Student Experience Stories
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Graduating Communication Studies Senior Sydney Eyerly Turned Student Opportunities Into a Purpose-Driven Path
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…
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From Classroom to Career: Jonah Freedman Builds a Brand on and off the Track
As graduation approaches, Jonah Freedman reflects on a college experience defined by momentum both in the classroom and on the track. A public relations major in the Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations, Freedman spent the past four years not only earning his degree but also building a personal brand as a professional racer,…
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From Memphis to the Smithsonian: Paul Springer Jr. Bridges Public History and Information Sciences
For Paul Springer Jr., the path to a career in libraries and public history has been anything but linear, but every step has reinforced his commitment to preserving and expanding access to knowledge. Springer, who is graduating with his Master of Science in Information Sciences at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, is also serving as…
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The Orange Room: Building the Future of Agency Experience at Tennessee
The Orange Room is more than a student organization—it is a living, working agency built by students, for students, with real clients and real impact at the Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations. The agency is giving students real-world experience and helping them prepare for life after graduation, a strategic goal of the College of Communication and…
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From Milan to March Madness: How Alex Carpenter’s Paralympic Reporting Crossed Continents to His Grandfather’s Hands
Alex Carpenter’s phone buzzed the morning after he returned from Italy. A text from his grandfather in South Florida lit up the screen: a photo of a USA TODAY sports page beside a March Madness bracket. Under the headline, his grandfather had circled one detail—Alex’s byline. Carpenter hadn’t known how far his stories would travel…
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Wilson Academy Cohort Takes Volunteer Spirit to Japan During Inaugural Global Trip
One of Alex Carpenter’s favorite memories from visiting Japan this winter was searching for one last bite of Kobe beef on the final day of the trip. Just when the journalism and media major and his friends were at their wits’ end, they found an affordable, all-you-can-eat buffet where they indulged in the Japanese delicacy…
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From Rocky Top to Knox News 40 Under 40: How J&M Alumnus Julian Wright Built a Career Beyond the Newsroom
When Julian Wright (’16) was named to the 2025 Knoxville 40 Under 40 list by Knox News earlier this year, the recognition honored more than his success as a DJ and entrepreneur—it highlighted how earning a major from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville from the School of Journalism and Media (J&M) prepares graduates to lead,…
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A Student-Led Project with Real Impact: The Future of Human-Robot Interaction
As social robots and AI systems become more integrated into educational, professional, and daily environments, understanding those nuances will only grow more critical. In the School of Information Sciences, robotics research is not just about machines—it is about people. Three School of Information Sciences students have been working with Assistant Professor Jiangen He, examining how…
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CCI Students Sweep the 2025 Southeast Journalism Conference with 20 Awards
This article was written by Drue Hamlet College of Communication and Information students and outlets in The Media Center brought 20 awards back to Rocky Top from the 2025 Southeast Journalism Conference (SEJC), more than doubling the number earned at last year’s competition. Ten students traveled to Cartersville, Georgia, on February 5 to compete against…
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CCI Expands Study Abroad Trips to Morocco, Experience Focuses on AI, Information Sciences
Nyja Casey was pleasantly surprised when she learned that the College of Communication and Information (CCI) offers a study abroad program focused on artificial intelligence (AI). The applied artificial intelligence major’s first study abroad experience was this past winter as part of the inaugural cohort for the UTK CCI in Morocco program. Casey said the experience combined…