Today, the Communication Department hosts their inaugural Communication Day, with a variety of events about future opportunities, networking, panels and varying workshops.

To department head and communication professor Jennifer Henderson, this opportunity is something that will be quite beneficial to students through the event’s different components.

The first event, at 1:30, includes workshops on résumé and digital portfolio building and tips for graduate and law school. Later in the day, panels composed of alumni will engage in questions with students and give advice regarding graduation on varying topics, from finding jobs, to what to expect and do upon graduation. After the panels, a reception will be held, with alumni, faculty and students encouraged to network, interact and connect.

“The goal in Communication Day is really to get people thinking forward into what their next step will be,” Henderson said. “This gives everyone an opportunity for everyone to do that.”

Friday has been a topic of discussion, particularly among alumni and faculty, for some time. For alumni, while many are happy in their success post-graduation, they realize the benefits that would come out of establishing such an event.

“This is our first ever communication day,” Henderson said. “It really came out of many of our recent alumni ““ they told us that while they ended up with jobs, things like the transition right out of college and what to do next, they could have used some assistance in thinking about that.”

With various classes and divided goals among those majoring in communication, the event is a chance for them to come together.

To Robert Huesca, associate professor of communication, the event is a good chance to do that.

“Communication Day is a trial run on something that I think is a good idea,” Huesca said. “Everyone is off in their separate classes with their own things, but with this, everyone can experience something similar.”

Along with the chance to come together and build skills, the event looks to help students make strong and lasting connections with alumni.

“It’s a great opportunity for students to learn about the possibilities that the major affords them but also in the networking reception to actually start to interact with some of those people,” Huesca said.

Communication major and senior Alexa Hong said she is eager to meet with the department’s alumni.

“I am excited to hear from recent alumni about how they got into their careers after graduation,” Hong said. “I think it will be relatable.”

Fellow communication major and senior Sarah Clausen said that she is also looking forward to the panels offered about résumé building and graduate school.

“I am attending because I think it will be a useful tool in preparation for the professional world,” Clausen said. “I am interested in getting advice about my résumé since I’ve applied to graduate schools.”