Sahiouni gave a brief speech at the AAF award ceremony in NYC.

It’s been nearly a year since Mijoe Sahiouni was named one of 50 Most Promising Minority Student finalists by the American Advertising Federation (AAF) in December of 2010. And it’s been nearly a year since she graduated from the UNL College of Journalism and Mass Communications, also in December of 2010. CoJMC faculty member Stacy James nominated Sahiouni for the award and herself was recognized by the AAF with a nominator award. Sahiouni and James traveled to New York in February for the awards ceremony at the New York Athletic Club.

It helped Sahiouni land a job she loves in a city she loves.

The AAF’s Most Promising Minority Student Program is the premier advertising industry award program created to recognize and recruit outstanding minority college graduates in advertising, marketing, media and communications, James said.

“I compare this honor to winning an academy award,” James said. “It’s a prestigious and important honor that will be with her forever.”

Since graduation from UNL with degrees in both advertising and theatre, Sahiouni has been an account coordinator with The Beckwith Company, a full-service marketing communications firm based in Los Angeles. The agency specializes in developing public relations campaigns and creating publicity and special events. The company has an extensive and recognizable list of national and international clients.

“What motivates me is the end product,” Sahiouni said. “Working on shows, events, presentations and a film made me realize how much I loved seeing the finished product of something I put a lot of energy and time into. It also helps to be working with others who are just as driven and forward thinking,” she added.

“Collaborating and learning from intelligent and gifted individuals (also) motivates me. Knowledge, discovery and creativity all inspire me – and of course, my teachers and family,” Sahiouni said.

Sahiouni’s internship in Los Angeles in the summer of 2010 made her realize she wanted to return to the city following graduation. “Everything I’ve done out here so far has been an amazing experience,” she said.

Besides her work, Sahiouni is active in various activities pertaining to public relations and the arts. Currently, she is involved with the Egyptian and Aero theatres in Hollywood and Santa Monica and with celebrity publicity events. She also volunteers with the Human Rights Campaign. She’s also discovered a group of Nebraska alumni. “We all work and do different things but we all are really hard workers and extremely passionate,” she said. “It’s really great to know that there’s a big sea of red in Southern California.”

One of the most valuable skills she learned during her college years, she said, was networking.

“Getting involved and working with other people who share similar passions, to me is something I value deeply. I loved being a part of PRSSA and Ad Club because it was a great way to meet other students and professionals.

“If I didn’t have advisors, mentors and teachers (like Stacy James, Amy Struthers and Julie Hagemeier) who pushed me to be active, I wouldn’t be here. I’ve continuously learned in my life to explore things and create my own options,” she said.

Sahiouni advises students to take risks in college – to deliberately go outside of your comfort zone and experience new things. I had the opportunity to be involved in many different activities and I don’t regret any of them – even the ones I didn’t like. The only regret I have is not doing more.”

Nicole Manske with Roxy

Imagine being hired by one of the world’s top public relations firms. On your first day of work, one of the first things you see is a giant tomato in the entrance. Then, you’re welcomed by your new colleagues who are all wearing jeans, sitting on huge bouncy balls at their desks and riding around on scooters.

Some of them even have their dogs, cats or gerbils with them. As far-fetched as it sounds, Nicole Manske experiences this atmosphere daily as an assistant account executive at Weber Shandwick in St. Louis, Mo.

Manske, a May 2010 news-editorial graduate from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Journalism and Mass Communications, said the casual  work culture is refreshing.

“It helps to make the fast-paced work and numerous deadlines manageable. It really balances out quite well,” she said.

There is also a bar and kitchen in the office and the secretary is known for spontaneously breaking out in song whenever and wherever, Manske said.

“I enjoy the people, atmosphere and caliber of the clients. It is so rewarding to be a part of such a stellar team,” Manske explained.

Manske started out at Weber Shandwick as an intern in August 2010 and was hired full-time in January 2011. Weber Shandwick operates 80 offices in 40 countries, maintaining one of the largest public relations networks in the world.

“I love working at such a large and respected agency,” Manske said. “Our clients are top notch. Weber Shandwick is the world’s largest global public relations firm known for their innovation and award-winning communications teams, and I wanted to learn from the best.”

Manske decided to move to St. Louis when her fiancé, Matthew Noren, was accepted into law school at Washington University there.

“I applied in St. Louis not only because I wanted the experience of a large award-winning agency in a big city, but also to be with Matthew and support his career aspirations as well,” Manske said.

She heard about Weber Shandwick’s reputation from her colleagues at ConAgra Foods in Omaha, Neb., where she was an intern right after graduation. Her colleagues helped connect her with a few people at Weber Shandwick, and days later she had a phone interview, Manske said. The phone interview led to an in-person interview, and within two weeks of moving to St. Louis, she had landed the internship position. She said she feels very lucky and grateful to be where she is.

Bridgid Agosta, manager in communication and external relations at ConAgra Foods, was Manske’s direct manager.

Agosta said, “Nicole’s proven ability to communicate effectively and make the right connections with coworkers provided her the confidence to network with her colleagues at ConAgra Foods and make the necessary connections outside of the company when she decided to move from Nebraska.”

Even though Manske’s time at ConAgra Foods was short, Manske was quickly able to learn her role, ask the right questions and prioritize to help her efficiently deliver great work and gain new experiences, Agosta added.

Laura High, a senior account executive at Weber Shandwick, served as Manske’s mentor after she was hired. High said it has been a great experience to watch Manske learn and grow within the company.

“Nicole is really passionate and always seeking information on how she can do better. She’s really exciting to work around and her attitude is contagious. She does a lot of media outreach for us and is quickly becoming one of our go-to people for results,” High said.

High said Manske did an excellent job of demonstrating sound skills and understanding as an intern, which was key to hiring her in January.

“One of the things we look for in all of our interns that Nicole exemplified is applying previous knowledge,” High said. “Any experience you can show is something that catches interviewers’ eyes.”

Manske’s corporate communications internship at ConAgra Foods was one experience that prepared her for a job at Shandwick. At ConAgra Foods, Manske wrote articles, announcements and intranet stories for internal and external use, as well as helped with planning local and national events. She also helped manage internal communications and designed and wrote for the e-newsletter.

At Weber Shandwick, Manske works mainly with consumer clients including Anheuser Busch, Scottrade, FedEx NFL, Pyrex, the Chess Club & Scholastic Center of St. Louis and the American Association of Orthodontics. The majority of her time is spent working on media relations, pitching, brainstorming, writing media materials, coverage tracking and pulling media lists, she said. She also does a small amount of design work.

“I really enjoy pitching, something I didn’t do while in school. It is always exciting for me to call shows such as Good Morning America, The Late Show and E! or to write to magazines such as People and US Weekly. I really enjoy working on campaigns with a lot to offer the media, making my job that much easier. Celebrity tie-ins and trip giveaways are great, but I also enjoy the challenge of tweaking my messaging and pitches according to the different outlet and beats,” Manske said.

One of her favorite aspects of the job is that no two days are alike. Working on multiple client campaigns at once is intense and exciting, she said.

Besides the ConAgra internship, Manske’s education and other internships gave her valuable knowledge of the public relations field.

“My education prepared me for the real world in many ways, but most importantly forced me to constantly improve my writing. I was prepared well in my news-editorial classes with strong writing skills, a firm understanding of AP style and a firm grip on being able to pick out news value,” she said. “This has helped me now that I am on the other side, trying to get journalists to bite on my story.”

Manske said Phyllis Larsen, a faculty member in the  UNL College of Journalism, who is also an  and accredited public relations professional, also taught her valuable PR skills, especially in working with the media.

“Phyllis really stressed the importance of creating mutually beneficial relationships,” Manske said.
When Larsen had Manske in class, she said Manske’s attention to detail was one facet that led to Manske’s success.

“There was an intensity in her in whatever she was working on and learning. That quality is something employers value,” Larsen added.

Kim Goedeker, an account supervisor and intern coordinator at Weber Shandwick, was active in interviewing and hiring Manske. She said Manske’s good attitude, optimism about clients and stress-management skills set her apart.

Goedeker said, “Besides her work ethic, which is strong, Nicole does a great job of managing her time.

She is always good at thinking about the end goal and always takes an assignment an extra step, seeing how she could improve on it a little more.”

Goedeker said Manske fits with the company’s culture, which is important when working on a PR team. Manske’s friendly nature and outgoing personality make her easy to get along with and fit into Weber’s creative atmosphere, Goedeker added.

“We have the perks of a stocked kitchen, a bar and we get to bring our pets to work. We have a fun, laid-back culture here, but we are expected to bring creative and superior work to our clients with every assignment,” Goedeker said.

Manske easily assimilated into Weber’s casual but fast-paced and productive atmosphere – so much so that she brings her three-pound Yorkie, Roxy, to work with her every day.

“Roxy has really become a sort of office “mascot,” she said. “We enjoy our lunch breaks where we walk with all of the other dog owners in the building. It’s a good way to get to know each other and explore downtown St. Louis.”

Manske said she is enjoying being a tourist in her own new city and loves to walk around the arch and in the park with her fiancé, Roxy and their other dog, Mars, a 200-pound Great Dane.

“Being in a new city, I really enjoy going to new restaurants and concert venues,” she said.
In the future, Manske said she hopes to continue growing as an assistant account executive and have the opportunity to travel and build more client relationships at Weber.

Carissa Rose (courtesy photo)

“I was really down. This was my goal and it wasn’t happening.”

For Carissa Rose, a May 2010 advertising graduate of the College of Journalism and Mass Communications, expressing her post-graduation feelings was easy.

“It sucked not finding a job,” she said.

Graduates in the past two years have faced a difficult economy. A March 2010 survey conducted by CareerBuilder found that out of 2,800 hiring managers surveyed, only 44 percent are planning to hire recent college graduates, an increase of 1 percent from 2009. However, in 2007, 79 percent of hiring managers were planning to hire recent graduates.

However, another option remains for graduates who were unable to find jobs: the internship. While internships are considered to be important for undergraduate students, many do not consider them after graduation. Rose, who applied for more than 200 different positions between January and July 2010, said it wasn’t until a friend approached her about an internship opportunity that she began to consider that option.

“I told myself if I didn’t have something in the works or figured out by the beginning of August, I would look at volunteer opportunities down in the Gulf helping with the oil spill, or volunteering in Mexico to work on my Spanish to help boost my resume,” she said.

The opportunity proved to be exactly what she was looking for, as Rose began a six-month unpaid internship in September 2010 at The Agency: Sports Management and Marketing in New York City.

Professor Charlyne Berens, associate dean of the College of Journalism and Mass Communications, has noticed that post-graduate internships are a common occurrence for students in the college.

“This [post-graduate internship] has always been the case in the college, perhaps more so than in other colleges. But I have certainly seen more of it lately because of the economy. In addition to this, the media have been undergoing immense changes and cutting back in traditional places while adding new media jobs,” Berens said.

Bridgette Muller (courtesy photo)

Bridgette Muller, a May 2010 advertising and public relations graduate, related a similar experience. Muller completed a post-graduate internship at the Times Square Alliance in New York City in August 2010.

“I was completely surprised,” she said. “I thought I had done everything right. I did well in classes, I interned for three years, I had a strong network and I was involved. It was hard to swallow the fact that I was going to have to be an intern again, even though I thought I was ready for the real working world,” Muller said. Muller recently accepted a job as a multimedia specialist with Silverstone Group in Omaha.

On the other hand, Natasha Richardson, a May 2010 news-editorial graduate, had a different outlook when it came to job searching after graduation.

“I didn’t even look for entry level jobs,” she said. “I guess I planned it that way because I learned from friends that had graduated the year before me, and most of them got internships.” Richardson’s friends seemed to have better luck finding post-graduate internships than finding jobs, she added.

Natasha Richardson (photo by Luis Peon-Casanova)

Richardson completed a paid three-month post-graduate internship on the copy desk of The Seattle Times before finding a full-time job. She said the excitement of her internship replaced her worry about finding a job.

“It was such a cool opportunity … and when I got the list of the other people I would be interning with I was really impressed,” she remarked.

The good impression did not end there. Richardson described the thrill of working closely with people who not only had decades of experience, but also were willing to teach and trust their interns with considerable responsibility.

Post-graduate internships can allow more time for young adults to gain experience, provide networking opportunities and give them additional time to figure out the career they really want to pursue. Internships can also be stepping-stones for future employment. Rose said that both the networking aspect and the experience gained have been equally beneficial for her. She believes the skill set she is continuing to develop through first-hand experience will better prepare her for her first full-time job. She describes her current position as basically working full-time, just without pay.

“I’m looking at it as an investment … because the amount of opportunities I’ve been given just in the past month are unbelievable,” Rose said. “I’ve learned so much.”

Berens believes that post-graduate internships are also a valuable transition to full-time employment. While they might not always be financially rewarding, they allow graduates to continue advancing their career objectives. Her advice to graduates facing a tough job market is to be patient.

“Don’t give up. Even if the first thing you have in mind doesn’t materialize, be creative about where you can apply your talents. There is a job there someplace for everyone,” Berens said.

Post-graduate internships also give graduates time to continue the job search while keeping their résumés fresh and enhancing their skills. Rose discovered that she truly enjoys sports marketing and public relations, and would like to eventually become a consultant for athletes in this industry.

After Richardson’s internship was completed she found a full-time job at Class.com in Lincoln, Neb., and has enjoyed the change of pace and opportunity to continue to do what she loves. Rose will begin the job search again by the end of the year, but is hopeful the relationships she has developed and experience she gained will aid her in finding a job.

Rose and Richardson said that taking an internship in place of a full-time job was difficult at first, but they would not have it any other way. In fact, they would recommend it.

“It has really paid off,” Rose said. “Not literally paid but paid in other ways. I feel like it was meant to happen this way. I waited for it and I’m glad I didn’t settle.”

Shardea Gallion

She’s deathly afraid of earthworms. She loves Portabella mushroom sandwiches from Lazlo’s. And her favorite place on campus is Andersen Hall. Shardea Gallion lives 550 miles away in Chicago, working as an off-site admissions counselor for the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.

Originally from Omaha, Gallion graduated from the College of Journalism and Mass Communications in 2007 with a major in broadcasting. Gallion worked through her undergraduate degree as a single mom. Balancing school and raising her son proved to be a most challenging task, but Gallion credits her professors and peers at the University in helping her to achieve her undergraduate goals.

“The university was my family. My professors would watch my son during classes,” she said. “Other students would offer to watch Isaiah when I needed help. At night, the janitors at the J school would entertain him when I stayed late to finish homework. I didn’t have family close. The university was my support system.”

Gallion’s passion for her university stems from this very experience. She gets to share this passion with potential students every single day in her position as an off-site recruiter for UNL.

“I love being a person that helps a child discover their dreams. I want to encourage students to take their own path. I want to encourage them to do something great with their lives. That’s what I do get to do, every day.”

Gallion moved to Chicago in February 2010. She had no job lined up, but knew that Chicago was where she was supposed to be. Contacts on campus had learned of Gallion’s move to Chicago and not long after, Gallion received an e-mail regarding a position as an off-site recruiter for the University.

“The job just kind of landed in my e-mail,” Gallion said.

UNL Dean of Admissions Alan Cerveny explained the decision to contact Gallion for the off-site recruiting position.

“Shardea had already made the move to Chicago and was looking for a position,” he said. “She became aware of our opportunity and it was something where we were excited about her background and skill set and it was exciting for her to be able to represent UNL in this exciting new community she had moved to.”

Gallion says her undergraduate experience helped her to develop the skill set and acquire the knowledge needed to succeed in her career.

“The admissions career in general is one that really requires people who are self-starters, who love to juggle lots of different things at once.“ Cerveny explained.

As an off-site recruiter, Gallion is responsible for communicating the University of Nebraska–Lincoln experience to potential out-of-state students. She serves as a liaison, a face and a friend to potential out-of state students interested in coming to the university.

“I get to put on a presentation every day. I am a walking advertisement for the university.  I can’t wait to see the students’ reactions to what I have to say about the University of Nebraska. Our university speaks for itself. I just deliver the message.”

Gallion describes her position as an off-site recruiter as a “dream job.” Her office is in her home. She makes her own schedule. She lives in the city of her dreams. She has opportunities to travel back to Nebraska. She gets to share her passion for UNL with others, and ultimately she gets to inspire others.

“It’s exciting to know that I’m the reason why people take their life in a certain direction. Every day, I get to inspire people. It doesn’t get much better than that.”

Greg Wiley

Greg Wiley has been a creative force to be reckoned with since childhood.

Back then, he would hang his drawings on his bedroom walls, along with music-related memorabilia. He loved art and music and used to drum a lot in his mom’s basement when his friends would bring over their guitars.

Today, Wiley applies his creativity at Swanson Russell Associates in Lincoln where he is vice president and creative director.

Wiley graduated from Lincoln Southeast High School in 1986 and set off for the University of Kansas. Design was his first major, then architecture and then design again. But out-of-state tuition was high at Kansas, and Wiley also decided he liked the atmosphere in Lincoln better than that in Lawrence. So he enrolled at UNL to study advertising.

He remembers that advertising professor Stacy James, one of his advisers, made advertising fun and appealing.

James remembers Wiley, too. He was one of those students “that have a combination of interest, curiosity, willingness to learn, and they work their butts off,” James said.

“That’s what I remember about Greg, not to mention he’s just a really nice guy. Greg was really mellow and just fun to work with. And, on top of all of that, you could tell he really had talent.”

Wiley started at Swanson Russell 20 years ago this past July as a runner for the company, delivering and picking up whatever they needed. He was also a bouncer and bar back at Duffy’s Tavern in downtown Lincoln. But his award-winning student projects got him noticed, and Swanson Russell soon hired him as a graphic artist. Wiley quit his bar job at that point.

He was hungry for more opportunities and remembers bugging John Koelfkorn, his supervisor and mentor at Swanson Russell, to let him take on more challenges.

Awards kept coming. Wiley stayed on at Swanson Russell, expanding his skills.

Brian Boesche, Swanson Russell co-owner and Wiley’s mentor, remembers seeing Wiley’s potential from the start. Now Boesche views Wiley as one of the company’s best hires over the years — as well as a guy with a great sense of humor.

“I always enjoy working with Greg because I know we’ll do something noteworthy and have a great time doing it,” Boesche said.

Being such a creative individual, working on different projects, sometimes traveling around the states or the globe, Wiley finds it difficult to shut down the thinking process. Riding his bike is one way for him to try to clean the cache of his mind. He rides until he can no longer think of anything else other than how far he’s going or how much his legs hurt. He rides as often as he can, with groups or alone.

Wiley’s wife, Kelly, said in an e-mail, “He’s always got to be moving (hiking, biking, running, etc.), but if the Tour de France or World Cup Soccer is on TV, he can sit in one spot for hours.”

When asked to describe Wiley in three words, his wife said, “Creative. Silly. Perfectionist.”

Kelly said many attributes contribute to Wiley’s success. Among them, she listed dedication and trustworthiness, along with his dedication to researching a project and carefully finding a solution. She said her husband is an honest guy and won’t tell anyone what they want to hear unless he truly believes it himself.

Wiley is proud of his son, Harrison, age 16 months. He’s also proud that he’s worked at Swanson Russell for 20 years.

Wiley remembers some of his work projects better than others. For example, he said a Nebraska State Road Race championship poster he produced with Swanson Russell designer Justin Schnick, also an avid cyclist, was a lot of fun and special to make — and it won a silver ADDY® award in 2008. The poster featured yellow background with a darker yellow corncob helmet that dons a bicycle helmet strap — a take on the iconic Nebraska corncob head, only it’s relevant to cyclists. Schnick said of Wiley, “You learn to trust him. If you need to call somebody [regarding a question or comment] you say, ‘Wiley, come look at this.’”

Schnick realizes he is working with a man who’s built a successful career at one workplace over the span of 20 years, which is rare in the advertising business. He said, “With a company like this, he’s been kind of like the hub, if you will.”

Wiley says it is important that he be humble in his job. He acknowledges that what he does is a partnership between the client and the company and that it’s built on authenticity and honesty. He said that to be successful in selling to clients, one has to be confident and believable. He believes it’s also important to just be a good person in general.

When asked how other people would describe him, he responded, “Straightforward, honest, fair, fun, passionate, stubborn, difficult (sometimes) and opinionated.”

Many advertising students at the College of Journalism and Mass Communications dream of going on to work as art director at McCann Erickson or as an account coordinator for DDB advertising agency after graduation. But plans changed fast for Lauren Garcia and Michaela Brown.

Garcia graduated from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in May 2010 with an advertising major from the UNL College of Journalism and Mass Communications. She is currently working as a missionary for the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS) in Des Moines, Iowa.

After graduation, Garcia had planned to attend graduate school for a master’s degree in Higher Education Administration, also known as Student Affairs. She applied to three graduate schools and was accepted and offered scholarships from all. While going through the interview processes Garcia received the job offer from FOCUS.

Being a FOCUS missionary requires a two-year commitment. This year Garcia is working on the Drake University campus, but she has a chance of being moved next year to one of 44 campuses across the country that have FOCUS programs. Garcia says she likes the Des Moines location and feels connected to the students there.

“My day is completely changed when a student genuinely wants to share his or her life with me.” Garcia said, “It means that I’m getting through and that they’ve begun to see me as a friend.”

Garcia works with students on a daily basis. She conducts Bible studies twice a week, meets with students one-on-one and plans events for the Newman Center on the Drake campus. She also does fundraising for her salary. Garcia has a support team made up of people across the country who  donate money; in return she sends out a quarterly newsletter  explaining what she is doing with her ministry.

Michaela Brown has also taken a unique job after graduating from the CoJMC in August 2009. Brown is currently the project coordinator for ProWorld Ghana Service Corps in Cape Coast, Ghana. ProWorld is an organization of  volunteer and study abroad programs that focus on development. The organization works in seven countries around the world. Her responsibilities at ProWorld Ghana include finding nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in the Central Region of Ghana that are in the social and economic development, health and environmental sectors where volunteers work. She also manages volunteers’ project budgets, maintains relationships with volunteers and founders and directors of the NGOs and manages ProWorld Ghana’s social media.

After graduation, Brown volunteered for ProWorld in a rural village in Peru for six weeks and then started applying for jobs. At the time ProWorld, along with the majority of companies, was not hiring. Brown said when she realized her best prospect after six months of searching was an internal sales job on the east coast, she turned down the offer and moved to Austin, Texas, to try out a different job market. Then Brown was asked to interview for a job with an advertising agency in Omaha, Neb. She had kept in contact with the agency since her internship position there the previous year. Going into her interview, she already had been offered the job with ProWorld Ghana. The agency was in no rush to fill the position, but Brown had to give her answer to ProWorld Ghana the following day. She left for Ghana two weeks later.

“I interviewed for both jobs and had to make the most difficult decision in my life,” said Brown. “I ended up choosing the job with ProWorld Ghana because I would’ve never forgiven myself if I had said ‘no’ to such an opportunity.”

ProWorld only offers one year contracts, but Brown already knows that this is a job she could do longer. She said the thing she likes most about her job is the energy that surrounds the job. Brown said every person working for ProWorld Ghana is very determined and passionate about the work they are doing.

So why choose a job that is so different from the norm? For Brown it seemed like the natural thing to do.

“I had tried on a few different shoes with a number of internships while in college and wanted a job that I could really get my hands dirty as a young 20-something fresh out of college,” said Brown.

As for Garcia, she enjoys the time she gets to spend with students. She still wants to go to graduate school when she has finished her commitment to FOCUS. Garcia said she has had opportunities that she wouldn’t have had if she had attended graduate school right away.

Brown said the CoJMC gave her many real-life projects to coordinate for organizations. Her professors recognized her leadership skills and gave her the opportunities to further develop those skills.

Garcia was a senator on the CoJMC Student Advisory Board and was on the search committee to hire the current dean. She uses her design and writing skills to make quarterly reports to send to her donors and believes the relationships she formed in the J school have helped her communication skills.

“Journalism is probably the best major for this job,” Garcia said. “The communication skills I learned from the J school help me every day.”

Mitchell discovered that her former student had gone on to be in charge of the media department at Carmichael Lynch.  “I was very surprised to hear about what Corey is now doing from the man sitting next to me, of all people,” Mitchell said. Carmichael Lynch boasts clients such as Harley Davidson, Jack Link’s, and Subaru.

Johnson is Director of Consumer Engagement at Carmichael Lynch. He has been with the agency since 2001 and his responsibilities include buying media and pitching ideas to clients, as well as managing and overseeing a media department of 25 people. In addition to Johnson’s role as the head of the media department, he is also a member of the Carmichael Lynch analytics group, a team that creates  ideas to meet the objectives of their clients.

Johnson enjoys working at a full-service agency that takes on all aspects of advertising.

“Working and collaborating with all the disciplines of advertising is my favorite part of working at Carmichael Lynch,” Johnson said.

He added that his favorite characteristic of Carmichael Lynch is also the biggest challenge the firm faces internally — simply working and collaborating together. Meanwhile, the biggest external challenge Carmichael Lynch faces is adapting to the transforming industry of advertising.

Johnson credits CoJMC adjunct professor Dave Zemunski with sparking his initial interest in media. The two met at a Meet the Pros Lunch in Lincoln in 1990. Upon graduating in 1993, Johnson worked for Sterling Communications in Lincoln, whose biggest client at the time was PepsiCo Inc. After two years with Sterling Communications, Johnson moved to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to work on the Ericsson Mobile Phones account at CMF&Z, a Young and Rubicam company. In 1999 Johnson relocated to Minneapolis to work for Bozell before moving to Carmichael Lynch through the merger of TrueNorth and Interpublic Group in 2001.

During his time at the University of Nebraska, Johnson began as an architecture student before switching to advertising. To this day, he has an interest in architecture. In his spare time he enjoys restoring the 1930s house in which he lives. However, it was advertising that Johnson loved the most, and it was the professors who helped him decide.

Sean Powers

Assisting with emergency deliveries of humanitarian relief aid to Haiti and Chile after the devastating earthquakes in early 2010 was something UNL Journalism graduate Sean Powers didn’t expect when he took a job with WTDC, a supply chain management company in Miami, Fla. WTDC handles shipments to and from the Americas and is a US Customs bonded warehouse for clients such as Bacardi USA. Powers, WTDC’s Marketing Coordinator, never thought he would be taking calls from federal and philanthropic organizations wanting advice on how to get relief supplies overseas.

Within 72 hours of the first quake in Haiti, FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) and the FFA (Federal Aviation Administration) called upon WTDC to serve as a hub in helping store and organize the transportation of major relief supplies. Generators, diesel fuel, trucks, food, water and a 40-foot mobile Air Traffic Control Center were just some of many FFA shipments to Haiti. Shortly after learning of the earthquake and in the days that followed, NGOs (non-governmental organizations) such as Save the Children called wanting to help in sending relief.

“The real story here is that there were a lot of people and organizations that worked together selflessly, stepping outside their normal comfort zone. It was my task to let our contacts know we were able to process their relief cargo,” Powers said about his personal involvement in the relief. “People put their regular business on hold to help handle the humanitarian aid efforts.”

“With the overwhelming interest in sending relief to Haiti, Government and NGOs were at the top of the airport’s priority landing list,” mentioned Powers. “It just wasn’t possible for anyone to send cargo because when it arrived there were no workers or infrastructure on the ground to process it. Closures at the port and along the road from Santo Domingo to Port-au-Prince further complicated the situation. “At the end of the day, our management team was able to lean on its contacts to not only find out who was in charge, but to actually get the cargo to its final destination,” stated Powers.

Long-term rebuilding efforts in Haiti are just beginning, requiring a constant movement of cargo and machinery. President and CEO of WTDC, Ralph L. Gazitua stated, “The rebuilding of Haiti will continue for years even after the publicity subsides. The strength of NGOs will not only facilitate the physical rebuilding of Haiti, but its spiritual rebuilding as well.”

Kirstin Wilder

Kirstin Swanson Wilder was inspired to go into journalism because a writer spelled her name wrong in the school newspaper in eighth grade. When she stormed down to the after-school program to correct them, the student journalists asked her to help improve the quality of the paper.

From then on, she was a journalist.

“I kind of got bit by the bug there,” she said. “I knew from that moment that I wanted to work on newspapers.”

Now, years later, Wilder is managing editor of the weekly Variety magazine, an entertainment news publication in print since 1905, and Daily Variety, a five-day-a-week newspaper that was founded in 1933.

Learning to love the newsroom

Wilder, who graduated from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s College of Journalism and Mass Communications in 1989, took her first college journalism class during the summer before her sophomore year. The class was all day, she said, which made the experience more like a real newsroom.

“That was really great because it showed me the camaraderie that goes on in a newsroom,” she said. “I just wanted to be part of that.”

The J school emphasized the importance of professional experience, and the faculty were dedicated to helping students get summer internships.

Wilder said the help was invaluable. By the end of her junior year, despite applying to papers all over the country, she didn’t have an internship nailed down for the summer. Then Bud Pagel, one of her professors, called and asked her if she would be interested in working for the summer as a copy desk intern for the Raleigh Times in Raleigh, N.C. She happily accepted.

“That’s what really showed me that it was OK to move away from home, get out of Nebraska,” Wilder said. “I was miserable that summer, but looking back that was really good for me.”

The next year, Wilder secured an internship at the St. Petersburg Times in St. Petersburg, Fla. There she learned about different newsroom jobs, which only solidified her desire to work as an editor and designer.

After graduation, she worked at the News-Press in Fort Myers, Fla., then followed a cute boy out to California, she said. At the time, Variety was looking for a layout editor who knew the business side of publications. Wilder interviewed and got the job.

Wilder came to Variety at just the right time. Four years before she started working there in 1992, a larger company had bought the magazine. With the new company came a lot of change, and Wilder was able to move up the ladder very quickly. That, and her willingness to work hard and be nice to people, brought her to the managing editor position in just 18 years.

“This kind of Midwestern work ethic … it sounds incredibly basic, but that was crucial here,” she said.

Wilder recruits for Variety at UNL

The Midwestern work ethic is one reason Wilder continues to look to UNL for talent. She has recruited about five Nebraskans to work at Variety, and she comes back to Lincoln every year to interview students for the summer internship program.

Last summer, she chose Shannon Smith, a senior journalism major, as an intern.

Smith remembers staying up late perfecting her portfolio the night before her interview, making sure everything was perfect.

“I was expecting to be really intimidated,” Smith said. “Then I went in there, and she was very nice and conversational.”

When Smith was searching for housing in Los Angeles for the summer, Wilder suggested some places. When those fell through, Wilder connected Smith with her neighbor, and Smith ended up living in the same duplex as Wilder. Because they were so close, the two got to know each other well — Smith babysat for Wilder’s two young daughters, and Wilder lent Smith a bike for the summer.

“She pretty much took care of me,” Smith said.

But even though they got to know each other well, when they were at work, Wilder was still the boss.

“She’s very nice. She’s conversational. She’s easygoing. She would help you through anything,” Smith said. “But she’s not your best friend; she’s your editor.”

Staying in touch and giving advice

After Smith returned to Nebraska in the fall, she and Wilder stayed in touch. Wilder has offered advice and support. For example, when Smith was worried about her career path, she said she called Wilder, who reassured her that she would succeed and offered to help in any way she could.

“She’s a career woman … but she balances that and is still a good friend and a good person,” Smith said. “The main things to know about her are that she’s fun, she’s smart, she knows what need to be done, but also just that she’ll go out of her way for anyone, I think.”

Even though Wilder graduated more than two decades ago, she still feels connected to UNL’s J school. The support she felt from her professors is one of the reasons she is where she is today, she said.

“They didn’t just disappear out of your life once they hand you a degree. I’m just always telling people what a great education I got there at Nebraska.

“I’m incredibly appreciative,” she said, adding, “My heart will always be in Lincoln, Nebraska.”

Courtesy photo, Mary Fastenau

Mary Fastenau lives where many people dream of being.

It took love, a big move to Hawaii and a career change for Mary Fastenau to find her passion.  Perhaps a little humor was involved, too.

Fastenau is the president and co-founder of StarrTech Interactive, a Web and strategic communications company based in Honolulu. The business she operates is basically a digital powerhouse, an interactive and Web development company that emphasizes creative Web design, strategic planning, consulting, interactive media and technology planning.  StarrTech Interactive, founded in 1995, is a division of Anthology Marketing Group, the largest communication company in Hawaii.

Fastenau received earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from UNL in 1980 when most graduates went into newspapers.   “I started my career as a reporter for The Indianapolis Star, where I was a Pulliam Fellow,” Fastenau said.

She then moved to The Lafayette Journal and Courier. “I was the education and police reporter at the time and had a publisher who suggested that I might be good at promotions.

“We made a deal that I would try promotions for a year, and if I didn’t like it, he would help me find a reporting job.  I soon found out that doing promotions was a good fit for me.”

Reporting and promoting in Indiana

Fastenau worked as a reporter and promotion manager for The Lafayette Journal & Courier in Lafayette, Ind., from 1980 to 1986, and later as the director of marketing support at The Marin Independent Journal in the San Francisco Bay area from 1986 to 1989.

She credits the move to Hawaii to John Flanagan, now her husband. “We both worked in newspapers in northern California until he was offered an editor position for The Honolulu Star-Bulletin,” Fastenau said.

Flanagan was the executive editor at the newspaper from 1987-1993, then editor and publisher until 2001.

“After he took the position in Honolulu, I stayed in California for two more years and then moved to Hawaii because of love.  It’s still kind of shocking, but it’s the smartest decision I’ve ever made,” Fastenau said.

In addition to common career interests, Fastenau and her husband also share a taste for adventure.  In 1989, they sailed from Seattle to Honolulu.  Once they arrived in Hawaii, the 37-foot sailboat became their home for a little more than a year in the Waikiki harbor, an experience that she calls “wonderful.”

Making the move to advertising

The move to Hawaii prompted Fastenau to explore working in advertising, and she worked for agency Starr Seigle McCombs in Honolulu from 1989 to 1997. She was promoted to vice president at the agency in 1990.

“I ended up going back to get my MBA at the University of Hawaii,” Fastenau said. “This is where I really saw the Internet for the first time and just loved what I saw.”

She saw potential for broader marketing philosophies, advertising and public relations opportunities through use of the Internet. The idea of keeping people up-to-date by using the Internet soon developed into a successful career. But it looked like a drastic step at the time.

“In 1995 people told me that I was committing career suicide,” Fastenau said. Turned out, they were wrong. Starrtech Interactive now has 25 employees; 120 total employees work for Anthology Marketing Group.

“The Internet is rapidly changing our thought processes and how we gather news and information.  Now, social media tools such as Twitter and Facebook are influencing how we gather information to an even greater extent,” Fastenau said.

Her large client base includes Marriott Hawaii, Bank of Hawaii, Hotels & Resorts of Halekulani, Hawaiian Telcom, Farmers Insurance, Symantec and Microsoft.  StarrTech Interactive also has a partnership with an agency that has offices in Seattle and Oakland, which will increase the opportunity to bring in more national clients.

Fastenau was named “Advertising Woman of the Year” for Hawaii in 2000 by the Honolulu Advertising Federation.

Fastenau puts the client first

Dean Fujitani, director of corporate marketing and strategic partnerships at Hotels & Resorts of Halekulani, first worked with Fastenau and StarrTech Interactive in the mid-‘90s, on what was Halekulani’s first website.  “Our website actually won Preferred Hotels and Resorts Worldwide Max Award in Technology in 1997,” Fujitani said.

Hotels & Resorts of Halekulani has worked with Fastenau on multiple Web development projects since the creation of that first site. “With Mary, it is never about her company — it is about us, the client,” said Fujitani. “More importantly, Mary has always had an extraordinary talent of attracting similar dedicated staff members who have added to StarrTech’s success, expanding her company beyond Hawaii and becoming one of the most effective online marketing firms found anywhere.”

Fastenau credits UNL with teaching her the fundamentals about journalism, things she uses every day. “I appreciate the basic, fundamental, education that Nebraska provides.”

And she has stayed  connected to her alma mater as a member of  Nebraska’s Alumni Association since 1980 and a member of  the Alumni Association’s Cather Circle, a mentoring and networking program for women, since 2004.

Shelley Zaborowski, associate executive director for the Nebraska Alumni Association, helped develop and launch Cather Circle in 1999.

“When I first met Mary, I was amazed that someone from Hawaii had come back for Cather Circle,” Zaborowski said. “She keeps coming back and rarely misses a meeting. She is a great role model for students, and her warm personality makes her very approachable. She is very positive and energetic.”