Alumni Profiles | College of Media

Take 5 with Media Alumni: Alex Hedlund

May 15, 2026

Los Angeles-based film and television producer Alex Hedlund (BS ’05, media studies; MS ’06, journalism) knew he wanted to make movies at a young age. When he was just 10 years old, he wrote a letter to Stephen King’s publisher seeking the famed author’s autograph. Hedlund still has his signed copy of Needful Things to this day.

Hedlund has three major projects set to premiere this year, including a 10-episode remake of Cape Fear for Apple TV starring Javier Bardem and Amy Adams; a feature adaptation of Verity starring Anne Hathaway, Dakota Johnson, and Josh Hartnett; and the independent horror film River.

Learn more about this College of Media alum who has empowered writers and directors for the last two decades, and find out which film or TV show he will champion next.

1. What first drew you to filmmaking and production, and how did that evolve into your current role today?

Ever since I was a kid, I told people, “I want to make movies,” before I even knew what that meant or how that would even be possible. All I knew is that I craved escapism through movies, TV, novels, and video games, and for my 10th birthday, I only wanted one thing—Stephen King’s autograph. I wrote a letter to his publisher with this request and received a hard copy of Needful Things signed by the man himself! (I still have and cherish it.) That moment subconsciously unlocked something for me that became a big part of my career, which is identifying uncompromising stories and reaching out to connect with world-class storytellers. As a career producer, I’m constantly looking to empower writers and directors who have a story to tell.

2. What do you consider your biggest career accomplishment? Is there one project that has felt especially meaningful to you?

I’m celebrating 20 years in Los Angeles this year, so I consider my survival in this industry a tremendous accomplishment as a baseline. Project-wise, 2026 is a very meaningful year for me with the premiere of three projects I produced (all of which are seven long years in the making!). The first is a 10-episode series reimagining of Cape Fear for Apple TV in June that stars Javier Bardem and Amy Adams. As a fan of the novel and having seen the Martin Scorsese film as a child (long before I should have!), being a producer on this one was a full-circle moment for me. I also have a feature adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s best-selling erotic thriller Verity that drops in theaters October 2. The film stars Anne Hathaway, Dakota Johnson, and Josh Hartnett, all of whom are fantastic in the film and incredible to work with personally. That’s a big-budget studio film, whereas my next film River is a low-budget indie debut from a writer-director that I discovered and championed. The horror film will premiere this fall, and I couldn’t be prouder.

3. In addition to two degrees at Illinois, you then earned your MFA in the producers program at UCLA. What advice would you give to students who want to break into directing or production but don’t know where to start?

I used to say you absolutely need to move to Los Angeles, though I don’t believe that’s essential anymore. YouTube, MasterClass, Zoom, and social media has democratized everything so you can make a lot of connections and gain knowledge that way. If you want to be a director, you can now shoot a film on your iPhone and upload it online for the world to see. Just create something and get it out there! Or try to get an entry-level job on set or intern at a production company. No matter what, check your ego at the door and be unabashed about your desire for mentorship.

4. The media landscape is constantly changing—how do you keep your work both current and true to your vision?

I always internalize that the only certainty in entertainment is uncertainty, and not to stress about external factors that I cannot control. What I can control though is my taste and what I want to see. If I’m not first in line for a film on its opening night, I know that I’m not the right producer to advocate for it. I think it’s a huge mistake to try and “chase the market” or pursue something for cynical, surface-level reasons—for me, it has to be love at first sight. I need to lose sleep thinking about a project. I’m constantly gut-checking myself to see if this is something my 10-year-old self would have wanted to see—and most likely have to beg my parents to let me see it!

5. What’s one dream project you’d love to direct or produce in the future?

Too many to name, though one of my “white whales” I actually just set up as a feature at Netflix! It’s an adaptation of an award-winning graphic novel called Torso by the brilliant artists Brian Michael Bendis and Marc Andreyko. It’s a true story about Elliott Ness hunting America’s first serial killer in the 1930s. You might say it’s The Untouchables meets Zodiac. [It’s an] incredible, stranger-than-fiction story that was first published decades ago and I’ve been tracking it ever since. I always thought it would make an amazing film, so I’m pinching myself that I was finally able to get my arms around it and hopefully champion it into finally getting made!

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Q&A with Rosie Powers

Get to know some of our College of Media alumni. Rosie Powers (BS ‘12, journalism) is a self-employed consultant. Powers also participated in a Media Career Night alumni panel on “Nonprofits” in Spring 2022. Watch a recording of the session here.

How did the College of Media prepare you for your future?
The college had great courses that addressed the changing media landscape. Pairing that with traditional journalism skills of writing and copy editing felt like a good mix. I took a multimedia journalism course at the beginning of social media, and the idea of being a multimedia reporter was new and cutting-edge. You’d be someone reporting live on the field rather than solely writing in the newsroom, and it helped me think of myself as more than a writer. The College of Media also provided a well-connected alumni network, so it was easier for students like me to apply for internships and jobs after we were introduced to those who came before us.

During and right after college, how did you go about getting internships and jobs?
I applied everywhere in Chicago because I was an overachiever, but between my freshman and sophomore years, I had an internship at Lake County Journal, where I wrote a couple of stories a week. The following summer, I interned as a digital producer at WGN, then I interned at NBC, and later The Washington Post. I knew I wanted to do digital production, and even though my background was in newspapers, I applied to television stations. I realized early on that I could re-envision my skill set, so my advice would be don’t be afraid to apply for everything, even if you fear not having the skill set or experience required. Just try it because I think places are eager to teach people, and I had great experiences with all my internships.

What has your career path looked like since graduation?
I graduated from the College of Media in 2012 as a news-editorial journalism major with a minor in environmental science. After graduation I had an internship with The Washington Post; then I moved on to work for the Chicago Sun-Times, specifically for Oak Park and River Forest—those suburban publications—for a few years, and then I worked as a digital producer at ABC 7 Chicago. I liked my journalism career, and I’m proud of it, but in my mid-20s, I was ready for a change. I realized I could take my writing and storytelling skills from journalism and apply them to help nonprofits and further causes that are important to me, and it’s been about eight or nine years now down this new path. I totally pivoted my career.

What does your career look like now after this pivotal moment?
I work for myself, so I’m like a self-employed contractor. I used to work full-time, but I discovered advertising and branding agencies specific to the nonprofit space. I thought that was cool and I could be a consultant; now, I work with three different consultancies, and Mission Minded, a branding agency, is one of them. I do brand and website strategy for them while working with Column & Row, a consultancy that does web strategy and SEO with nonprofits and foundations, and I’m a consultant with Tiny Windows Consulting in Chicago, doing digital communications work. I do different types of strategy depending on who I’m working with, whether it’s brand, web, or digital communications.

What are you most proud of?
My career transition. I thought during high school that I would be in journalism forever and also because of my parents—my dad worked the same job for 30 years. When I was growing up, I thought, “I’m going to pick my job, and the path is always the same.” I was proud of my journalism career; it was rewarding, but I felt I achieved what I wanted there and wanted what was next. That pivot was freeing, exciting, and scary because I’d never thought about doing anything else professionally. But I knew I wanted something else and went for that, even though it was terrifying, having to relearn how to do other things. I think there’s a full circle—maybe this is what I wanted to do all the time but didn’t know it existed. I was able to do that, do journalism for a few years, and get a great experience.

What’s one piece of advice you would give students?
College is four of the greatest years, and—this is stereotypical to say—it goes by fast, especially after freshman year. Remember to enjoy it, even with all the stress about internships and questioning what you’re doing over the summer. Remember to try new things to broaden your horizons and envision your skill set. Don’t put yourself in one box because you’re not going to know what you want to do in 10 years or 15; for me, it totally changed, and there’s no way you can know that when you’re a freshman.

—Interview by Chloe Barbarise, New Voices Intern

Q&A with Adam Hamilton

Get to know some of our College of Media alumni. Adam Hamilton (BS ’11, advertising; MBA ’19) is a global social and digital director at McDonald’s. Hamilton also participated in a Media Career Night alumni panel on “Digital Communication” in Spring 2023. Watch a recording of the session here.

Can you recall any College of Media classes or professors that impacted you?
I remember Professor Jason Chambers teaching Advertising History, and it was fascinating to see the impact of advertising and culture—how it’s such a key tenant of pop culture, which I love. Subsequently, I minored in media and cinema studies. It was fun to learn about different media types from people whose primary passion was media. I absorbed and carried those elements into the advertising world.

Were you involved in any media-related RSOs?
I was in the American Advertising Federation, and it was how I got my foot in the door to the industry. I went to a Leo Burnett information night during my sophomore year; they talked about internships, and while I wasn’t qualified, I stayed in touch. They gave me tips on being ready, and I applied and got accepted during my junior year. Doors opened up for me upon graduation, but there are also various professional opportunities on campus. I was a marketing intern for Assembly Hall [State Farm Center], where I got to do marketing for all the concerts and events. I also worked at the Career Center for resume critiques and marketing, but there were so many things at my disposal that I tried to take advantage of as much as possible.

How has advertising influenced your career path?
When I graduated, I thought I’d work at an ad agency or something, and I started working at Caterpillar—the manufacturing company where you think of tractors, big mining trucks, and construction projects. I worked there for six years and then had the opportunity to work at McDonald’s. I started as a supervisor in executive communication, so speech writing for our CEO and their social handles, and it evolved to managing our broader content editorial globally. Now, I oversee our corporate social and digital channels and all the storytelling with those. However, I’d say that three-fourths of the roles I’ve had didn’t exist until I had them. The team I’m in now—I built the team from the ground up, which is a great opportunity, but you have to be able to pitch that vision and showcase what you can do.

You attended the McDonald’s Worldwide Convention in Barcelona in April 2024. What was that like for you?
The McDonald’s Convention is interesting because it’s a huge milestone where nearly 20,000 franchises—restaurants, staff, companies, employees, and suppliers—come together on the vision of the business for the next two years. It’s always been held in the United States, even though it’s a worldwide convention, but this was the first one that took place outside of that in Barcelona. I had the opportunity to produce an event with Dua Lipa, which was fantabulous.

Besides that, what is your day-to-day work life?
When it comes to my day-to-day, it’s telling the business and brand story of McDonald’s. The business story is how we inspire investors, stakeholders, and media that we’re a company to believe in. From a brand story, it’s how we inspire people to believe; also, we want to be at the intersection of culture. When we do different campaigns, like the Adult Happy Meal with Cactus Plant Flea Market or our Valentine’s meal with Cardi B and Offset, there are many opportunities to intersect culture with McDonald’s because people are passionate about it. The idea for the Adult Happy Meal came up because, one day, you had your last Happy Meal and never even knew it. It’s tapping into what we call “fan true”—things true to fans of the brand and establishing a connection point with them through content to meet them where they are.

What are you most proud of?
I’ve been lucky that I’ve been able to hire and develop some of what I think are the best people in the industry. Even though I’m their manager, I learn from them every day, and I’m in awe of what they’ll do once they leave my team; I couldn’t be more proud of them. Another thing I’m proud of is my employees always say I bring a safe space to work, which means a lot to me. I’m a gay man, and I haven’t always been in an environment where there’s a safe space in a workplace. When people have that safe space, they do their best work and flourish there themselves. They’re connected to their peers, and the opportunities are endless.

What skills do you think students need to succeed in the media world?
Students have such a leg up because the technology and media they’ve grown up in are key to the future. No matter how much people say they understand that stuff, the fact is that this generation grew up with it, so use that as an advantage. On a much broader note, bring your full self to your job. It’s so easy when you apply and interview for all these roles to want to fit what you think is the mold of what they want, but ultimately, you want to be yourself. You want to make sure you’re choosing an employer that clicks with who you are, and you’ll do your best work.

—Interview by Chloe Barbarise, New Voices Intern

Q&A with Bianca Flowers

Get to know some of our College of Media alumni. Bianca Flowers (BS ’13, journalism) is a global race and justice correspondent at Reuters.

What experiences motivated you to choose Illinois?
Growing up on the west side of Chicago, I took inspiration from my favorite news anchors and I had always had an affinity for storytelling. As I got older, my love for storytelling, creative writing, and hearing the stories of others continued. Additionally, I enjoyed sports, and I knew Illinois could help me expand on that area of focus in journalism. My sister always told great stories about the professors here, and I knew Illinois had such a great reputation, but what sold me was my campus visit in high school. Overall, it felt like home, and I knew I wanted to maintain my family’s bloodline connection to Illinois as the second person in my family to graduate from the institution.

What opportunities did you take advantage of to explore your passion for sports journalism?
I worked for Fighting Illini Productions early in my college career, which refined my media editing skills. Not only did I receive a high-caliber experience by being able to tell the exclusive stories of athletes, but I also became a great producer, editor, and videographer through my work. Overall, Fighting Illini Productions gave me a taste of what the broadcast media industry is like, and many students don’t get these types of experiential learning opportunities, like partnering with the Big Ten Network, until their junior or senior year. Additionally, I created my own blog, which I maintained during my undergraduate years, which helped me build journalistic storytelling skills in a digital-based format. This experience allowed me to become more independent in my work and was instrumental in preparing me for a career in journalism.

Who guided you to excel in a professional media career at Illinois?
I pursued business journalism because of Lynn Holley. She was a business journalist who lectured at Illinois, and I would pop into her office as she had an open-door policy. I remember she said that if you specialize in a particular media area, you make yourself much more marketable, and you can build your brand and identity. At the time, there weren’t any business journalism courses, but Holley’s advice encouraged me to pursue this style of journalism and take every opportunity I saw. In the media industry, I often didn’t see other people who looked like me doing business journalism, meaning Black students or reporters. However, Holley helped me create that opportunity for myself. Business journalism still plays a role in my current position at Reuters as a global race and justice correspondent, as money is often involved in every type of reporting. I include this connection in the tapestry that helped me progress more in my career.

In your current role as a global race and justice correspondent at Reuters, how do you use your platform to advocate for others?
I use my platform to initiate conversations within my community and at groups within my organization about how we should consider covering race and justice. When I’m talking to emerging journalists or students, I think it’s essential for them to know that if you identify as a minority, there are opportunities for you to pursue areas of reporting that you are interested in while advocating for yourself and others. As you continue to grow in your career, lifting others as you climb up is essential. I want to be known as someone who is constantly advocating for young girls to open doors that they may be scared to open because they probably don’t see folks like myself at media organizations. At Reuters, we always have those conversations within our walls to keep in mind how we’re interviewing and hiring journalists of all backgrounds. We focus on where we need to improve our diversity and inclusion initiatives to lift those voices up. Advocacy work is extremely important to me, and it always will be.

—Interview by Mallory Miller, New Voices Intern

Q&A with Joe Hercik

Get to know some of our College of Media alumni. Joe Hercik (BS ‘04, advertising) is a product owner for the Quantum Computing team at State Farm’s Innovation Group. Hercik also participated in a Media Career night alumni panel on “Corporate Communication” in Fall 2023. Watch a recording of the session here.

Why did you choose advertising as your major?
When I came to the University of Illinois in 2000, I wanted to go into graphic design but didn’t get accepted into that program. I didn’t have much formal art training going into it, but I had an artistic side and was very interested. So, my first semester, I was in landscape architecture, and during that semester, I saw a journalism friend working on a project using Adobe Photoshop. I asked them what class that was for, and it was for ADV 150: Introduction to Advertising; I thought, “Here’s a way to do graphic design and get paid.” I looked into it and took classes to get experience with the College of Media. I applied to the advertising program during my junior year and began my studies there.

What was one of your most memorable experiences here at Illinois?
By senior year in the advertising program, you tailored your classes a bit more based on your interests such as the business side or the creative track. I distinctly remember one presentation where we had someone from one of the major ad agencies, and I’ll never forget it. They held up a fashion magazine and said, “Any guess how many ads are in this?” They did the math; there were around 300, and they said, “You are one ad among 300, and you need to be able to catch their attention, keep it, and sell yourself—your product.” Nowadays, it’s more like 3,000 with online ads. This helps me understand the importance of standing out.

Looking back, would you have done anything differently with your time at the University of Illinois?
Networking is a huge deal. You need skills, experience, and competency in what you do, but making connections and maintaining them over the years has held true throughout my career; it’s key to future success. That’s not just a life skill but also a business skill, so I probably would have been more intentional about that.

What has your career path looked like?
I didn’t have a clear path laid out to follow. It’s good to have a plan; the worst plan is still better than no plan. I made sure to use my time in the summer wisely and worked at WPGU. I did missionary work after college and fundraised my salary at the time. Over the next 15 years, I like to describe what I went through as the sales or the customer journey, where you go for more face-to-face, customer-focused work. Eventually, I went into more communications and marketing work across different business areas and departments and then into technology. I applied to State Farm on a whim and resurrected my communication-focused work, and that’s been my journey.

What does your job entail at State Farm?
I like to say that my day-to-day involves asking smart people dumb questions, and I say that because most of the people on my team are technically focused—there are three data analysts and one software engineer. Two of the analysts have PhDs, one in physics and the other in math, so there are some meetings where it’s only in math terms, and it may as well be a completely different language. My job is to say, “Okay, put this in layman’s terms as much as possible in a way I can explain it to other business areas so they can come to understand what it is we’re doing, why it’s important, and how we might be able to help them.” That’s the main focus of my work—trying to understand and align the team with leadership to show where things are and where it’s going to help manage and pace expectations to create the envisioned direction.

What advice would you give students in the College of Media?
The College of Media focuses on communication—being able to understand what it is you want to communicate and then doing that successfully, regardless of whether it’s public speaking, writing, or any other medium. It’s a very important skill to have—being able to articulate your thoughts and being persuasive—and you can apply it to whatever you do. Communication is not just a soft skill; it’s nice to have in addition to your technical or business expertise, so I would encourage students to put in the time for public speaking—practicing and studying speeches. Same with writing—simplify your message. And I know data is seen as the currency nowadays, but attention is also the current currency. Capture attention and keep it through communication.

—Interview by Chloe Barbarise, New Voices Intern

Q&A with Mike Dalton

Get to know some of our College of Media alumni. Mike Dalton (BS’ 12, journalism) is currently a programmatic sales director with Raptive. Dalton also participated in a Media Career Night alumni panel on “Sales and Retail Communication” in Spring 2024. Watch a recording of the session here.

What brought you to the College of Media at the University of Illinois?
I knew I wanted to do something within media, specifically journalism. My freshman year was the first year that the College of Media expanded the journalism program into a four-year program. During my visit to campus, I was told that the program was pretty selective, so when I got in, I think I was just filled with a lot of excitement about that, and I loved the campus.

What were some of your favorite classes that you took at Illinois?
One of my all-time favorite classes, and one of the hardest classes I ever took, was JOUR 411: Law and Communications, with Professor Steve Helle. I found that to be one of the most interesting classes the University offered within the program. It was high stakes. Everyone was giving it 110% because the exams were tough, but it was so rewarding and I learned a lot from that class. The way that it was set: you did not have to take the first two midterms, but you had to take the final, that was weighted more if you chose not to take the midterms. It was a really cool way for the professor to put the trust into the students’ hands. I took the course in the second semester of my senior year, and it was literally like, “I need to pass this class and graduate.” It was just a tremendous course that I still think about to this day.

What RSOs were you involved in during your time at the University?
I got started with Fighting Illini Productions, where I was filming sporting events and making edits and highlight videos for the teams. Eventually, I was filming with the big board cameras for the video boards at Memorial Stadium and State Farm Center. I did that, and then me and some other students co-founded JAMS, which was journalism, advertising, and media studies. We would put together a TV broadcast a few times a semester and give everyone a chance to get a head start on working in a studio and putting together a program. I started a part of it called Movie Corner where I would give movie reviews. It was just a really great experience to be able to feel that we were building something special in the college because, again, this was the first time that journalism was open to underclassmen.

What are some lessons that you learned through the College of Media and your RSOs?
Fighting Illini Productions trained me on being accountable, and I think that that is huge. We had to go there ridiculously early on football gamedays to get everything ready; then after games we’d have to dump tape and upload our footage and then get ready and be editing and start helping piece together highlights. There were plenty of times when it was 9, 10, 11, midnight, and I was sitting in the editing bay working to get my tapes done, my highlights done, and my cuts done for review by the staff within the production department. It felt stressful at the time, but it was an accountability thing that they taught us because we had a job there, and a job as students, and we had to find a way to get both things done. That’s life now. I have a family, I have personal interests, I have a career, and I have to juggle all those different things and be accountable for the work that I say that I’ll get done. That’s an experience that stuck with me.

What skills did you learn through studying journalism that you’re able to use today in your advertising sales job?
The way that you sell advertising solutions is by asking the right questions. That comes from my background in journalism. I have an interest in learning more, I want to recall things that clients tell me, and I think that that makes me more relatable and personable. All that comes from having it drilled into my brain from the College of Media—the journalism classes specifically. Dive deeper, find the story, get an answer. If you don’t like the answer you’re given the first time, find a different way to ask that question. That all came from the college.

What advice would you give to current College of Media students?
I think everyone should utilize their time at the University to lean into what interests them. It doesn’t necessarily have to be something like Fighting Illini Productions or starting a broadcast channel of underclassmen but lean into what interests you. I leaned into cinema studies as a minor because that interested me, and I knew that that was something I cared about. I leaned into an extra focus on Recreation, Sport and Tourism, pairing my interests with sports and the business side of them. Find time to lean into the things that you think might interest you. I guarantee you that it’ll help you in the long run with time management, accountability, and checking boxes. The second piece I would say is to reach out to alumni; find them on LinkedIn. The people that attend Media Career Nights or speak on Zooms, don’t be afraid to reach out to them and ask questions or ask for help. That’s how we all get by; we utilize our connections and our network to find an avenue or opportunity for us both professionally and personally. I think that that’s something that everyone should consistently remember to do.

—Interview by Brendan Gallian, New Voices Intern

Q&A with Isabel Morales

Get to know some of our College of Media alumni. Isabel Morales (BS ’13, journalism) is the media relations manager at The Nature Conservancy. Morales also participated in a Media Career Night alumni panel on “Nonprofits” in Spring 2022. Watch a recording of the session here.

Why did you major in journalism and how has it influenced your career path?
Majoring in broadcast journalism came from following a passion of reading, writing, and pop culture growing up. In high school I worked on the interviewing and design/layout of our school newspaper, which played a role in my decision to major in journalism at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. As a freshman I got involved in The Daily Illini as a page designer, allowing me to try out so many different aspects of news later on such as editing and radio segments. Having the ability to dip into different areas of interest, I fell in love with the production side of journalism! So I found an internship at a local TV station practicing pulling segments as a news anchor. I got my first broadcast journalism job at WNBC, which fostered my ideal company culture with the amount of nurture and willingness to learn from each other. I then moved on to a concept producer for an NBC affiliate in Chicago, where I would work overnight cutting scripts and writing articles. After my time in NBC, I had a complete lifestyle change where I became a PR coordinator for the Museum of Science and Industry. I realized at this job that I enjoyed storytelling and being a voice for a brand. My current role is with The Nature Conservancy, a nonprofit organization, where I use my storytelling abilities through visual media, producing news, and being a reporter.

What is one of your favorite memories as a College of Media student?
For one of my broadcasting classes we had to check out equipment, one being a giant tripod. I remember being on the Quad with my classmates feeling silly with all the equipment we had to have tracking down students for a quick quote, but having my peers who were also so passionate in this career made this memory so sentimental to me. After being on the Quad we would all go edit our pieces together, learn from one another, and form an inclusive environment. The College of Media being a small college really unites and promotes a close-knit community, which I found in my classes and being a part of the college overall.

How do you think the College of Media prepared you for your career?
The college prepared me in so many ways! Connecting with your classmates, special guests, professors, and resources go a long way. The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in general has endless opportunities with internships, professional development events, classes, and overall embraces you to explore new and a variety of things.

What are three skills that you think a Media student needs to be successful?
First, be curious! Curiosity innovates ideas and interests. Second, be transparent with yourself and the work you are accomplishing. Know why you are pursuing what you want and be transparent with who you are working with to maintain clarity. Last but not least, be flexible. There are going to be days where you have a variety of things to do or things that may not go your way but having the ability to adapt in your environment will go a long way.

What advice do you have for current Media students?
Try out what you can and what you have time for! Don’t overwhelm yourself; quality over quantity. I’d also say to put yourself in a space where you can have a continuous drive, be encouraged, and have confidence.

Who inspired you?
Everyone I worked with at The Daily Illini! The DI has talented, curious, and warm people with limitless motivation to explore new parts of the field, which really refreshed and influenced me to achieve anything I put my mind to. I also met my husband at the DI!

What are you most proud of?
My entire career journey. I came a long way and feel empowered looking back at my decisions and accomplishments. I’m also proud of not staying in a traditional career track. The people I surrounded myself with in both a professional and friend capacity always influenced me to grow and do what I love. I found that the more I challenged and strived for all my desires I felt fulfilled. What I am proud of now is being in a role and environment that stimulates growth with each other but within your own skill set as well.

—Interview by Emily Campos, New Voices Intern

Q&A with Steven Pratten

Get to know some of our College of Media alumni. Steven Pratten (BS ’15, media and cinema studies) is a senior digital media manager at the Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Pratten also participated in a Media Career Night alumni panel on “Digital Communication” in Spring 2023. Watch a recording of the session here.

When did you know that you wanted to study media and cinema studies?
In junior high, my fascination with local TV production began. I was amazed by how networks could produce multiple shows in a day with such fast turnaround. Being from Champaign-Urbana, WCIA News was a local network that I noticed played an essential role in informing and creating a sense of community in the smaller market. This sparked my passion for media, and I even created a small news set in my basement where I forced my friends to act as reporters and anchors. Although, it may seem outdated, editing on tape gave me a solid technical foundation in media. In high school, my interest in media evolved into my affinity for horror movies. I would make 50-hour-long horror movies, about one per year, and even focused on advanced editing, which became one of my favorite things. I also started to explore graphic design and marketing by creating posters for my movies. When it was time to consider college, the media and cinema studies major in the College of Media caught my attention. I knew it was the ideal fit for me since the University of Illinois is a world-class university in my hometown. I had the opportunity to join different clubs, work at WILL/Illinois Public Media, and freelanced on the side. These experiences, along with my education, gave me the technical and theoretical skills I needed to succeed in my career after graduation.

How do you think the College of Media prepared you for your career?
Through the College of Media and the media and cinema studies program, I was exposed to a wide range of media. This experience equipped me with the tools to consume media with the understanding that everything in media exists within the context of its time and its creators. The audience shapes how it’s received. This understanding prepared me for my experience in content creation, where I had to craft my messages in a way that resonated with the target audience and created an impactful experience for them.

Moreover, being involved in the College of Media provided me with various opportunities, including participating in Ebertfest, joining different RSOs, and serving as a student ambassador. It gave me insight to all the different paths I could pursue in my career. It was a very well-rounded program that had plenty of specific things you would take away, while giving you the opportunity to mold it into your own experience.

What are one or two skills that you think a Media student needs to be successful?
The media industry is a rapidly evolving field, not just in terms of technical advancement in camera or platforms, but also in the changing channels of consumption, audience preferences, and shifting demographics. Therefore, the ability to learn and adapt is crucial, and it’s more important than simply possessing knowledge. Instead, you should look ahead and think about what will make yourself, your work, or your organization stand out. As the competition for audience attention increases, having a forward-thinking outlook on the future is becoming increasingly necessary.

What are your responsibilities as senior digital media manager?
I’m responsible for ensuring that the Gies College of Business produces high quality, pedagogically sound video content for our global audience of learners. I manage a group of video producers and graphic designers that make that content and ensure that it is up to the standards of Illinois Gies College of Business. Ultimately, our goal is to make sure our videos teach and educate people. We create dynamic and engaging video content while maintaining its educational value.

Apart from this, I also handle typical aspects of the media industry such as ensuring projects hit crucial milestones and forecasting potential issues. If a milestone is missed, we evaluate how we can work through any constraints to produce high-quality content.

Project management is another big part of my job. I place great value on supporting our staff by providing them with the necessary resources and tools to reach their full potential and bring their best work to the table.

In addition, a significant portion of my attention is focused on the development of a new production building, Steven S. Wymer Hall. This building will have two 40-by-40 production sound stages, and we are designing them in a way that will enhance our content and expand its capabilities. It’s exciting to build a future workplace that my team is eager to be a part of.

What advice would you give to students who are graduating soon from the College of Media?
Graduation is an exciting time, but it can also bring about anxiety. It marks the beginning of a new chapter in your life. My advice is to allow your interests to guide you to your first job or jobs. It’s easy to become fixated on job titles, salaries, or locations, but true fulfillment and success come from having a genuine interest in your work. Allowing your interests to guide your career choices will set you up for sustainable success throughout your professional life. Don’t be afraid to take on unknown roles, as you never know where they may take you. Use your internal passion as a compass as you embark on your professional journey!

—Interview by Lauren Barjami, New Voices Intern

Q&A with Grace Chen

Get to know some of our College of Media alumni. Grace Chen (MS ’10 advertising) is a product manager at Meta.

When did you know that you wanted to study advertising?
As a child, I remember being very fascinated with old catalog ads. Throughout my childhood, a lot of advertising consisted of subscription-based magazines and order catalogs. I always thought about how much I loved seeing all these creative advertisements and innovative ideas. It even made me feel like I wanted to buy everything in the magazine. As I grew up, viewing TV commercials seemed like the coolest thing ever to me, for some reason. I’ve always been interested in studying advertising.

What are your main responsibilities as a product manager at Meta?
As a product manager at Meta, I work with engineers to build new products for Meta. I primarily work on a private communication team. My team’s mission is to help people start and continue conversations on the Facebook app.

If you could describe the advertising industry in one word, what would it be?
Adaptive. A lot has changed since I started my first job in advertising, and change will continue to be constant in this industry. In the past, TV advertisements were a major shift in the industry. Now, advertising is completely digital. When I started my career, digital used to be about 5 to 10 percent of a client’s budget, and now it’s near 100 percent for some companies. People need to be adaptive to work in this industry and it will continue to evolve.

What are one or two skills you think one needs to be successful in the advertising industry?
It’s important to not limit your understanding of advertising in terms of studying this major or finding a job. Today, media and technology are treated very similarly in the industry. Advertising, while part of media, is also part of technology. As a student, I believed I needed to get into an agency role right away, or work in the client side at some point. I didn’t realize that the industry is much bigger. It’s a good reminder to students entering the industry to notice how it has evolved, and the various opportunities that have been created as a result of the industry evolving. Another skill is adapting an understanding of the food chain of advertising. For example, if you join an agency and are at the lower end of the food chain, meaning more entry-level positions, you naturally have less say in your role. You may also find yourself wanting to have different responsibilities. It’s important that you know who the designated decision maker is in order to be efficient in responding to the needs of your job.

What is the most meaningful part of your job?
Right now, the most meaningful part of my job is working alongside a team of people I enjoy working with and who inspire me to be better! In the past, what I enjoyed the most about my job was being introduced to different product types and industries. In general, my interest in advertising sparked my curiosity to discover how aspects of the industry work together. It also gave me a good glimpse into the categories of products I could work for, whether it was working for pet foods, coffee products, entertainment services, and many more.

What advice would you give to students soon to graduate from the College of Media?
This next chapter in your life is the start of everything, not the end of things. Certainly, the job market may be tough at times. It’s quite common and normal for people to feel a lot of uncertainty at times, especially considering that the economy is totally different now than in previous generations. Despite this, it’s important to remember that this is just the beginning, and you can continue to build your brand. This could be achieved by building up your portfolio from something you’ve never considered before. Always remember to stay hopeful and keep going!

Hear more from Grace Chen, who participated in a Media Career Night alumni panel on technology and media in Fall 2022. Watch a recording of the session here.

—Interview by Lauren Barjami, New Voices Intern

Q&A with Mike Vainisi

Mike Vainisi (BS ’08, journalism) is head of original content at ATTN:. In Spring 2022, he was part of a Media Career Night alumni panel that discussed working in entertainment and Hollywood. (Watch the recording.)

How did you go about picking journalism as your major?
As someone who loved writing in high school, journalism was a great way of turning that interest and passion into a career. It is a very versatile major and you come out of it with a very strong writing background. At first, I saw myself becoming a journalist or reporter, but as time went on, I developed an interest in politics. At a certain point, I decided I wanted to work on political campaigns, which I ended up doing after graduation. Working on political campaigns, I utilized the same skill sets I learned as a journalism major such as communication, writing, and social media. Majoring in journalism ended up being a great background for this career.

What are some of your career highlights so far?
Right now, I oversee media content at a media company called ATTN: in California. We are a combination of a publisher and production company, so we program to social media companies but also make original content, like TV shows, which we then sell to streaming services. I have worked on specials in 2020 to promote voting in the election, featuring three presidents including former President Obama. At this job, I’ve been able to merge my interests in journalism, content creation in media, and politics, which has been a very fun experience.

How do you think the College of Media prepared you for your successful career?
I think the hard skills that you develop are one of the most important skills to have. As someone who hires people, it is super helpful to know that a potential hire has strong writing skills. The same applies to editing, broadcasting, and design. When you’re in school you may not think about it as much, but you begin the process of developing these core skills. I still use the skills that I learned in my editing classes 13 years ago, which is an aspect of my education that was very helpful.

What advice do you have for current journalism students or Media students? What would you have done differently?
Be very flexible in terms of how you want to apply your skills from a career point-of-view. A good way to maintain your flexibility is by maintaining an array of skills. For example, if you are majoring in journalism, then learn how to video edit. A lot of publishers or journalism outlets want to hire writers who can also be, in a way, their own producers. Being able to have those skills to successfully tell a story with the different aspects of media you have learned is incredibly useful. Overall, trying to be as dynamic as you can and maintaining the ability to tell stories no matter what the format is, I’ve found to be vital.

—Interview by Daniela Mejia, New Voices Intern