Alumni - Department of Communication

Hannah McGarvey ’21 Learning in the Broadcasting Industry

While most students are asleep or cramming in last-minute assignments at 11 p.m., Hannah McGarvey ‘21 is fully awake and putting her skills to work as a Director at WHTM abc27. Between directing cameras, managing audio, training staff, and operating master control, no two days are exactly the same.

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Abby Pepitone ’20 Communication Alum Finds a Sweet Role at a Local Bakery

Imagine running a store that bakes and decorates cupcakes all day long. That’s the sweet job communication major Abby Pepitone (’20) landed: the perfect role that blends two of her interests.

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Bekah Thrush ’20 Finding Joy and Fulfillment in Your Career

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Emma Stratton ’20 Letting God Move

How many relationships do you maintain at your job or internship? 10? 20? Maybe 40? As the Director of Partner Engagement at International Justice Mission, Emma Stratton ‘20 maintains relationships with a portfolio of 530 donors. Imagine managing that!

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Lillian Kashishian ’19 Delivering Dark News from Behind the Camera

Consumers of news often despair at the bleak portrayal of life. Broadcast and media production alum Lillian Kashishian (‘19) concedes that there’s a similar effect for the newscaster. “It gets really mentally draining sometimes, especially when you combine it with your own personal life stressors,” she said. “There are some days when you come home and you just lie in bed because it just gets to you.”

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Abigail La Bianca ’19 “Backseat of a Greyhound Bus”

Abigail La Bianca started writing music at ten years old. She understood it; she spoke the language well. Today, she travels the globe as the Production Manager and Monitor Engineer for Sara Evans.

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Michael Bowlin ’19 Storytelling through Film

Telling stories has motivated film and media arts graduate Michael Bowlin since his first year at Messiah University.

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Molly Chambers ’19 Broadcasting Encouragement to Baltimore: Molly Chambers’ Position as Music Director at BRIGHT-FM

How does it feel to have your voice broadcast to thousands of people every day? For some, that sounds like a terrifying experience. But for Molly Chambers ’19 it’s just another day in the office as a radio show host and music director for BRIGHT-FM in Baltimore. Molly shared that she listened to the Christian radio station growing up, but never imagined that she would be the voice people heard on-air one day.

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Hunter Hill ’19 Beyond the Sunday Service – The Hectic Schedule of Working for a Megachurch

What do sleep-deprived college students and Hunter Hill, film and media arts alum, have in common? Sometimes, they do their best work at 2 a.m.

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Curtis Seaman ’19 Straight from the Newsroom

To most, the idea of starting a productive work day before the sun rises seems absurd. As Newscast Director at WGAL 8 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, COMMunity alum Curtis Seaman (‘19) wouldn’t have it any other way.

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Valerie Bell ’18 Journalism Alum Finds her Place on TV

“What I like most in this job is that I have great mentors, and I am finding ways to improve as a journalist every day,” Bell says. “Each day is something new, and you’ll never know where your day will take you.”

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Willie Hope III ’18 Former athlete maintains passion for sports as anchor

He played on the basketball team all four years at Messiah. In addition to growing his faith and character, he says sports taught him many values, such as commitment and hard work, that he has carried into his career.

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Christian Pavlovich ’18 Virtually on his Toes: Christian Pavlovich ‘18

Creating a captivating, animated video of George Washington teaching a lesson? Perfecting the lighting for a video sent to parents by school administrators? The day-to-day job variety keeps film and media arts alum Christian Pavlovich ’18 on his toes, sometimes even virtually.

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Shekinah Olagunju ’17 Don’t wait for tomorrow — make a difference today

For alum Shekinah Olagunju, every day on the job is unpredictable. As a senior associate at RED | For Africa, a consulting and marketing communications agency in Lagos, Nigeria, she works with diverse clients, strategizing marketing campaigns, and solving problems.

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Maddie Crocenzi ’17 Every Day is an Adventure

“I love that I come into the office every day with a sense of anticipation for what I might do that day,” says Maddie Crocenzi ’17. As an outdoor adventure and healthy lifestyles reporter at the York Daily Record, Crocenzi has quite a bit to look forward to each day. After graduating from Messiah with a degree in Journalism, Crocenzi began her position at the York Daily Record, which is a part of the USA Today Network, with responsibilities that include writing, photography/videography, and working as a digital producer. A few of Crocenzi’s numerous work adventures include stand-up paddle boarding, hunting, motorcycle riding and hiking.

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Emily Carter ’16 Not the 9 to 5 Grind

“I love everything about my job,” says Emily Carter ’16. Carter, one of the few people able to land her dream job right out of college, graduated with a degree in public relations and a minor in marketing. She currently works as a Web Marketing Specialist at WebpageFX (https://www.webpagefx.com/) in Harrisburg. The internet marketing agency allows Carter to work with a great team writing content for the company’s website, scheduling social media posts, sending email campaigns, prepping for webinars and much more.

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Erin Zakin ’16 Make Demands

Many seniors spend at least a little time stressing about finding a job after graduation. But not Erin Zakin. She turned the internship experience of her junior year directly into a job.

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Caleb Fugate ’16 No Frivolous Pursuit

Life holds so many options, sometimes choosing just one path proves impossible. Caleb Fugate graduated in 2016 with degrees in both Communications and Biblical & Religious Studies with a concentration in theology. Now a graduate student at Duke University’s Divinity School, Fugate appreciates the unity of his bachelor’s degrees even more. “My ability to critically think through theological jargon is due to the rigorous academics that Messiah has,” says Fugate. “Congruently, my writing skills, both in a theological nature and in general, were a product of both my Communications degree and my theology degree.”

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Ashlyn Miller ’16 Take the Leap

“I originally was planning on staying closer to home, but I’m glad I took the leap with this job that moved me all the way to Georgia,” says Ashlyn Miller ’16.

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Anthony Watkins ’16 Digital Media Alum Lights the Stage with Well-Known Regional Christian Theatre

Some may find it difficult to imagine where a digital media student would fit into the realm of theatre performance and production, but for Anthony Watkins '16, the connection is clear. Since his graduation last May, Watkins has found his niche working as a lighting technician for Sight and Sound Theaters in Lancaster. His background in video production and editing has given him the knowledge and ability to run the prolific number of lights the theatre uses in all of its productions. He also helps with regular upkeep like replacing lamps, adjusting the focus and replacing gels.

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Adela Antal ’16 Adela Antal '16: Then God Said, "Wait"

Adela Antal spent her last Messiah College semester studying strategic communication in Washington D.C. with the American Studies Program. After graduating in May 2016 with a degree in communication, Antal planned on heading back to D.C. to continue working in the city.

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Mackenzie Alexander ’15 Beyond the Comfort Zone: Film Alum Finds Path to Growth in South Africa

Following a well-worn path to success just wasn’t going cut it for Mackenzie Alexander. After graduating from Messiah College in 2015 with a degree in Film and Media Arts, Alexander hopped on a plane to Germiston, South Africa.

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Joel Hoover ’15 Hoover Pursues Sports Broadcasting All the Way to Minnesota

"It takes work and a desire to stand out if you want to land your ideal job, but if you have put the time in during college to gain experiences, that is a good step toward the first job." Joel Hoover's passion for a very specific job, sports play-by-play broadcasting, prompted his transition from Messiah all the way to Bemidji, Minnesota. Directly after graduating in 2015 as a Journalism major with a minor in Sport Management, Hoover became the Sports Director and lead Play-By-Play Sportscaster for Paul Bunyan Broadcasting and KBUN Sportsradio in Bemidji.

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Sarah Newton ’15 Newton Discovers Unexpected Passion in Production Work

“I was surprised because I thought I wanted to work in the news department and I ended up enjoying the work I do in production,” said Sarah Newton (’15). “It’s interesting going into a job or internship expecting to like the work you’re doing to find out that your passion lies somewhere else.”

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Mandy Ruiz ’15 Patience and Persistence

Breaking into the field of television broadcasting is not an easy task. Mandy Ruiz ’15 discovered this after graduating from Messiah with a degree in Journalism. “Getting into this field takes patience and networking. You have to really want to be in this field to make it work. That was the hardest thing for me to do when I graduated.”

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Rachel K. Grim ’15 Rachel K. Grim ’15: EveryBODY is Special

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder…or so they say. As Rachel K. Grim ’15 (public relations) can tell you, it’s actually in the confidence.

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Blair Jewell ’14 Community Relations Coordinator of the Harrisburg Senators

After graduating with a degree in communication, Jewell began working as the Community Relations Coordinator of the Harrisburg Senators, the Double-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals.

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Caroline Phillips ’14 Capturing People Doing What They Love

As a freelance photographer, Caroline Phillips ‘14 loves “capturing people doing what they love.” Even on the long, busy days of shooting, Phillips enjoys making connections with people and creating new relationships with her clients. Plus, getting to travel to places like Hong Kong and Ireland for photoshoots is a nice perk!

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Becca Dudek ’13

PR grad finds dream job, love of outdoors in Montana.

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Sarah Fleischman ’13 Alum Pursues Journalism as Catalyst for Change

"My favorite part of my job is that I'm always learning something" says Sarah Fleischman ('13). Fleischman, who graduated with a degree in broadcasting (journalism concentration) and minor in sociology/anthropology, currently works as a county government reporter for The Calvert Recorder in Maryland.

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Emily (Mohler) Hemming ’13 Alum serves as Wharton's media expert

Each day, she monitors the news to find timely topics relevant to Wharton’s experts and pitches story ideas to the media.

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Rolando Vega ’13 Purpose-Driven Film

When Rolando Vega graduated in 2013 with a degree in Film and Media Arts, he headed off to Los Angeles for an internship. However, instead of filling his time with glamorous film opportunities as expected, Vega spent his days reading through script submissions for Barnstorm Pictures.

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Rachel Vandernick ’13 Social Media Specialist & Account Manager at WebpageFX

For Rachel Vandernick earning a B.A. in public relations was not her original choice. She says, “I thought I wanted to be a teacher, but really hated my classes and basically everything that being a teacher would involve. I took a few comm classes, and once I took crisis comm, I was hooked. I loved the professors, and the more I learned, the more I wanted to learn.”

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Zach Specht ’13 Alum works as social media editor for the Bills

Imagine wearing a press pass and watching your favorite NFL team from the sidelines—all season. You interview players, take photos, shoot video and interact with fans from all over the world.

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Matthew Elton ’12 Alum Urges Film Students to Un-focus the Lens

“No longer do you need to work for a major studio in order to make
money in the film industry or have the resources to bring your artistic vision
to life.” When Matthew Elton graduated with a degree in Film and Media Arts in
Dec. 2012, he headed off to upstate New York to prove that philosophy true.

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Gina Menario ’11 Web Project Manager at WebpageFX

Currently working as a web project manager at WebpageFX, Gina Menario enables clients to grow their businesses through online marketing. On a daily basis, she collaborates with clients to create specs for website designs, review existing websites, and plan site edits and improvements. As part of the leadership team, she also takes part in internal initiatives and process improvement strategies.

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Blake Lynch ’11 Alum Works to Promote Change in the Harrisburg Area

Promoting change in tough times is no small feat, but for Blake Lynch ’11, it’s a way of life. As Liaison and bridge builder for the Harrisburg (PA) Police Department since 2018, Lynch has the opportunity to do good, effect change, and help people every day.

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Timothy D'Agostino ’10 Associate Brand Manager at Google

“I focus on creating online advertising campaigns for the Education team and spend a great deal of time doing graphic design work. Each day and each week brings a new set of projects, new challenges and new people to work with. To be honest, I wouldn't have it any other way,” he added.

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James Knightly ’09 Alum Keeps Filmmaking Dream Alive

“When I was around 10 years old, I checked out The Sting (1973) from the library. My life has never been the same,” says James Knightly (’09).

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Arden Moyer ’09 Alum Shares HOPE with Families in Underserved Communities

“Before coming to Messiah, I didn’t understand poverty and missions. I had to do a lot of searching and reflecting,” shares Arden Moyer ’09.

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Jonathan Stutzman ’09 Completing M.F.A. in Screenwriting & Directing for Film at Temple University

“I have always loved telling stories, and I feel that storytelling is one of the most important methods of communication we have,” says Jonathan Stutzman (’09). “It’s a way to share thoughts & ideas, explore our existence, our connection to each other, the world, and to God.”

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Krista Imbesi ’09 Critics love alumni film

Did you know two alums filmed an award-winning movie on campus? That's right. Communication majors Krista Imbesi '09 and Jonathan Stutzman '09 conceptualized, filmed and produced "Thornbird," a short film in 2015, and the accolades have been pouring in ever since.

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Rachel (Crownover) Alden ’09 Communication Alum Finds the Perfect Fit

Have you ever ordered food at Sheetz on a kiosk or through the Sheetz app? Thank Rachel (Crownover) Alden (’09) and her team for that!

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Stephanie Huston ’08 Passported

Stephanie Huston, Communication graduate of ’08, knows her way around an airport. “Travel has been a priority in my life ever since I caught the travel bug back when I first studied abroad at Messiah,” Huston said. That first May Term trip to Spain in 2005 inspired both her lifestyle of travel and a passport filled with stamps from 30 countries on all seven continents.

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Stephanie Ellis ’08 Public Relations Specialist at Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences

Graduating from Messiah with a B.A. in Communication (PR/Advertising concentration) and a minor in Church Music (Piano concentration), Ellis has always enjoyed the various aspects of communication, particularly strategy. She currently works as the Public Relations Specialist for Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences, a private, health-sciences-focused institution in Lancaster, Pa.

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Jared Law-Penrose ’08 Alum’s exploration of opportunities Messiah offered led to an unexpectedly fruitful path

Law-Penrose came to Messiah with a major in communication. During the fall semester of his sophomore year, Law-Penrose studied abroad in Russia through one of the Best Semester programs of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities. This has changed his perspectives and future career in an astonishing way.

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Ryan Billings ’07 Upward Success in the Healthcare Communication Industry

For 2007 alum Ryan Billings, working behind the scenes (or screen) covers a lot of bases. His career involves up-and-coming technology, social media trends and impressive internet marketing experience.

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Carla Craig ’07 Alum Finds Her Niche in Disability Services

With no idea what she wanted to study, When Carla Craig (’07) began her college career, she had no idea what she wanted to study. So purposefully took courses in various disciplines, explaining, “I found that I really enjoyed my communication classes, and I was really drawn to the field. I also loved that communication was a major that didn't require me to further my education in order to establish a respectable career path, and also that it left me with many options for different types of careers.”

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Charity Kauffman ’07 Alum Combines Communication and Christian Ministry

Charity Kauffman (’07), daughter of Christian bookstore owners, spent her childhood surrounded by Christian publishing, media, and ministry.

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Adam Davis ’07 At Home, Abroad and On-screen

Pack your bags! This phrase has become very familiar to Messiah COMMunity alum Adam Davis ’07. Since graduating Messiah, Davis has moved three different times to pursue a career with three different communications positions.

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Kerry Brown ’07 Brown uses experience in PR, politics and graphic design

Public Relations professionals carry the responsibility of readily turning on their A-game, and Kerry Brown's interview with a small radio station regarding political stances proved no exception. "One day, in my second job, I was sitting at my desk eating lunch when I got a call. I picked up the phone and heard the words "Kerry Brown! You're on the air live" with that I had to put down my salad and take a spontaneous phone interview right then and there. At first, it was terrifying. But after my heart stopped pounding, I realized I was fully capable of doing this. After only two weeks on the job, spontaneous interviews could make anyone nervous.

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Akirah Wyatt Robinson ’07 From Blogging to Breakup Coach: Alumni Career Combines Comm and Counseling

Actor Will Smith brought an interesting twist to the concept of relationship counseling in his role as a “date doctor” in the movie “Hitch.” But alum Akirah Wyatt Robinson (’07) has followed an equally interesting—and unusual—career path that has landed her squarely on the other side of that counseling continuum. As a “breakup coach,” she combines her education and experiences in communication, sociology, and counseling to help women find healing from broken relationships.

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Lindsey Holtzman ’06 Lindsey Holtzman ̒06: One Event Planner’s Approach to Measuring Success

Lindsey Holtzman ‘06 was recently named to Central Penn Business Journal’s 2022 Forty Under 40 list of honorees. While “humbled and honored” by the award, Holtzman says there is more than one way to define success.

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Brooke Dunbar ’06 Communication Status: Vulnerable

In 2006, Brooke Dunbar donned the cap and gown, received a degree in Communication from Messiah College and headed off into the great big world of marketing. However, Dunbar quickly realized two things: one, she actually wanted to be a teacher, and, two, nothing would stand in her way. So she made that dream a reality.

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Thomas Kaden ’04 Listening to Change the World

Thomas Kaden seemed to have a stereotypically successful future all in place. The summer between his sophomore and junior years at Messiah, Kaden interned with a large PR firm on Wall Street. This smart career move strategically positioned him within the competitive field, but just a few weeks into the job, he realized that the world of public relations would not cut it as a full-time calling. Kaden began to understand that God had other, bigger plans.

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Tim Morgan ’04 Getting paid to talk

What does it take to build a voice acting career? Patience and perseverance.

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Megan Chapa ’03 Podcasting Around the World

She quit her job to volunteer until her money ran out. She got hired because of her superb dental work. She traveled around the world to places like England and Germany, coordinating interviews across time zones. Most importantly, she gives a voice to those who need one. Needless to say, Megan Chapa has enjoyed an eventful life so far, and it all started at Messiah where she graduated in 2003 with a degree in public relations.

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Carolyn Clayton ’01 Communication Alum finds her Place in Higher Education Fundraising

Growing up, Carolyn Clayton (’01) only had one home, one phone number and one address. Since graduating from Messiah, she has worked at eight different campuses and lived in five different states.

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Brent Hall ’95 Director of Post-Production at DisneyToon Studios

"Do you wanna build a snowman?” It’s a phrase Messiah College alum Brent Hall ’95 has probably heard thousands of times, and for good reason. Hall, a communication major, is now the director of post-production at DisneyToon Studios—a division of The Walt Disney Studios.

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Craig Wozniak ’85 Craig J. Wozniak ’85 enjoys 30-year career behind the camera

Recording a Knicks game at Madison Square Garden one night. Operating a studio camera for the Major League Baseball network the next. Covering the Thanksgiving parade in New York City for CBS. For freelance camera operator Craig Wozniak ’85, a typical work week is, well, anything but typical.

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Kim Lawton ’85 Comm Alum Kim Lawton Earns Distinguished Alumna Achievement Award

Currently working in Washington, D.C., Lawton serves as managing editor and correspondent for PBS’ Religion and Ethics Newsweekly, a newsmagazine format show that she helped to start in 1997.

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Keith Blaisdell ’82 Director of Broadcast Operations for WHTM-TV

On any given day, you can find Keith Blaisdell ’82 bustling around the WHTM-TV (abc27, a local abc affiliate station) studio in Harrisburg, Pa., doing everything from finding new on-air talent, to researching and purchasing equipment, to making sure reporters’ microphones work for their live shots. Those are just a few of the many things that Blaisdell gives oversight to as the director of broadcast operations for the station.

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