CoMC graduates discover camaraderie

in grad school program

JAMES LOSS
 
AUGUST 5, 2021

By its very nature, online education is a more solitary pursuit than its on-campus
counterpart. Without physical classroom space and required, scheduled in-person
meetings, students earning distance degrees may understandably assume that the trek
toward graduation will be a lonesome endeavor with little opportunity for comraderie or
cohort building.

However, two recent graduates of the College of Media & Communication M.A. in

Strategic Communication and Innovation program have discovered that working on a
degree online doesn't necessarily equate to working alone.

After many years in the public relations industry, Jennifer McHugh, vice president of
community engagement at Royal Credit Union, and Jessamy Brown, public relations
specialist at John Peter Smith Hospital, decided to return to school for a master's
degree.

Although they didn't know each other at the time of enrollment, their busy lives pointed
them both to the Strategic Innovation and Communication program in the College of
Media & Communication. Through the interactive online learning environment
cultivated by the program, McHugh and Brown would form a friendship made from
much more than tests and textbooks.

“We met during our first semester,” said Brown. “One of the reasons I reached out to
[McHugh] was because she was so eloquent in her discussion responses, and I thought
she was taking the program very seriously. Turns out, we were in similar positons with
our careers, too.”

Likewise, McHugh remembers the moment of “meeting” very clearly, and she will be
forever grateful.

“We really connected after our first midterm,” said McHugh. “We were brand new
students. For both of us, it had been awhile since we were undergraduates. We were
getting used to being students again, and then we took that midterm. It was hard. It was
scary. She sent me an email afterwards, and I think I just said ‘Can we talk?' I needed a
friend.” With a laugh, she adds, “We both did just fine on that test.”

After the first midterm, the duo leaned on each other for emotional and intellectual
support. McHugh lives in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, while Brown lives in Forth Worth,
Texas, but the women remained dedicated to each other's success through their
connection as Red Raiders.

“I really think I would not have done as well in the program without [McHugh],” Brown
said. “There were so many times where I was like ‘Thank goodness you found this
information.' She would email the professor and share the information with me, even if I
hadn't asked for it. Then it got to the point where we would take turns emailing the
professors because we were afraid we had too many stupid questions.”

“I would say my relationship with [Brown] is as much of a reason for my success as my

own hard work is,” McHugh said. “It was absolutely critical for me to have someone to
talk to and vent to. If I was struggling with something, I could ask if she had figured it
out or if she had a different perspective.”

McHugh thinks the online environment not only helped them make a friendship but
bolstered it.

“I think we are perfect examples that you don't have to be an in-person student to find
that person,” McHugh said. “You can find them in a digital environment, and I'm just so
grateful we did.”

When their late nights and scary midterms were behind them, Brown and McHugh met
each other beyond the computer screen for the first time when they came to Lubbock for
graduation. It was their first time being in Lubbock, as well.

“I really wish I had gone to visit earlier,” McHugh said. “It wasn't until I got to campus,
saw the Media and Communication building, and walked around that I really felt like a
Tech grad. I really felt like I could be proud.”

McHugh and Brown wasted no time getting to Broadway Street and filling shopping
bags with Red Raider apparel and memorabilia. Once they had their fill, they met with
their former professor and biggest advocate, Coy Callison, Ph.D., professor and associate
dean of graduate students.

“He spent nearly an hour chatting with us,” McHugh said. “He talked about not only our
experience as students but he also gave us advice on where to eat and what to do. He
was the professor of our hardest class, data analysis, but he taught us so much and I
really appreciated his time.”

On the other side of the lectern, Callison believes McHugh and Brown are authentic
exemplifications of what the College of Media & Communication is about.
“Meeting Jenn and Jessamy on graduation day further convinced me that our M.A. in
Strategic Communication and Innovation is special,” Callison said. “They wanted to
expand their opportunities and joined the program for advanced training. They received
that, but they also met each other and a multitude of other movers and shakers in
strategic communication along the way.”

Both McHugh and Brown thank the attitude and spirit of all Texas Tech faculty, who
provided robust curriculums and ample opportunity for development.

“So many programs around the country have jerry-rigged the materials,” Brown said.
“What was so great about Tech was their program was designed for the online
environment. They're not trying to figure out how to do it last-minute—it was meant to
be this way. You can easily tell. You feel it. And there was really no difference from a
traditional learning experience. It was better for me, actually, given the state of my
career and my location.”

As McHugh and Brown return to work with their new diplomas, their chance meeting
and shared experiences remain firmly and fondly in their memories. But nothing is
fading into the backdrop, as they now consult with each other about their professional
endeavors.

“It's so nice to have someone who speaks the same language now,” Brown said. “I can
talk to someone about strategic communication—about my work—knowing they don't
have a dog in the hunt, knowing they're giving honest advice about what I should do.
That's invaluable.”

“I think after all we've been through together, our friendship will last as long as our
degrees,” McHugh said. “You can't take it away.”