As a child, Tori Young, from The Woodlands Texas, badly wanted to be an actress. “I
just wanted to be famous,” Young said.
However, she was a very timid child, so her acting career never really took off. She
said she was first introduced to advertising as a high school photography student,
where she began captioning her photos. From there Young said she began to consider
a career in advertising. “If I can't go to art school I want to be in advertising,
and I think it was the right decision,” Young said.
Young is in her fourth year as a part of the Red Raider family and wasted no time
getting involved. She is one of 19 students on Texas Tech's Advertising Team, a competitive
campaign team preparing for national competition. In her role as creative director,
Young said she runs a team of five copy writers and designers. “We are in charge of
coming up with the big idea for the campaign,” Young said.
Not only does she represent Texas Tech on the Ad Team, Young is also involved in Tech
Advertising Federation, an advertising organization that has given her the opportunity
to meet professionals in the industry and tour agencies in Austin, Texas. Young said
she really values the friendships and connections she has made through these two organizations.
Young is also the video productions manager of The Outpost, Texas Tech's public relations
and social media monitoring lab. “Getting involved in a PR organization in our college
is unique on my resume, and it gives me the opportunity to do something more that
I love aside from advertising and photography that is video, another passion of mine,”
Young said.
Young said she was nervous to join Tech Ad Fed, but now wishes she had been a part
of it sooner. “It has been an awesome experience and I have gotten so much out of
it even just this year; that experience helped me grow the most in college,” Young
said.
Her dream job is to travel internationally, lead a team, and create new things.
Currently, Young interns at Price Group in Lubbock, Texas. “I would not have gotten
that internship if I had not joined Tech Ad Fed and Ad Team,” Young said.
“Tori is a great leader. She is very patient and understanding and cares a lot about
the wellbeing of her teammates,” said Gwen Wright, a senior advertising major from
Williamsburg, Va., a co-worker and teammate of Young.
Young has advice for incoming students. “Be excited, show interest early on, and always
ask questions. Be confident, and go get involved,” Young said. “You get to your senior
year before you know it and realize that you had a group of professors watching over
you the whole time. You graduate from Texas Tech with a support team. Not only do
I have personal friends and relationships that will help me get far in life, but I
have my mentors looking over me wanting me to succeed.”
With a master's degree from Texas Christian University and a Ph.D. from the University
of Kentucky, Marjorie Buckner has recently found a home with Texas Tech University.
“Texas Tech is where I wanted to go,” Buckner said. When recalling some memories and
where she got started Buckner said “I remember my first day of school at TCU to get
my master's.”
Her first day at TCU Buckner was asked what she wanted to be, she immediately responded
with “Executive Vice President of a Fortune 500 company. While they said, “No, I don't
think so. You're going to get a Ph.D.” Some years later that is exactly what she did.
As a professor in the Department of Communication Studies, Buckner teaches an array
of classes from Interviewing to Communication in Instruction and Training, as well
as Communication in Organizations. Buckner wants her students to walk away with a
better practice and understanding of appropriate, ethical, and effective communication,
she said. Buckner said these are the kind of skills that will help students achieve
their goals.
“She always encourages class participation,” said Brian Grannan a senior communication
studies major from Alexandria, Va.
Reflecting on her career, Buckner said her current job fulfills her ambition to make
a difference. Teaching is her way to help people. “I just want to help my students
reach their goals,” she said.
Incoming students can heed the advice Buckner shares. “Don't panic. This is going
to be a journey not a destination so, don't compare yourself to other people. Just
pick a path and run with it because it's going to be different for every person.”
KTXT 88.1 FM, is a student run radio station that features music programming, local
and national news, and play-by-play coverage of various Texas Tech athletics.
“We're more than a club. KTXT is a great outlet for students to gain experience in
radio, communication, news and sports. We cover all the bases of college media,” said
Andy Koke, music director, junior business marketing major from Plano, Texas.
KTXT airs on 88.1 FM and can be picked up outside of TTU. “KTXT is making its way
up the national food chain,” said Koke. In 2014 KTXT represented Texas Tech at the
global competition “College Radio Day,” and in 2015 KTXT won the Best Station Imaging
Award from College Broadcasting Inc.
“Personally, I have gained valuable skills on how to present myself on air and being
on the radio has boosted my confidence,” Koke said.
Koke began volunteering at KTXT his freshman year and has been a part of the radio
family for about three years. “I got involved while trying to find myself as a freshman,
and the radio gave me something to relate with. I am grateful that even though I wasn't
a communication major the College of Media & Communication has led me and helped me
see all that I can do,” Koke said.
KTXT welcomes all majors and accepts new volunteers every semester.
Starting as a volunteer with KTXT, Haylee Uptergrove, a sophomore journalism major
from Corpus Christi, Texas, has worked her way up to a paid position as news director.
When she was younger, Uptergrove wanted to be an actress and performer. “I was able
to channel that dream into my real expectations through working in the station,” said
Uptergrove.
Uptergrove said, “It has gotten me involved. I didn't want to just come to school
and be a number. I wanted to get involved and stand out, and KTXT helped me do that.
That's the best advice I can give is to not be afraid to get involved and do what
you love.”
Vanessa Ledesma Journalism and Public Relations, Junior
Vanessa Ledesma
How did you become a student ambassador for the College of Media & Communication? I first became interested in becoming an ambassador for the College of Media & Communication
through my job as a student assistant for Aleesa Ross in the Center for Student Success.
In my job, I was able to see first-hand how the student ambassadors worked to help
prospective students understand the college experience and how to make it a successful
experience for both the students and their parents. I knew instantly I wanted to get
involved in this organization as quickly as possible.
What do you like best about the College of Media & Communication? I spend most of my days in the college, and I love the atmosphere. Really, I love
how friendly and caring everyone is and the genuine interest they take in what you
are trying to achieve. I have had countless professors take an interest in my student
organizations and different trips I've taken. Without the support from our college
I wouldn't have had the opportunities to grow as a professional and as a person. I
also love how involved our dean is. I don't know how many times I have seen him randomly
sit in on a class or walk down the halls and say hi. I know this isn't something all
college deans do, so I really enjoy knowing he takes a real interest in what we are
learning and how classes are being conducted.
What has your experience been like being an ambassador? It has been nothing but rewarding. As a first generation college student, being an
ambassador gives me the ability to give back to the students who are in my shoes years
ago. Wow, now I feel old, but the best feeling is seeing these students come up and
look excited to come to Texas Tech. My favorite thing is attending prospective student
recruiting events because I remember having a list of questions I didn't know the
answers to and being super nervous to ask anything. I love knowing I can leave a recruiting
event and have put incoming students' minds at ease. Even my parents love that I can
take what we have learned through the college experience as give it back to students.
What are your future career goals? When I was a little girl my dream was to be on television. All I wanted was to become
famous. It wasn't until a few years ago that I realized that my childhood dream can
be accomplished through a different outlet. When I was first introduced to the journalism
degree by Emily Balke, I realized I can be that person I wanted to be as a little
girl, but I could also help people. With my journalism degree, I can help share people's
stories and share news across the world, becoming famous for my stories. I have a
great satisfaction in knowing not only will the little girl in me get her dream, but
so many people will be helped by my writing. CoMC has given me the tools necessary
to accomplish these dreams of mine.
What is your advice for prospective students? I would tell them to jump in and don't be scared. I think college, especially when
you're coming to a town that is bigger than where you are from, is intimidating. Just
remember that everyone is going through the same changes, so don't be afraid to just
jump straight in. I would also say that in order to be successful you have to have
a reason to stay in college, to get up and go to those dreadful 8:00 a.m. classes,
and to do well in your classes--something to keep you from giving up and going home--so
definitely get involved. Taking tons of pictures has helped me see how I've grown
over the years and became a more confident person. I love being able to look back
to my freshman year in the CoMC Learning Community and seeing the memories I shared
with those people. It's been a very rewarding experience to look back on, so make
sure you take plenty of pictures to remember it.
What do faculty and staff have to say about our student ambassadors? “Vanessa is a very enthusiastic and energetic part of our team here in the Center
for Student Success and that definitely translates in her work as a student ambassador.
She is very involved on campus and in our college, and as a double major she has a
lot of insight to share with prospective students and their parents,” said Aleesa
Ross, Director of the Center for Student Success, Outreach & Engagement.
