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Going Beyond Her Comfort Zone

After earning her BA in English in 2014, Stephanie Santos ’20 was excited to join the workforce for the first time. Her love for digital journalism led her to jobs at big-name tech companies, including LinkedIn, Google, and Facebook. What she appreciates most about the online world is the way it provides a platform for those who haven’t been able to speak out in the past.

“Tech was never what I set out to do, but I was quite enamored by the impact it has on the world,” says Santos. “It’s creating opportunities for underrepresented groups to amplify their voices and be part of the mainstream consciousness and media, empowering those who don’t always get to have the microphone.”

A few years into her profession, she decided to reevaluate her journey to make sure her values and passions aligned with her career; she wanted what mattered most to be reflected in her day-to-day work.

“There are so many things I care about,” she explains, “and there were so many areas where I wanted to grow my skills. At first, I hesitated, thinking I was too young. But then I decided to look at graduate programs. Northwestern’s MS in Communication ticked all the boxes—from diversity to rhetoric, public speaking, and persuasive writing. It felt tailor-made for me.”

She knew the Northwestern name would lead to a top-tier educational experience, but she wasn’t sure how an online program would work for her. After the first few classes, however, Santos realized how the virtual environment still allowed her to build rapport with faculty and peers.

“There was such a focus on being introspective and inclusion as a practice—every class, every teacher, and every in-residence seminar honored that. The people I went to class with were so diverse in their lives and their professional experiences. Being in that environment opened my mind to different possibilities, and it was wonderful to get outside my comfort zone.”

She credits the MS in Communication program with honing her skills and giving her the confidence to speak up. At work, she had gotten used to being the youngest person in the room. This sometimes held her back from participating in meetings or taking on challenges. Backed by her degree, she felt more confident and prepared to voice her thoughts and opinions.

“This degree gave me a real confidence boost in the workforce, which left a positive impact on my day-to-day interactions inside and outside of work.”

The MS in Communication also gave Santos the courage to leave the corporate tech world she knew so well for a new opportunity: joining a small startup focused on inclusionary workplace practices and increasing diversity in hiring and talent pools.

In her new role, Santos is responsible for content management and creation across the organization, which is a perfect marriage of her passions and skills.

“This degree gave me a real confidence boost in the workforce, which left a positive impact on my day-to-day interactions inside and outside of work,” she explains. “It’s been incredibly impactful in the way I show up in all parts of my life now. This degree was the best decision I have made in a very long time.”

If you have any questions or are thinking about applying to Northwestern, Stephanie would love to share her experiences with you! Send her a note.

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Preparing for Crisis Communication and Remote Leadership

Photo by Joseph Xu

When Jennifer Judge Hensel ’19 first began her career journey, her heart was set on journalism. But, as she helped tell stories for student newspapers, she discovered a new passion: graphic design and layout. “I wasn’t much of a reporter, but I really liked organizing information on the page,” she explains.

After earning an AS in Media Communications, Print Media/Journalism from Pima Community College, Judge Hensel headed to the University of Arizona for a BFA in Visual Communications with an emphasis in graphic design. While in college, she worked at the Tucson Citizen Newspaper—one of two papers in town.

Because the publication printed in the afternoon, it was rarely the first to report on breaking news. At the time, online news was also starting to emerge, and many newspapers were closing down. Seeing the writing on the wall, Judge Hensel wanted to help the publication stay relevant—so she helped lead an overhaul of the 60-member newsroom to a focus on digital delivery and online content.

After eight years—and a successful transformation—she moved to Michigan and left the newspaper to pursue teaching, freelance web design, and branding work, which gave her the flexibility she wanted as her children were growing up.

Once she was ready to return to a full-time job, Judge Hensel joined the communications and marketing team at the University of Michigan College of Engineering. Her variety of experiences helped her land a web content specialist position involving web design and writing, with gradual increases in responsibility involving marketing strategy and management.

“Once I started at the University of Michigan and began to see my career grow, I set my sights on next steps and what I wanted for the future,” explains Judge Hensel. “Especially in higher ed, the higher the degree you have, the more you’re considered for administrative roles. I decided I needed a master’s degree to compete in that space.”

She wanted more than just a piece of paper—she wanted a degree that would make her better at her job. Her goal was to enroll at a top-ranked school that would allow her to earn an MS in Communication quickly—and online.

“I was suddenly managing a 24-person remote team that, up until that point, had worked in the same office together. And we were responsible for communicating around the crisis to thousands of people. This degree helped me weather all of that.”

“I watched peers go through being full-time parents and full-time workers while taking years to get a master’s degree,” she says. “I didn’t want to put my family or myself through that, so I was looking for a program that was super flexible. Northwestern is one of the few that does this—and does it well. “

Shortly before beginning the MSC Hybrid Leadership Program, the University of Michigan College of Engineering promoted Judge Hensel to executive director of communications and marketing. Starting on Day One, she began using what she learned in class on the job—from strategic planning to inclusive leadership. Northwestern’s emphasis on the science aspect of the MS in Communication degree ensured that she not only knew the “how,” but also learned the “why” behind her work as the voice of the college. Not too long after graduation, COVID-19 hit.

“I was suddenly managing a 24-person remote team that, up until that point, had worked in the same office together. And we were responsible for communicating around the crisis to thousands of people. We’ve now been in constant-crisis mode for eight months in addition to our normal jobs—plus doing everything remotely. This degree has helped me weather all of that. It’s also prepared me to shift my mindset into ‘long-term mode’ so we can think about refining collaboration, re-evaluating communication channels, and finding ways to make adjustments.”

In addition to the relatable and actionable curriculum, Judge Hensel also found unexpected value in the relationships she built with her cohort. Working alongside other professionals to finish the degree together helped her build lasting connections.

“I remember the first in-person residency,” she explains. “I was thinking, ‘I’m just going to earn my degree and move on.’ And I remember the team at Northwestern saying, ‘You’re going to leave this weekend not only knowing everyone in this room but also loving them all.’ It sounded crazy at the time, but it turned out to be absolutely true.”

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Co-Curricular Opportunities

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Curriculum Overview

Join Dr. Amy Hauenstein as she discusses the MSC curriculum.

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How Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Play Out in Communication

Not only do today’s organizations value expertise in diversity, equity, and inclusion—they also require it of their communication leaders.

“Whether you’re measuring innovation, goal attainment, financial performance, or any number of metrics, diversity is great for business—and research proves it,” says Amy J. Hauenstein, adjunct lecturer and director of curriculum and non-degree programs for Northwestern University’s MS in Communication (MSC) program.

With a PhD in curriculum studies, Hauenstein has learned to question how curriculum is culturally, politically, and economically positioned—and how it impacts the audiences it reaches. As a result of her education, she brings a unique view to integrating diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) with curriculum.

Not only does she want to make sure Northwestern’s MS in Communication graduates are valuable and effective leaders, but she also wants them to understand how to use communication to reach different stakeholders to move and motivate them. “If not in a program dedicated to leadership, management, and communication,” she asks, “then where else does learning about diversity, equity, and inclusion belong?”

Hauenstein points out that MSC students are already an incredibly diverse group, superseding national averages in terms of gender, ethnicity, age, and racial identities. But, to make sure the concepts of diversity, equity, and inclusion are woven into MSC curriculum, she and former faculty director Dr. Michelle Shumate led a year-long case study research project in 2016 that involved faculty and an advisory board made up of industry leaders. The goal: to define what MSC students should be able to do with their degrees once they graduate—and what they should be able to produce in the real world.

“We pulled old course descriptions, faculty bios, and syllabuses, looking for commonalities over the 35 years of the program, and we looked to national associations and at the knowledge and behavior demands on leaders of industry,” she explains. “Up from that data bubbled core curricular themes and important points in terms of learning outcomes and dispositions.”

She then used this information to build impactful statements about what MSC does, what it believes, and what it values—and how these factors align with the student experience and Northwestern’s emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion. The work served as her foundation while she realigned courses, added new curriculum, and implemented capstone projects to help students understand how DEI values show up in the real world.

“Really, we took what already existed in our program and organized it in a different way,” she explains. “We developed co-curriculum activities focused on DEI—including workshops, seminars, speakers, opportunities to visit businesses, and career coaching—that complement what students already learn in class.”

“Usually, diversity training is about studying others. Instead, we focus on studying yourself in relationship to others.”

The end result: students learn to develop a critical consciousness. “Critical consciousness is the ‘it’ skill of today’s leaders,” she says. “Our students have the advantage of working through the development of critical consciousness with an expert support team to coach, encourage, and push them. They leave understanding how complex diversity, equity, and inclusion are—and that they must be woven through business practices, policies, and cultures.”

Because most MSC students work while they earn their degree—or worked full time before returning to earn a graduate degree—many have experienced “diversity training” before. “This is much different,” she says. “Usually, diversity training is about studying others. Instead, we focus on studying yourself in relationship to others. When you’re immersed in a deep self-study next to someone who’s doing the same thing, a visceral human connection is formed.”

Moving from diversity to inclusion has been a strategic priority at Northwestern and E. Patrick Johnson, the new Dean of the School of Communication, has declared the pursuit of diversity, equity, and inclusion a central tenet of his deanship. By first understanding DEI on an individual level, Hauenstein says MSC students learn to critically and respectfully challenge and interrupt inequitable and exclusionary norms and systems.

And although specific steps have been taken to integrate DEI concepts into the curriculum, it’s not touted as the focus of the program. “It’s a priority and value in all things we do. My grandma always said, ‘When you are who you say you are, you can stop announcing it,’ and I truly believe that’s the case here,” says Hauenstein. “I don’t know of any other program that is so intentional about working students through this practice. We just want to be diverse, equitable, and inclusive. It’s who we are.”

To hear more from Amy Hauenstein, please join us for the next Webinar Wednesday, where she will speak in more detail about the MSC curriculum. The webinar will be at 12 PM CST on Wednesday, November 4th. REGISTER HERE

Career Services

Listen as Associate Director Pat Messina discusses the MSC Career Services offerings.

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Using Real-World Lessons to Help Students Prepare for the Future

Art teacher. Organic caterer. Crate & Barrel recruiter. Staffing firm owner.

Pat Messina’s decades of diverse experiences have not only prepared her to serve as the School of Communication’s associate director of career services, but also to offer students a unique perspective as they embark on professional journeys of their own.

Networking has always played a big role in Messina’s success, and she shares that tidbit with students whenever she can. “I’ve never been afraid to look at opportunities that come my way—even if they’re not something I had considered before,” she says. “I encourage students to do the same.”

In fact, that’s one of the things she enjoys most about her role: helping students think through prospects they may not have considered. It can be challenging for recent graduates to figure out where they see themselves after earning an MS in Communication. “I like to help students network and figure out exactly what they want to do. Sometimes we have to start from Ground Zero and do assessments to determine what they love—and then we take it from there. But we get it figured out.”

She says now’s a great time to be in school. Although certain job markets may be slow, this downtime provides a unique opportunity to learn new skills that will pay off later. “Whether it’s through earning a degree or using LinkedIn Learning online, you can find ways to stay engaged,” she explains.

Within the EPICS (External Programs, Internships, and Career Services) office, she helps students perfect their résumés, walks them through mock interviews, and offers job-search tips. But she also provides much more when it comes to preparing for the future: She helps them align their personal beliefs and ethics with potential industries and employers.

“When I ask students, ‘Who do you want to work for?’, everybody seems to name the same big companies. But there are lots of small companies that offer those same opportunities—maybe more. Looking at what motivates you in your heart and following that path is important for your career—not just the name of the company you work for.”

Given the unpredictable employment situation amid the global pandemic, Messina’s motto is this: Be adaptable and have a plan B. To help students find their way despite this current confusion, she put together a list of industries she thinks will do well and continue to hire despite the financial impacts of COVID-19—even if those industries don’t line up with students’ original intentions.

“Plan B can be just as fun and exciting as Plan A,” she says, “and I’m living proof. I thought I was going to be a teacher until I discovered I had a nose for business. Then I wanted to build a company I could hand to my kids one day. That didn’t materialize, either. What I’m doing now has brought everything full circle. And it’s something I never pictured doing.”

As Messina coaches students through the degree program, she also helps them overcome common obstacles and misconceptions. At the top of that list: Expecting to climb the corporate ladder too quickly. Instead of focusing on power and job titles, she encourages them to be focused on learning about a business, what it stands for, and the internal opportunities it offers.

To inspire students, she often shares real-world lessons and stories of her own—or those she borrows from trusted friends and colleagues. Hearing about people who worked their way up to CEO over time—or found a job as a server and went on to own restaurants—can give students the encouragement they need that it’s okay not to start at the very top.

“In the midst of what’s happening, I think people are going to look long and hard at what they want to do or where they want to work—or may pivot a little to work for an organization or industry that has more meaning for them.”

To hear more from Pat Messina please join us for a webinar next week where we will talk with Pat in more detail about her approach to career services for students in the MSC program. The webinar will be at 12 PM CST on Wednesday, October 28th. REGISTER HERE

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Earn Your MS in Communication From Northwestern

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