of his self-efficacy. His digital footprints are displayed on his platforms, which he uses as a means of upholding his moral principles and raising awareness of issues that he feels are significant. This awareness reflects the critical lens that the MCS program encourages students to apply to the media they create and consume, and it goes beyond branding.

In the future, Johnathan sees himself employed in marketing, a field that combines strategic thinking, media production, and storytelling. "I would adore an internship or full-time position that would enable me to work with cameras, edit, or manage projects," he stated. His goals highlight a more general reality: media professionals today need to be adept at managing the numerous moving components that influence communications plans and media campaigns in addition to creating content.

Jonathan Han's story serves as an example of how studying media can equip students to not only comprehend media but also influence it. His journey through UMBC’s MCS program highlights the value of interdisciplinary education, the necessity of hands-on experience, and the power of reflection in forging a successful path forward. His story is inspiring as well as educational for students just starting out in the media industry.