Major:
Journalism, Communication
Year Graduated:
2019
Hometown:
Hebron, Kentucky
Current City:
Dallas, Texas
Current Employer:
Communication Specialist at Tenet Healthcare
Top played song on your playlist?:
Right now, it’s “My Life” by Imagine Dragons. I saw them twice in concert this year, so they have been dominating my Spotify listening lately!
Where has your CI degree taken you?:
The skills that I developed at UK’s College of Communication and Information truly launched me into my career as a communications and public relations professional. Upon graduating from UK in 2019, I moved to Dallas, Texas to apply those skills in one of the largest media markets in the United States.
I currently work as a communication specialist at Tenet Healthcare, a diversified healthcare Fortune 500 company with a care delivery network of more than 465 ambulatory surgery centers and surgical hospitals, 61 acute care and specialty hospitals and 110 other outpatient facilities. I provide strategic input and support on financial, business, executive, internal and external communications and media relations as a part of the headquarters corporate communications team.
What is your favorite thing about your job?:
I am passionate about storytelling and love the puzzle of putting together communications that support business mission statements and values and engage audiences. At Tenet, I get to collaborate with the field communication teams at our network of hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers and other healthcare providers to identify and create the stories we want to share on our corporate website’s newsroom and LinkedIn. I love knowing that I play a role in sharing the good news about the accomplishments of our medical teams, the technology they are employing to treat our patients, and the strides they are making in providing compassionate care to our communities.
What¹s the most valuable thing you learned in CI?:
CI taught me that there is true power in storytelling, and that if you develop the ability to craft moving, creative and compelling stories, people will listen.
What advice would you give to current CI students?:
Get involved! There is opportunity everywhere at the University of Kentucky, especially in the College of Communication and Information. I learned just as much outside the classroom through extracurricular organizations like the Kentucky Kernel, CI’s student ambassador program, my sorority and internships as I did inside the classroom. The skills I developed participating in those additional learning opportunities have been indispensable in my career.
I would also encourage students to recognize how important it is to build relationships. The connections that I developed with other students and faculty in CI have lasted beyond graduation and have been a great personal and professional network that I can rely on. I even participate in a book club with former classmates and professors to this day!