Shaking Things Up with Alumni Stephanie Chavez

Alumni Stephanie Chavez reflects on how being part of the CSUDH Communications Department steered her in the right direction, allowing her to reach the level of success she has today.

Chavez graduated from CSUDH with a degree in Communications in the Advertising and Public Relations option in 2016 before continuing to graduate school, where she earned her master's at USC in December of 2017.

"The CSUDH Communications Department was one of the best experiences I've had during my educational career," Chavez said. "The faculty was supportive, responsive, experienced, and prepared me for graduate school. All the professors that I had played a huge role in teaching me all of the material that prepared me for the next level of my education."

Chavez expresses particular appreciation for CSUDH professors Dr. Ryan Eagle and Dr. Karina Kim, both of whom she says had a large impact on her graduate studies.

"Both professors prepared me for the level of research skills that would be required throughout my entire time at USC," Chavez said. "Dr. Eagle and Dr. Kim had faith in not just myself but all the students' abilities to handle graduate school's level of research, analyzation, and writing, which I was immediate re-exposed to during my first semester at USC."

Chavez went on to graduate from USC's Masters of Communication Management program and currently works as a Development Manager in the non-profit health sector at the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. She has also recently been accepted as a board member for the USC alumni group, Society of Trojan Women, serving as the Orange County Social Chair and interim Social Media Chair.

But it was the Communications Department at CSUDH that Chavez credits for preparing her academically and teaching her the importance of interpersonal communication skills.

"Most of the classes required group work and projects, which was also heavily included during graduate school," Chavez said. "CSUDH Communications Department teaches the students to plan and execute a successful project as a team."