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William W. White Outstanding Seniors are chosen by department faculty to recognize academic merit, professional achievement and service to the college. The Outstanding Graduate award honors the CMCI student with the highest overall GPA in his or her graduating class.

White, a Boulder native, graduated from CU’s School of Journalism in 1933. He was a reporter in Boulder, Denver and New York before becoming the foreign editor of Time from the early 1940s through the mid-1950s, based in London, Brazil and Montreal. At the advice of his friend Edward R. Murrow, who told him “it doesn’t matter what you do, what matters is that you do it where you want to live,” White returned to Boulder, where he started the White and White public relations firm. White and his wife, Connie, established this endowment in 1998.

Meet our graduates and read their stories.

Andrew Schwartz: College of Media, Communication and Information

Andrew's advice to students is to try everything and talk to as many people as you can—especially outside your major. That way, you'll broaden your perspective.

   When it comes to impact and being able to make something I’m proud of, a big part of that is being able to make technology for the people to use it, and make things that people enjoy using and improve their lives. Info places a big emphasis on that."

  Read more 

Lisa An: Department of Critical Media Practice

Lisa started her CU career as a computer science major before switching to media production. She said this was one of the best decisions she ever made because through the program, she discovered a passion for photography.

  "I learned that keeping your work to yourself because of the fear of not being good enough does no good. If you share your work and receive feedback, you are able to improve your craft and obtain opportunities you otherwise never would have been able to.

  Read more 

Elijah Boykoff: Department of Information Science

Going into college, Elijah's goals for himself were to learn as much as he could and make it to the finish line. He says he's made good on those goals, and this award is an exciting bonus.

   Your professors are people just like you. Get to know them—if you are able to resonate with your professors on a deeper level, you will be much more enriched by the knowledge they have to share."

  Read more 

Bianca Perez: Departments of Communication, Media Studies

Bianca is the first CMCI graduate to win outstanding student honors from two different majors. She's now off to a prestigious Ph.D. program.

  "What I have is like a wish coming true. You can work very hard and that can still not be enough, and I’ve seen that happen to people around me my whole life.

  Read more 

Sujei Perla Martinez: Department of Advertising, Public Relations and Media Design

For Sujei, a first-generation college student, graduating means she's carving a new path for her family.

   My community helped foster a place for self-discovery and encouraged me to be unapologetically myself while helping me grow within my values and beliefs."

  Read more 

Nic Tamayo: Department of Journalism

Nic's CMCI experience in three words: fulfilling, inspired, treasured.

  "I will take with me the connections I’ve been able to make with people from so many corners of life. They’ve taught me lessons that I may never have learned without their friendship and mentorship.

  Read more 

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By Iris Serrano
Photos by Kimberly Coffin (CritMedia, StratComm’18)

Sujei Perla Martinez was determined to take charge of her college career in the same way she takes charge of being a role model for her younger brother.

“Before college, I thought I had everything figured out since I’m the eldest sister. That couldn’t be further from the truth,” Perla Martinez said. “Over the years, I learned a lot about myself as I overcame many obstacles.”

  “My community helped foster a place for self-discovery and encouraged me to be unapologetically myself while helping me grow within my values and beliefs.”
Sujei Perla Martinez

And she did so in style: She’s graduating as the William W. White Outstanding Senior for the Department of Advertising, Public Relations and Media Design, having completed a degree in strategic communication with an emphasis in media design. The White awards are chosen by CMCI faculty and honor students for their academic accomplishments, professional achievements and service to the college.

Perla Martinez said when it came to overcoming those obstacles, the community she built at CMCI was key, especially the people she met through her countless volunteering experiences and her classes. 

Most important was her multicultural leadership scholars cohort, the Sigma Lambda Gamma sorority, and the UMAS y MECHA student group, as well as the classroom.

“My community helped foster a place for self-discovery and encouraged me to be unapologetically myself while helping me grow within my values and beliefs,” Perla Martinez said. 

Her academic and extracurricular achievements were not just due to her hard work. She said she recognizes the efforts of those who came before her who fought for her right to an education—in particular, her parents.

“Growing up, I saw my mother work hard jobs to raise my brother and me,” Perla Martinez said. “Every day, I stand on campus and try my hardest to show my mother that her sacrifice wasn't in vain.”

“I’m the first in my family to get a degree. It took a lot of blood, sweat and tears, but I can finally say we did it.”

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By Hannah Stewart (Comm’19)
Photos from Get CUltured event by Jack Moody

CU Connect collaborated with various student affinity groups to form the Culturs Coalition. Pictured here are attendees from their first meeting held in early February.

Get CUltured, in partnership with Kappa Alpha Theta, hosted a Panhellenic event celebrating the cultural diversity in CU Boulder sorority life.

Over the course of their time in the College of Media, Communication and Information, strategic communication students learn to adapt, think on their feet and creatively approach problem solving.

This was especially true of the seniors completing this year’s Bateman Competition Capstone class in the Department of Advertising, Public Relations and Media Design.

Each year, students participate in the —organized by the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA)—by taking on a real life client and then planning and carrying out a campaign.

“The benefit of Bateman is the execution. It’s a small class, and having two semesters really allows students to sit with the client problem, get to know the client, plan, get feedback and work with professional advisors,” said Erin Willis, an associate professor in the APRD department who’s running the course.

Unlike other capstones, which are frequently one semester long and focus more on the planning and strategic elements of a campaign, the Bateman course includes a second semester for students to execute their plan. At the conclusion of the term, student teams in the class compile a pitchbook, submitted to the national board, in which they evaluate the campaign.

The 2024 client was  magazine, a digital and print magazine and ambassador program that seeks to highlight stories of people at the intersection of multiple identities. Rather than create a campaign to increase magazine subscriptions or ambassador enrollment, the CMCI teams—named CU Connect and Get CUlturd—decided to focus on spreading Culturs’ mission to the rest of campus.

“It’s a magazine, but it’s so much more. They curate cultural experiences,” Willis said. “The way the teams wanted to respond to the brief is awesome for the client and for the campus long term. It just might not be the traditional way other schools have responded.” 

This year,  ran under the slogan “Bridging the Gap” and  encouraged students to “Get Culturd, Stay Culturd.” To learn more and take part in each group’s campaign, follow them on Instagram.

From left to right: Rebecca Cordingley, Kaitlyne Fallahi, Isabella Rohrer, Brianna Centeno, Alex Baughman

From left to right: Olivia Oosterhouse, Isabel Pitalue, Nalina Datta, Elizabeth Baker, Henley Beisert

Each team had access not only to Willis—who has experience in public relations and marketing communications—but also local professionals. Adjunct PR professor Bailey DeCamillis mentored the CU Connect team while Jane Dvorak, president of JKD & Co., mentored Get CUlturd. Both teams also benefited from the expertise of Jeffrey Spivock, a senior vice president at communications and PR agency Weber Shandwick.

Their expertise was invaluable to the students, especially given they were tasked with creating campaigns for a client whose mission is to promote diversity and inclusion, and whose brand is largely grounded in tangible products. Both teams concluded that Culturs was most valuable as a tool that could be used to talk about culture on campus.

“We’re hoping everyone understands that CU has its own culture and it’s important to bring our cultures to the university,” said Isabel Pitalue, of Get CUlturd. “So, we really wanted to spread the message rather than the magazine. If you feel misrepresented and you see articles about your culture, it can make you feel more empowered.”

Similarly, CU Connect appreciated how Culturs emphasizes the importance of global community while featuring stories about individual people’s experiences.

In order to prompt these conversations, both teams have used a mix of social media, tabling on campus and events to connect with students.

One such event Get CUlturd organized was a Panhellenic event to highlight the diversity within CU Greek life. They also collaborated with the Boulder chapter of PRSSA to host a seminar series featuring experts in marketing, journalism and sports media.

Meanwhile, using the student surveys, the CU Connect found students were most interested in learning about culture through music and food. As such, much of their campaign centers around promoting new cultural experiences through food with discounts offered at restaurants such as Centro Mexican Kitchen, Pasta Jay’s, Blofish Sushi and Sushi Hana. But they’ve been most excited about their Culturs Coalition, which has brought together over 15 student affinity groups on campus.

“I think it has the most potential to stay on campus, because we had people ask us, ‘Are you going to put someone in charge of this?’ and ‘How can we make this last?’” said Brianna Centeno, of CU Connect.“Knowing that you have this magazine that’s catered toward you, as a person of color or someone with many cultural experiences, is a really good resource for the coalition.”

The campaigns officially ended March 5. The teams are compiling their observations, findings and reflections into a report to submit to the competition’s board for review.

“The teams have absolutely blown my expectations away. The things they think about and have managed to execute have been awesome,” Willis said. “I want to win, but ultimately, this brief is about culture, diversity and the in between. The two plans that have been rolling across campus have been so good for CU Boulder. I’m so proud of them.”

The Get CUltured team achieved an honorable mention for . This marks the second year in a row that CU students have been recognized for their campaigns.

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CMCI students from all departments develop their portfolios through classes, competitions, internships and more.

Here we have collected a variety of student work that highlights their personal and professional passions explored during their academic careers at CU Boulder.

  View the work

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By Hannah Stewart (Comm’19)
Photos by Kimberly Coffin (CritMedia, StratComm’18)

When Pepsi eventually comes out with its snack-focused campaign, one strategic communication student from the University of Colorado Boulder will smile knowing he was part of it.

Enzo Ewari, a senior in the College of Media Communication and Information, has been interning with Motive—a full-service marketing and advertising agency—since the summer. As part of his work, he assisted with campaigns for brands like Gatorade, Cheetos, Pepsi and more. 

Motive was impressed enough with his work to extend his internship into the fall semester, and Ewari hopes to stay at the company after graduation.

“As I get more involved, I’ll be working on my own campaigns, so hopefully by springtime, I’ll be solely working on one campaign,” he said. “I love Motive, it’s a great culture. They have sister agencies on every continent; I’ve been talking about moving to New York or Singapore. There are a lot of opportunities.”

In high school, Ewari took a business class, and was instantly hooked by the fast-paced energy and possibilities it provided. However, he wanted something more creative, which led him to study advertising. In fact, one of his professors reached out with the opportunity to intern with his own advertising and marketing boutique and assist on a campaign for a whiskey company—just one of his internship experiences, which have included work for PHD Media, Special Olympics International and Volkswagen.

  “CMCI is your friend. Just talk to your professors, most of them are still doing work. That helped me get this internship.
—Enzo Ewari

When it came to Motive, not only did Ewari’s foundational courses prove incredibly helpful on his internship, various hands-on experiences both in and out of the classroom helped him grow and develop skills, as well. 

“Enzo has proven to a valuable member of our team because he's resourceful, a self-starter, a quick learner, and also a curious human,” said Andrew Lynch, vice president of strategy at Motive and Ewari’s supervisor. “He's doing real, meaningful work that is helping us arrive at smart and sharp strategies.”

That practical experience and networking opportunity was pivotal, as it helped boost Ewari’s confidence in the field by giving him a taste of real-life advertising.

“CMCI is your friend. Just talk to your professors, most of them are still doing work,” he said. “That helped me get this internship.”

Networking and access to the right people proved useful once again in landing his role at Motive. David Martinez, inclusive excellence and outreach coordinator at CMCI, connected Ewari with one of Motive’s senior vice presidents of creative, Spencer Trierweiler (Advert’06), who is based out of the company’s Denver office.

“He helped push me through the process,” Ewari said. “A lot of my team is spread out across the United States. Day to day, it was a lot of looking at trends of different industries and deciding what competitors are doing to find a pocket in the market that our clients can hold.”

During his hybrid internship, he has been responsible for market research, taking what he’s learned and creating presentations exploring different advertising strategies a brand could take. Depending on who attended the presentation, Ewari and his team emphasize strategic or creative elements of a given campaign. For example, some creative-focused campaign proposals had interactive elements like pop-up shops or meet-and-greets with professional athletes.

“It’s all about connecting the data—how can you find that new lightbulb idea?” he said. 

Lynch said an ability to find those ideas made Ewari such a valuable addition, especially when it came to brand positioning statements in competitive analyses. 

"Enzo has been leading these analyses throughout his internship, and always delivers focused and smart category insights that we work into our strategy decks," Lynch said.

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By Hannah Stewart (Comm’19)
Photos by Jack Moody

The Olympics. The Super Bowl. The Final Four. The Stanley Cup Final. 

Alumni from the University of Colorado Boulder have made their mark reporting on and working in the sports world. Many are award winners—including National Sportswriter of the Year—and many more have seen their love of the game reach millions of fans worldwide.

That track record of excellence led the College of Media, Communication and Information to develop its sports media minor, which prepares students for careers in sports, whether behind the scenes or in front of the camera. Students take classes covering traditional topics, such as writing and broadcasting, but also courses that look at sports from academic and business perspectives. 

And while a signature feature of the program is the opportunity to connect with the world-class alumni network in sports, there’s much more to the minor.

“Networking is just one of the components,” said Marina Dmukhovskaya, associate director of the sports media minor. “It’s also about finding their niche. By having a variety of classes, both conceptual and skills heavy, it can offer them a great choice.”

Interested in this minor?

If you are a CMCI major, you may discuss and declare the minor with your CMCI advisor. You can also declare by filling out a .

For students outside of CMCI, the minor can only be declared once you’re enrolled in CMCI 2001: Intro to Sports Media Practices. 

Senior Kennedy Pickering credited the minor with helping her discover her niche. She came to CU Boulder because she was interested in the relationship between people and social media. Thanks to the minor, she has had the opportunity to create replay packages for a CU volleyball game; develop technical skills, like working a camera; and network with media professionals when CU Athletics hosted Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff pregame show.

“With the sports media minor, I’ve been able to take classes that gave me more hands-on experience, like Sports Writing and Sport Broadcasting,” Pickering said. “One of my professors is in charge of , and through him I’ve been able to work with the camera. At first, I wanted to be a sideline reporter, but then I realized that being on the screen was not for me.” Her goal now is to work in social media for the NFL or Nike.

Community through sport

More than 200 CU Boulder students are currently enrolled in the minor. Not all are athletes, but most aspire to work in the industry, like Eli Grimm, a lifelong figure skater who wants to get into the sports communications field. Beyond their own interests in athletics, Grimm said they see sports as a way to create impact because so many people engage with sports. Even less-mainstream events like Formula 1 races have become more popular thanks, in part, to the Netflix series Drive to Survive.

“Sports are a platform for mass communication. In the Sports Writing class, I got to write about the events I was already watching,” said Grimm, a senior majoring in strategic communication who learned about the program after arriving at CU Boulder as a transfer student. “It was nice to feel like the experience was personalized around my interests.”

  “With the sports media minor, I’ve been able to take classes that gave me more hands-on experience.”
Kennedy Pickering, senior

Jacob Dilling, a junior studying communication and a member of the CU ski team, chose the sports media minor as a way to develop a fuller perspective of the industry.

“I still plan on skiing professionally after school. But I think this will help me build connections within my sport and other sports, so that once I’m finished, I have something to fall back on,” Dilling said.

Both students said one thing they enjoy most about the program is the challenge to explore new perspectives on sports and topics they are passionate about. Dmukhovskaya said that enthusiasm is a good indicator of their success after graduation. She herself has worked in the sports media world for years—in addition to covering the Olympics four times, she has been a media manager for the Russian Skating Union, worked with the International Biathlon Union and wrote for the International Paralympics Committee.

“Our students feel equipped, competent and confident as they are entering the job market,” she said. Just as important to their success, though, is the students’ enthusiasm for the course material—key for aspiring professionals looking to enter a highly competitive field.

Those aspiring professionals also benefit from the extensive network of media experts, who offer mentorship and exposure to career opportunities. Winter graduate Cassidy Davis (StratComm’23) said she found professional guidance from alumnus Mike Davies (Jour’94), an executive vice president for Fox Sports based in Los Angeles.

“The best part of my time at CU has been getting such broad experience, including public relations, sports media and graphic design,” Davis said. “Being able to study all of my little niches and learning how to put them together has made me confident about applying what I’ve learned at work.”

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What's the catch?

There’s no getting back the one that got away, but a prototype app designed by a group of recent graduates could help anglers identify the fish they do catch.

COAI (for Colorado A.I.; pronounced “koi”) Fish, designed by Kendall Fronabarger, Ken Vue and Emerson Swan (all InfoSci’23), is especially aimed at those new to the sport who are curious about the fish they’re catching in Colorado’s waters. The app uses a modified machine learning tool that matches photos uploaded by users to a registry of Colorado species built by the students.

Art as activism

CMCI students are encouraged to use their creativity in building projects that allow them to interpret or reflect upon the challenges facing society. Mixed-media work in the last year has focused on topics such as the climate crisis, the plight of refugees and the struggle for gender equality.

Jamie Chihuan (StratComm’23),
“Soon we will all have nowhere to go” 

Citlally Ruedas, strategic communication,
“Homero Gomez” 

Isabella Pao, strategic communication,
“I am a woman, I exist” 

Pablo Aziz, critical media practices,
“Women demand peace and justice”

Sharing student perspectives

Students across CMCI find ways to bring together their personal interests and academic pursuits. Since the college’s founding, we have regularly showcased this diverse collection of student work.

McKenzie Jenkins (StratComm’22), Josh Harman (StratComm’23)

Katya Bollong (StratComm’23)

Hailey Schalk, communication

Olivia Lieberman (CritMedia’23)

Sophie Gould, TEDxCU executive board (Comm’23)

Noya Kinsland, critical media practices

Kelsie Kerr (MediaSt, Film’23)

Kara Wagenknecht (Jour’23)

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By Hannah Stewart (Comm’19)

Duolingo has its owl, Geico has its gecko and Pillsbury has its doughboy. Now, thanks to a fourth-year student from the Department of Advertising, Public Relations and Media Design, tech giant Hewlett Packard has its own mascot: Lucy.

 “Being a CMCI student has been helpful because I have a creative, but also a business, background.  
—Megan Solis

Megan Solis, who is studying advertising and plans to graduate in winter 2023, crocheted the doll mascot as part of her internship at HP. This past spring, Lucy went out into the world via TikTok; Solis’ creativity, meanwhile, ultimately led to her recognition with the company’s InternStellar Award last summer.

“Demand generation is the focus of showing products in use,” Solis said. “But why not do it all? I had a lofty goal to create demand generation, while also increasing viewer engagement and enlarging overall brand awareness.”

Solis didn’t set out to be a master marketer. She initially wanted a career in public relations, and transferred from the University of Texas San Antonio to CMCI to pursue that field. In fact, she discovered her love of advertising through her internship with HP.

“I was on my web browser and was about to type ‘PR internships,’ and then I thought, ‘Why don’t I just look up the best people to work for?’” Solis said.

It was this confidence and self-starter attitude that helped Solis through the rigorous interview process, and eventually her internship.

“She wowed our organization,” said Danielle Jones, Solis’ supervisor. “She’s super creative with regard to how we can develop content.”

Jones is the North America marketing manager for HP, and as a member of that team, Solis was tasked with finding a way to engage with the company’s target audience—which slants Generation Z—and show the products in fun, relatable situations. After considering how other brands leverage social media, Solis had her eureka moment: She’d create a mascot.

The Lucy doll went through several iterations before reaching people on TikTok. Megan Solis poses with the original doll in the early days of her internship. Photo courtesy Megan Solis.

Impactful Internships

The interdisciplinary curricula of CMCI majors gives students a broad set of skills—including creativity, critical thinking and collaboration—that makes them suited for success as interns and young professionals.

By hiring our students as interns, employers can benefit from bringing fresh perspectives and insights to problems, while having a significant impact on a student’s professional development.

Lucy, named for co-founder David Packard’s wife, is a small doll who wears an HP-logoed shirt. She was an instant hit with the HP team.

“It’s a great idea, and we’re excited for Megan to complete this project from beginning to end,” Jones said.

Feeling validated by the positive feedback, and with her HP experience winding down, Solis applied to the InternStellar Award, presented to interns who create measurable and meaningful impact. More than 200 interns applied for this highly competitive distinction.

Winning the award “was an honor,” Solis said. “There was a ceremony where I was able to meet executives and share my accomplishments. It excited me to speak about not only what I have done, but also my plans to carry ideas forward.”

In fact, HP extended Solis’ internship so she could see the project to completion and develop more innovative ideas.

After nearly nine months, HP launched a series of targeted ads featuring the doll in April; during the campaign, at least 10.7 million people saw the TikTok ads. While Solis said it was sometimes stressful to balance her part-time position and her full-time course load, she found it exciting to see parallels between her advertising classes and the work she did to make the Lucy campaign come to life.

“I can relate all my classes directly to what I’m doing in my job,” Solis said. “Being a CMCI student has been helpful because I have a creative, but also a business, background.” 

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By Hannah Stewart (Comm’19)

It’s an early Wednesday morning in July, yet it seems most of Washington, D.C., has already been up for hours.

Riders swarm the Metro on their way to work. Above ground, everyone from power brokers to power couples crowd local coffee shops while runners squeeze in a jog.

Amid the bustle, four students from CU Boulder are headed to their internships, where they are responsible for public relations at The Hill, covering news in real time and managing sound at a multimedia festival.

“This is such a great program because you get professional experience,” said Reede Ottenstein (CritMedia’23). “You’ll feel so much better when you graduate, and you’ll have a better idea of what you want to do.”

Through the support of CMCI in D.C.—a semester-long study abroad-style program in Washington—Ottenstein landed an internship with Capital Fringe. This multiday, multimedia festival was particularly enticing since she focused on sound design as a CMCI student. She even had the chance to work with the audio engineers for the performances.

“In my classes, I was learning sound and audio,” Ottenstein said. “Now that I’ve interned with this festival, I will get to take what I learned and put it in a real-world context.”

Students in this program earn both class and internship credit during a semester or summer session in Washington. In addition to learning from guest speakers—many of whom are program alumni and media professionals—students have the chance to explore the city, both on assignment and for personal enrichment. Along the way, they discover new passions and opportunities for growth while forming close bonds as peers.

“Washington, D.C., is an incredible place to spend a semester,” said Lori Bergen, CMCI founding dean. “The communications, media and information landscape is a laboratory for new ideas about how to inform, influence and inspire people.” 

CMCI students on their D.C. experiences

 "The Hill has been very eye-opening and has shown me what the real world of PR looks like. Connecting with people is something that really holds true to me.

Michael Bass
Intern, The Hill

 “You get to experience a new American city and learn from great professors.

Jenna Gainsboro
Intern, D.C. Witness

CMCI’s partner in delivering the program, the Washington Media Institute, encourages students to develop new skills through practical learning in the field.

For instance, media studies junior Jenna Gainsboro tried her hand at court reporting. An illness in Gainsboro’s youth led to seemingly endless days reading and watching television, inspiring her to pursue a career 
in media. She spent a previous semester writing for a fashion magazine, but with this new opportunity, she wanted something different.

“They pitched me this internship with D.C. Witness in a social justice kind of way,” Gainsboro said. “I appreciate how individualized it is. They really work with you to find 
an internship that will give you the experience you need.”

 “The fact that internships are hand-selected for our students gives them an advantage in getting settled in this exciting city and building professional and personal relationships that will last a lifetime.
—Dean Lori Bergen

That feature helps the program stand out among other experiential-learning opportunities.

“The fact that internships are hand-selected for our students gives them an advantage in getting settled in this exciting city and building professional and personal relationships that will last a lifetime,” Bergen said.

As part of the application process, staff from WMI interview students to assess their career goals, then identify ideal internships for each student. WMI staff also use their Washington networks to bring in guest lecturers and instructors for classes.

“I know that every time I come to class, we’re going to be doing something that might be challenging in the moment, but is still helpful and a good experience for my growth,” said senior Tessa Stigler, a journalism student who interned at Voice of America.

After graduation, she hopes to be a multimedia journalist. Although she’s had an “overwhelmingly positive experience” in her classes in Boulder, she said this program has helped her see new aspects of the media.

“It’s interesting to see how different everybody’s internships are, and the different skills they’re focusing on,” Stigler said. “CMCI in D.C. encourages you to get career minded, feel set up to graduate and know that you can get something afterward.”

CMCI in D.C. is open to all CMCI majors and minors.

This unique, immersive experience allows students to develop skills directly related to their career aspirations, and includes a customized internship tailored to each participant’s career aspirations. Students may apply to be part of the program in any semester.

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