In the early morning hours of Nov. 29, the annual global day of giving began. For 24 hours, donations around the world poured in to support the causes that people care about, including support for academics and athletics at Michigan State University.
For this year’s Giving Tuesday, colleges across MSU’s campus combined efforts to collectively raise $100,000, with each college having their own personal goal to reach.
The College of Communication Arts and Sciences set out to raise $5,000 for the field experience courses offered to students. These courses and the trips that follow are a unique opportunity that allow students to travel to major U.S. cities including Los Angeles, New York City and Chicago for exclusive tours of world-renowned advertising agencies and corporate companies, networking events with professional mentors and Spartan alumni, and to explore the idea of making a move after graduation.
In June, Cheyenne Yost, a 2015 communication and public relations alumna, said her field experience in Los Angeles made her realize that L.A. was where she needed to be.
“The connections and experiences I established here (in Los Angeles) greatly influenced my decision to move out. I made some great friends on the trip that are also living out here now and I like to think of us as a Spartan family,” said Yost.
Thanks to the participation and kind donations of ComArtSci staff, faculty, alumni and friends, the college successfully reached its goal just before the close of the donation period.
“Experiential learning is integral to the student experience in our college,” said Prabu David, dean of the College of Communication Arts and Sciences. “I was so pleased to see our alumni support our students on Giving Tuesday. Their support has opened the door for field experiences at cutting-edge media operations.”
WKAR was also a part of the action on Nov. 29 as they attempted to raise $4,000 to help fund student work experiences for ComArtSci students through various positions in their studios. These workers assist, and sometimes take the lead, with the station’s radio programs and television broadcasts, like Current Sports with Al Martin and Backstage Pass, doing camera work or writing scripts for the segments.
Journalism senior Isaac Constans called his internship at WKAR “the greatest working experience of my life.”
Susi Elkins, WKAR’s interim director of broadcasting and general manager, recalled her own experience as a student working up the ladder in the broadcast industry.
“I was one of those students who had an amazing opportunity that sent me on a path from student employee to station manager,” Elkins said. “As I celebrate 20 years with WKAR, I know today, more than ever, how important it is that we offer hands-on training for the storytellers of tomorrow. I’m grateful to those who have given financially to help us do that.”
While Giving Tuesday only comes around once a year, donations to the field experience fund and other resources, like study abroad, at ComArtSci or WKAR are graciously accepted all year round.