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Journalism, B.A. | Class of
Roe Pressley
Vice President, Lead SEO
Employer: DocuCopies.com
Job description: I've worked at my family's printing company since 2007, wearing many hats along the way: Head of search engine optimization, video production, photography, graphic design, copywriting/content creation, web design, prepress file set up, and customer service.
About Roe
Why did you choose this program?
I wanted to travel the world, go to concerts, and get paid for it. Reporting on hard news was never my intention, but learning how it is done and how the industry works (and how it was changing) were valuable skills that carried over into my career.
How did this program prepare you for your job?
Learning how to research, how to write, and how to adjust tonality according to the audience, were very useful in my work. The photojournalism courses took me from basically zero knowledge of graphic design to a strong working knowledge of photo editing. Leading the student magazine, The Osprey, for a semester as editor-in-chief (and another semester as managing editor) taught me valuable management skills.
What did you enjoy most about the program?
Working for The Osprey for several semesters, including as editor-in-chief when we won Best Student Magazine in the Western States!
What would you say to prospective students who are thinking about applying to this program?
Consider your motivation and what kind of news niche you would like to pursue. Understand that having a degree in journalism is not likely to skyrocket you straight into a lofty position or a six-figure income right out of college. Go semi-pro while you're still in school, whether that be as a vlogger, photographer, content creator, writer, or whatever avenues call to you.