Communication Department Hosts “Commcareers” Event
Photo courtesy of Eduardo Imbert
The communications department held an important opportunity for students to learn from and connect with alumni.
On Friday Mar. 27, 2026, the communication department hosted an alumni panel event where eight alumni came and discussed post-grad opportunities for students pursuing a degree in communication. This event was a great opportunity for students to network with alumni in the Western New York area.
The event was held from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the Multicultural Center. The event started off with Mama Mia's pizza and the communication department chair, Dr. Andrew Herman, introduced the alumni to the students who attended.
The keynote address speaker was Jessica Savage, class of 1998, who is the current president and CEO of Dixon Schwabl. Dixon Schwabl is a full-service advertising, marketing, and public relations agency. Jessica first talked about her time here at Geneseo. She started off as a biology major but quickly realized it was not a good fit for her. She found her passion for communication after taking an advertising class with a now-retired business professor. Jessica attributes her success to the professors and opportunities that Geneseo gave her.
She ended her address with advice that she wants to leave with current students. The first piece of advice was to be accountable. Whether it is in classes, internships, volunteering, or clubs, be the person who someone can rely on; it makes you stand out as a person and has a lasting impact on the people around you. Jessica’s other piece of advice was to “work hard and be nice to people,” whether it is saying hi to people you know, asking how their day is, or helping them out. It goes a long way.
After Jessica wrapped up, the first alumni career panel took place. We heard from three alumni in this panel: Amanda Patterson ‘02, Natalie Hartrich ‘12, and Mary Shatzel ‘14. Amanda shared her experience working in higher education. She used to work in Geneseo’s admissions office running the tour guide program. She is now the Associate Director of Enrollment and International Program Coordinator at the Harley School. The Harley School is a private, college preparatory independent school in Rochester. Natalie gave us insight into her job as a manager at the Kraft Heinz Company. Finally, Mary talked about her experience at the Disney College Program post-graduation. She shared her love for her position at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique at the Magic Kingdom. Once Mary’s time at the college program came to an end, she headed back to Western New York to pursue a job in the insurance field. She likes to call her job a “professional negotiator," in which she discusses claims with attorneys in her job at National General.
The second alumni panel consisted of four alumni: Jada Atwood ‘21, Sarah Doud ‘18, Rachel Laber ‘10, and Mackenzie Parrotta ‘09. Jada went on to get her master’s degree in advertising at the S.I Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. She emphasized how important it is to remember that there is communication in everything. Every company, job, or product needs to be properly communicated to succeed, meaning there is a job out there for communication majors, despite discourse saying that communication is a “useless” degree.
Sarah talked about her job in public relations at KeyBank. She previously did PR for the Geneseo Campus Activities Board (GCAB), a club here on campus. Sarah brought up how AI in the field is becoming more prominent. She emphasizes that as AI becomes more integrated in the world, it is crucial to keep your own personal writing style and not rely strictly on AI, as that will stand out to employers.
Rachel discussed her job as the Vice President of Visit Rochester. Rachel shared how impactful it is to set up an informational meeting with alumni or employers. She stressed the importance of making connections and having a lasting impact while in the job market.
Mackenzie shared how her internship at a digital marketing company her senior year at Geneseo landed her a post-grad job. That job eventually landed her at her current position as a technical communication specialist, which she has been in for 15 years.
If you are a communication major who missed this informational event but would still like to connect with any of the alumni in attendance, you can follow them on LinkedIn or talk to department chair Dr. Herman.