As the outgoing president of the Communications Club—a role she’s held for the past three years— one would never know that graduating senior Sydney Eyerly once contemplated switching her communication studies major during her first year at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
As an out-of-state student coming to Rocky Top from Atlanta, Eyerly hadn’t really met any other students in the major, and her initial communication studies classes were theory heavy and didn’tresonate. Before she made such a drastic change, Eyerly met with Associate Professor John Haas, who suggested she give some of the school’s unique opportunities a shot and then see how she felt.
“He talked about the study abroad trip in Dublin and talked to me about applying to the Washington, DC, trip. He said, ‘If you don’t go, you’re going to regret it.’,” she said.
Taking that advice would shape the next three years of her undergraduate journey and her future.
Finding a Path Forward
As she graduates this spring, Eyerly has racked up a list of accomplishments and experiences she would have forfeited if she had left the School of Communication Studies. It started with the networking trip to Washington, DC, where she saw first-hand what alumni of the program were doing with their communication studies degrees.
“It was clear when she went on that trip that she very much enjoyed it and she made connections with people she hadn’t before. She also met some people that made her think, ‘I want to be like these people, I can do that.’,” said Haas. “That’s why we do those trips. Going and meeting people and seeing them in their office is far more impactful than bringing them in as a speaker.”
After that, Eyerly continued to follow Haas’s suggestions and participated in the trip to Dublin, Ireland— a study abroad course that immerses students in another culture while teaching them about intercultural communication. Shortly after that trip, Haas suggested she become president of the struggling Communication Studies Club.
Like many student organizations on campus that were deeply impacted by the COVID-19 quarantine limitations, when meeting in person wasn’t possible, the Communication Studies Club was a shadow of its robust pre-Covid iteration. During the Dublin trip, Haas observed qualities in the first-year student that he believed made her the perfect person to help revive the struggling club.
“Sydney impressed me with her leadership even at that point. She was very level-headed and she wasn’t someone who went onto tangents, and she didn’t get into drama and was very task-oriented,” he said, noting that he suggested the presidency, and she accepted and they began making plans soon after they got back from Ireland. “And from that point, my gosh, her level of confidence and poise and professionalism has just grown off the charts.”
For her part, Eyerly said taking on such a challenge helped her meet more communication studies majors and become better acquainted with faculty members. As her community and knowledge grew, it became clear she had picked the perfect major, after all.
In addition to taking the club’s helm, Eyerly continued to look for opportunities where she could grow her skill set and learn more about what a career in communication studies could look like for her. She attended more networking trips, applied to and was accepted into the highly competitive Alan and Wendy Wilson Communication and Leadership Academy 2025-26 cohort, and worked as a student assistant at the School of Communication Studies.
As part of the College of Communication and Information (CCI) Wilson Academy cohort, Eyerly had additional mentorship and opportunities to grow soft skills. She also went on the college’s first study abroad trip to Japan, where the Wilson Academy students were challenged to learn and adapt to a culture very different from their own.
“The Wilson Academy has been one of the most impactful organizations I have been a part of during my time at UTK. Getting to surround myself with such highly motivated and impressive peers that have become lifelong friends has been very rewarding,” she said. “I’ve learned a lot about how to be a leader and a more effective communicator.”
A Heart for Service
School Director Jon Hess said Eyerly was solidly the first student who came to mind when he was considering who to highlight for spring 2026 commencement—for her overall academic excellence and because she has a genuine desire to be involved in service work. Eyerly said the support she received from Haas, Hess, and Administrative Specialist Sarah Bunch was vital to the success she’s had during her time at UT.
“I wouldn’t be anywhere near where I am at right now in college without Dr. Haas believing in me and giving me opportunities. And Dr. Hess has been along with me the whole way, helping me build the Communication Studies Club and rooting for me and building me up,” she said. “Sarah Bunch has been my emotional support person, cheerleader, encourager, my entire time I’ve been here.”
While these opportunities taught her vital technical and soft skills, it is the connections she’s made at the College of Communication and Information (CCI) that Eyerly said she cherishes mostand that she knows will continue long after she leaves UT. In a way, her growth over the past four years has mirrored the core of what communication studies is: a field focused on building healthyinterpersonal relationships and thriving organizations through quality communication.
Once she realized there was no way she was switching majors, Eyerly dove right into her chosen field by getting a communications internship the summer after her sophomore year. That internship turned into a job doing social media, external communications, and helping with events for the nonprofit Foster Care Support Foundation, which supports displaced children by supplying them with essential items such as clothing, toys, books, school supplies, and more.
Eyerly said she has always been drawn to having a career where she can help people, and the fact that UT is the school for Volunteers was one of many reasons she was drawn to it. She said networking opportunities at CCI have illuminated the many ways she can have a career in helping others, whether it be by creating communications for a nonprofit, fundraising for organizations, or by working in corporate philanthropy. While she initially was uninterested in some of these roles because they seemed similar to sales, Eyerly said her perception was changed after speaking with professionals in the industry.
“I talked to people in the field, and they said you’re not asking people to buy a product they don’t want, you’re giving them the opportunity to do something good they didn’t know about before you talk to them,” she said. “It seems really similar to sales, but it is that difference that I’m educating people and not trying to take money for my personal gain.”
While she is open to working in fundraising, Eyerly said she discovered the world of corporate sustainability during a networking trip to her own hometown, Atlanta, where students spent time at the Coca Cola Company’s headquarters learning about a variety of communications careers. Before that trip, she hadn’t realized there were jobs where people help guide a company’s philanthropic dollars to charitable organizations, typically resulting in a win-win for both the company and the recipients.
“I’m interested in the corporate social responsibility side of things. You get to listen to people and change a nonprofit and change some people’s lives, and that would be cool to do,” she said.
Eyerly has accepted a temporary position as the Foster Care Support Foundation’s communications manager, where she will take over more advancement and fundraising responsibilities while she continues searching for a role in corporate responsibility. Wherever her journey takes her next, Eyerly said she will always be linked to UT through her connections with people who showed her what it means to be a Volunteer.
“I see the Volunteer spirit in all the alumni I’ve spoken with; they want to be able to help you even if they have to go out of their way or take time out of their day, they’re going to do it. And they’regoing to pass the torch to me, because I’ll be an alum, and I look forward to going on to help students the way I’ve been helped,” she said.
