Welcome to the A.Q. Miller School's virtual send-off event for our graduates.
To take part in the event, scroll through the page to:
- Watch videos from department faculty and university leadership offering advice and words of encouragement.
- Review names of graduating students to recognize their hard work and dedication.
- Click through scholarship, honors and awards winners to recognize student achievements.
- Share your congratulations, photos, memories and more on social media using the hashtag #JMC2020SendOff.
The A.Q. Miller School of Journalism and Mass Communications is proud to graduate over 70 students this year. We are gratified not only by their achievements, but also by their grit and by their persistence and flexibility in the face of the international Covid-19 pandemic. During their time on campus, in Kedzie, and Dole halls, McCain Auditorium and the K-State Student Union, we have watched them thrive. We are so pleased to have known and worked with them, and we’re eager to see all they accomplish in the job market, in their communities and in the world.
Click a category below to review 2020 graduates.
Zhixian (Fala) Lin
Holly (Speck) Pate
Gabrielle Samantha Albertson
DeAundra Danay Allen
Tristan Scott Anderson
Amelia Gabrielle Andrews
Ashley Nicole Arnold
Samrawit Ephrem Ayana
Kyria Ann Marie Boman
Piper Noelle Brandt
Lauren Nicole Broce
Andrea Lee Browne
Rachel Elizabeth Browne
Kamryn Beth Cain
Sean Patrick Callahan
Casey Dean Campbell
Miriam Chamberlain
Jacen David Clapp
Morgan Ann Clarke
Taylor James Corley
Bailey Ann Current
Derek Johnnie Darr
Monica Ann Diaz
Katherine Anne Donaldson
Zandt Edward Durham
Hannah Jane Eckenroth
Nathan Carl Enserro
Alex Jeffery Galey
Alan Montel Garrett
Molly Elizabeth Hackett
Alec Hathaway
Matthew Ryan Heinen
Kyle Robert Helie
Paul Robert Stanley Henton
Emily Marie Hilderhof
Dalton James Huey
Bret Anthony Huntington
Garrhett Paul Hurst
McKenna Leigh Hutchinson
Julia Jorns
Vanessa Marie Kehr
Alyx Gerritsen Kemp
Nathan Allen King
Megan Elizabeth Larkin
Addyson Rae Maples
Sierra Francis Marstall
Camryn Catherine McDonald
Monica Lynne Melber
Sarah Morgan
Stephanie Lynn Nutt
Lauren Elise Oberkrom
Ali Beatrice Ragan
William John Ridge
Sara Elizabeth Rinner
Paige N. Rome
Angela Nycole Sawyer
DeAnna Brooke Scheffler
Ellery Lynn Sedlacek
Jared Sleppy
Anna Katherine Spexarth
Hannah Rachelle Sutherland
Chase Christopher Swenson
Grant Taylor Thompson
Jordan Nicole Urban
Luis Adrian Villarreal
Mason Douglas Voth
Rylee Ann Walker
Sara Elizabeth Wallace
Jarrett Lane Whitson
Brianna Marie Womack
Gregory William Woods
Katelin Rose Woods
A Message from A.Q. Miller School Faculty and Staff
Faculty and staff share their advice to the Class of 2020
“I call on each of you to become future leaders of the highest rank in your chosen field.”
Kansas State University President, Richard Myers
The A. Q. Miller School awarded scholarships totaling $170,600 to 62 students for the 2020-2021 academic year. Our vision has always been to prepare students to enter the job market and to help them finance the education that will give them the knowledge and skills they need to be successful.
Click each scholarship below to view recently awarded recipients.
Lexi Garcia-Escobedo, Sophomore, Journalism and Mass Communications, Overland Park, KS
Macy Berning, Senior, Journalism and Mass Communications, Scott City, KS
Macy Steinlage, Freshman, Journalism and Mass Communications, Overland Park, KS
Ryan Volk, Sophomore, Journalism and Mass Communications, Goodland, KS
Sierra Alley, Senior, Journalism and Mass Communications, Shawnee, KS
Holly Delay, Junior, Journalism and Mass Communications, Morrowville, KS
William Bernard, Senior, Journalism and Mass Communications, Manhattan, KS
Kaylie McLaughlin, Senior, Journalism and Mass Communications, Shawnee, KS
Kiara Kilian, Freshman, Journalism and Mass Communications, Concordia, KS
Bailey Short, Senior, Journalism and Mass Communications, Abilene, KS
Angelicia Moss, Sophomore, Journalism and Mass Communications, Manhattan, KS
Cheyenne Greathouse, Junior, Journalism and Mass Communications, Olathe, KS
Julie Freijat, Sophomore, Journalism and Mass Communications, Overland Park, KS
Logan Wassall, Senior, Journalism and Mass Communications, Overland Park, KS
Sara Savatovic, Master’s Student, Journalism and Mass Communications, Cvrenka, Serbia
Paige Eichkorn, Senior, Journalism and Mass Communications, Lenexa, KS
Bailey Britton, Junior, Journalism and Mass Communications, Colby, KS
Kathryn Hurd, Senior, Journalism and Mass Communications, Olathe, KS
Ariana Rose Ferro Brancato, Junior, Journalism and Mass Communications, Leawood, KS
Carson Ackerman, Freshman, Journalism and Mass Communications, Hays, KS
Eli Strahm, Junior, Journalism and Mass Communications, Sebetha, KS
Elizabeth Wenberg, Junior, Journalism and Mass Communications, Wichita, KS
Grayson Gilbert, Junior, Journalism and Mass Communications, Lawrence, KS
Jackson Willis, Junior, Journalism and Mass Communications, Tonganoxie, KS
James Erickson, Freshman, Journalism and Mass Communications, El Dorado, KS
Kaitlyn Lumbert, Freshman, Journalism and Mass Communications, Rose Hill, KS
Leah Brock, Junior, Journalism and Mass Communications, Wichita, KS
Kelsey Volk, Freshman, Journalism and Mass Communications, Shawnee, KS
William Bernard, Senior, Journalism and Mass Communications, Manhattan, KS
Kylie Ledford, Junior, Journalism and Mass Communications, Overland Park, KS
Lucas Ervin, Junior, Journalism and Mass Communications, Atchison, KS
Macey Franko, Freshman, Journalism and Mass Communications, Overland Park, KS
Paden Bedford, Senior, Journalism and Mass Communications, De Soto, KS
Sarah Onken, Senior, Journalism and Mass Communications, Derby, KS
Anna Christianson, Junior, Journalism and Mass Communications, Tama, IA
Kendra Geisbrecht, Junior, Journalism and Mass Communications, Manhattan, KS
Thayne Benoit, Junior, Journalism and Mass Communications, Esbon, KS
Grace Linn, Junior, Journalism and Mass Communications, Haysville, KS
William Bernard, Senior, Journalism and Mass Communications, Manhattan, KS
Nathan Cameron, Senior, Journalism and Mass Communications, Warsaw, IL
Garrett Menees, Sophomore, Journalism and Mass Communications, Leawood, KS
Paige Eichkorn, Senior, Journalism and Mass Communications, Lenexa, KS
Garrett Menees, Sophomore, Journalism and Mass Communications, Leawood, KS
Cassidy Crites, Senior, Journalism and Mass Communications, Great Bend, KS
Jonathan Cody Friesen, Master’s Student, Journalism and Mass Communications, Spring Hill, KS
Nicholas K McNamara, Master’s Student, Journalism and Mass Communications, Manhattan, KS
Piper Brandt, Master’s Student, Journalism and Mass Communications, Madison, KS
Ryan Urban, Master’s Student, Journalism and Mass Communications, Louisburg, KS
Rachell Hannah Sutherland, Senior, Journalism and Mass Communications, Lenexa, KS
Lina Sattarin, Sophomore, Journalism and Mass Communications, Olathe, KS
Cassidy Crites, Senior, Journalism and Mass Communications, Great Bend, KS
William Bernard, Senior, Journalism and Mass Communications, Manhattan, KS
Grace Linn, Junior, Journalism and Mass Communications, Haysville, KS
Lucas Ervin, Junior, Journalism and Mass Communications, Atchinson, KS
Lindsay Howard, Master’s Student, Journalism and Mass Communications, Raleigh, NC
Nicholas Yuska, Junior, Journalism and Mass Communications, Berthoud, CO
Sara Savatovic, Master’s Student, Journalism and Mass Communications, Cvrenka, Serbia
Dat Huu Tran, Master’s Student, Journalism and Mass Communications, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Allyssa Fullington, Sophomore, Journalism and Mass Communications, Wichita, KS
Zachary Perez, Sophomore, Journalism and Mass Communications, Lenexa, KS
Carson Byers, Sophomore, Journalism and Mass Communications, Lindsborg, KS
Connor Stark, Junior, Journalism and Mass Communications, Overland Park, KS
Eden Brockman, Sophomore, Journalism and Mass Communications, Overland Park, KS
Natalie Leonard, Senior, Journalism and Mass Communications, Wichita, KS
Peter E Loganbill, Senior, Journalism and Mass Communications, Lenexa, KS
Amanda L Wollesen, Junior, Journalism and Mass Communications, Lincoln, KS
Kennedy Mounce, Sophomore, Journalism and Mass Communications, Olathe, KS
Elizabeth Hansen, Sophomore, Journalism and Mass Communications, Lincoln, NE
Laura Keener, Junior, Journalism and Mass Communications, Lone Jack, MO
Kennedy Mounce, Sophomore, Journalism and Mass Communications, Olathe, KS
Denver Morris-Lovell, Junior, Journalism and Mass Communications, Lenexa, KS
Cameron Bradley, Senior, Journalism and Mass Communications, Wichita, KS
Lina Sattarin, Sophomore, Journalism and Mass Communications, Olathe, KS
“We are celebrating your hard work over the years and your success.”
Kansas State University Dean of Arts and Sciences, Amit Chakrabarti
Our students won more than 70 honors and awards from organizations including the Broadcast Education Association, Associated Collegiate Press, College Media Association, Kansas Collegiate Media, Kansas Association of Broadcasters and the Public Relations Student Society of America. Three students were invited to join Alpha Delta Sigma, the national honor society sponsored by the American Advertising Federation, and one of our students was named Kansas Collegiate Journalist of the Year. And our JMC Ambassadors welcomed new students and guests to our program and to our campus.
Click each honors and awards category below to view recent recognition.
Zhixian “Fala” Lin
Fala did a summer 2019 internship with Energy Wave Company in Singapore as the English-Chinese translator for the company’s chief executive officer.
Holly (Speck) Pate
Research Presentations:
Speck, H. & Cozma, R. AEJMC Midwinter Conference, Norman, Oklahoma, Spring 2020. “Under the influence: The relationship between gender, ethnicity, and credibility of Instagram advertising.”
Speck, H. Capitol Graduate Research Summit (CGRS), Spring 2020. “Band of Brothers (And Sisters): Gender Framing in U.S. Army Commercial Advertising.” **Top Project Award Winner.
Speck, H., Bressers, B., & Cozma, R. Mass Communications Colloquium, Spring 2019. “The Unknown About the Unnamed: The Linguistic Effects of Anonymity on Story and Source Credibility.”
Publications:
Lind, C., & Pate, H. (under review). What Does Fake News Really Sound Like?: A News-Values Analysis of Mainstream and State-Sponsored News Videos. International Journal of Communications.
Thomas, J. & Speck, H. (2020). "From Princess to Heroine: Recasting Representations." Book chapter in Recasting the Disney Princess in an Era of New Media and Social Movements, edited by S. Roberts.
Katherine Donaldson (president)
Ashley Arnold
Ariana Brancato
Piper Brandt
Bailey Britton
Lauren Broce
Anna Christianson
Drew Galloway
Devan Garcia
Kat Hurd
Hannah Keel
Abby Lacy
Grace Linn
Angie Moss
Rachel Seiffert
Bailey Short
Rylee Walker
Emma Witter
Kathryn Hurd
Natalie May
Paige Rome
2019 Associated Collegiate Press
Winner, 2019 Yearbook Pacemaker Award, Royal Purple
Finalist, 2019 Yearbook Pacemaker award, Royal Purple
Second place, Yearbook Design of the Year, Katie Harbert
Third Place, Yearbook Cover Design of the year, Ashley Read, Alex Todd
College Media Association
2019 College Media Association-Best of Show Awards
Yearbook over 300 pages, Third Place, 2019 Royal Purple Yearbook
2019 College Media Association Pinnacle Awards
First place, Best Yearbook Entertainment Spread, Ashley Read, Logan Wassall
First place, Best Magazine Sports Spread, Emily Lenk, Caroline Fullerton, Manhappenin’ magazine
Second place, Yearbook of the Year, Royal Purple Yearbook
Second place, Best Yearbook Sports Spread — Katie Harbert, Meg Shearer
Second place, Best Yearbook Cover, Ashley Read, Alex Todd
Honorable mention, Best Photo Package, Olivia Bergmeier, Alex Todd, Royal Purple yearbook
Honorable mention, Best Staff Editorial, Collegian Staff
Kansas Collegiate Media
Kansas Collegiate Journalist of the Year: Kaylie McLaughlin
Gold All-Kansas ratings: The Kansas State Collegian, 2019 Royal Purple yearbook and Manhappenin’ magazine
Collegian Media Group students also earned 29 individual awards:
Alex Todd, first place in news/event photography, first place in sports/action photography and honorable mention in sports/action photography, all for the Royal Purple
Katelin Woods, third place in special section and honorable mention in social media storytelling, both for the Kansas State Collegian
Bailey Britton, first place in news/event writing, Kansas State Collegian
Rafael Garcia, first place in news/event writing, Kansas State Collegian.
Olivia Rogers, honorable mention in social media storytelling, Kansas State Collegian
Mary Beth Karlin, second place in feature writing, Manhappenin’ magazine
Mackenzie Smith, first place in feature photos, Manhappenin’ magazine
Hallie Everett, first place in news event writing, Royal Purple
Madi Fleming, second place in feature writing, Manhappenin’ magazine
Julie Freijat, honorable mention in illustration and graphics, Kansas State Collegian
Courtney Honn, third place in headline design, Royal Purple
Logan Wassall, first place in sports/action photography for the Kansas State Collegian and third place in sports/action photography for the Royal Purple
Kaylie McLaughlin, third place in special section and honorable mention in social media storytelling, both for the Kansas State Collegian.
Halle Lang, first place in feature photos and honorable mention for feature photography, Manhappenin’ magazine
Olivia Bergmeier, second place in feature photography for the Royal Purple and honorable mention in illustration and infographics for the Kansas State Collegian
Katie Harbert, honorable mention in page design, Royal Purple
Dylan Connell, first place in news/event photography, Kansas State Collegian
Natalie Jaeger, third place in page design, Manhappenin’ magazine
Brianna Womack, second place in news event writing, Royal Purple
Dene Dryden, third place in feature writing, Collegian
Rachael Hogan, third place in special section, Kansas State Collegian
Leah Brock, first place in page design, Royal Purple
Hannah Greer, honorable mention for feature photography, Manhappenin’ magazine
Natalie Leonard, first place in feature writing, Manhappenin’ magazine
Kate Torline, first place in feature photos and honorable mention for feature photography, Manhappenin’ magazine
Abby Pfannenstiel, first place in table of contents design and second place in fall 2019 cover design, Manhappenin’ magazine
Caroline Fullerton, first place in headline design, Manhappenin’ magazine
Ashley Read, first place in cover design-2019 Insight, Royal Purple
Alanud Alanazi, honorable mention in news/event photography, Royal Purple
UNDERGRADUATE / TV
Public Affairs Program: 1st Place: MHK All-Day: April 26, 2019, Isabel Lauby, Bridget Howard, Dylan Lierz
Complete Newscast 3 DAYS/ WEEK OR LESS: Honorable Mention (HM): MHK All-Day, Isabel Lauby, Bridget Howard, Dylan Lierz
Hard News Package: HM: Spotlighting Domestic Abuse, Anna Christianson
Enterprise News Package: 2nd Place: Silver Lake- A Food Desert Story, Casey Campbell, Jared Sleppy
Complete News Package: HM: Moped Safety Tips, Molly Hackett
Complete Sports Feature: HM: Pound the Stone!, Stephanie Nutt
Sportscast: 1st Place: K-State Sportscast, MHK All-Day Feb. 14, 2020, Anna Christianson, Amelia Andrews
Documentary: HM: Hungry Heartland: Arkenburg Farms, Alex Galey, Jacen ClappEntertainment Program: 1st MHK All-Day: Feb. 14, 2020, Sara Wallace, Anna Christianson, Kaylie McLaughlin
UNDERGRADUATE / RADIO
Promotional Audio: 1st Place: “Climate Change” PSA, Brianna Womack
Hard News Package: 1st Place: “Lt. Gov. Lynn Rogers” Budget, Trey Kuhlmann
Entertainment News Package: 1st Place: Hale Yeah News, Trey Kulhmann;2nd Place: Nintendo Tour, Zandt Durham
Complete Sports Feature: 1st Place: “Sports Talk” with Jared Sleepy and Tyler Krenzin;2nd Place: “Sports Talk” with Kyle Helie and Logan Henricks
DJ Radio Personality: 2nd Place: Claire Todd;HM: Chase Swenson and Bret Huntington
Sports Play-By-Play: 2nd Place: KSU vs. OU (women), Jared Sleppy
Documentary: 2nd Place: “The Women in . . . Crime” Podcast, Brianna Womack;HM: “Haunted Kansas,” Laura Keener
PRSSA Nationals recognized K-State PRSSA as a Star Chapter, the gold standard for high-achieving chapters. The K-State PRSSA executive board helped earn the Star Chapter status: Grant Thompson, Ellery Sedlacek, Mary Hirtreiter, Anna Spexarth, and Grayson Gilbert.
The chapter was also selected as one of five chapters nationwide to participate in the Aspire Higher: Future Fellows Mentoring Program, which pairs students with mentors across the United States from the prestigious PRSA College of Fellows. K-State PRSSA President Grant Thompson was responsible for this achievement.
“At K-State, we are always family.”
1977 JMC Alumna, JMC National Advisory Council Member and Kansas State University Chief of Staff and Director of Community Relations, Linda Cook
Thank you for your time here on the staffs of the Collegian, the Royal Purple and Manhappenin’ magazine, on Channel 8 and Wildcat 91.9, in PRSSA and the Ad Club. Thanks for your hard work and your long hours, for your good questions and smart observations. Thank you, families and supporters, for the sacrifices you made and the help you offered your K-Staters.
We look forward to seeing you all in December for commencement. We’re eager to reconnect and to keep in touch. In the meantime, we wish you all the best.
– Your JMC Family
Livestream Your Congrats
JMC 2020 Send-Off - Curated tweets by ntnhuyen
