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.