FRANCESCA BEER
MULTIMEDIA JOURNALISM
MAY 2024
AN INTERVIEW WITH FRANCESCA
HOW DOES RECEIVING A SCHOLARSHIP SUPPORT YOU IN YOUR COLLEGE EXPERIENCE?
The scholarships I have been awarded for the 2023-2024 academic year will certainly support me in my college experience. These scholarships will relieve me from the stress of considering significant college expenses such as tuition, housing, and textbooks in favor of focusing on my education. These scholarships now create an opportunity for me to join extracurricular activities that pertain to my major rather than attempting to balance school and work. With this extra time, I will be able to hold an internship as well as gain a leadership position in the Association for Women in Communications, which will prepare me for my future in communications and allow me to connect with other students in my major. These scholarships will also elevate my academic performance with the knowledge that my tuition is covered, and therefore allowing me to work towards maintaining my 4.0 GPA at Washington State University in addition to enjoying time with my peers. Social gatherings and the tight-knit campus community are a large portion of Washington State University’s identity, and my ability to cease working during the school year will certainly contribute to my success in forming a community at WSU. The scholarships I have been awarded this year will undoubtedly transform my college experience into a more enjoyable period of time in which I can develop my skills in extracurricular, academic, and social areas.
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO PURSUE YOUR MAJOR(S) IN COMMUNICATION?
I chose to pursue my major in communication because writing has always been one of my main passions. Multimedia Journalism stood out to me as the perfect communications major because it involves creativity, writing, and working as a team to inform and connect with various communities through stories and images. Journalism plays such an important role in society as it is one of people’s main sources of information, and it exposes readers to events and social issues that they might not have otherwise discovered. I likewise selected a major in communications because it is very applicable to the modern job market in which the exchange of information and the way a company presents itself through the media is vital to the success of many companies. The world will always need communications majors, and I was extremely interested in becoming a part of this essential major that certainly prepares students for a professional working environment. I also chose to pursue a major in communication due to its tight-knit community feel at Washington State University. Through the courses and extracurriculars such as the Daily Evergreen at WSU, students are able to connect with each other in a way that is unique compared to other colleges. Whether it is the professors that are experts in their field or the creation of programs like Murrow Minutes, the Murrow College provides a great experience for students attending Washington State University which contributed to my specific interest in communications. As a result of journalism’s relevancy to my personal interests and positions outside of WSU in addition to the special environment within the Murrow College, I am confident in my decision to pursue a major in communications!
WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO ACHIEVE AFTER GRADUATION?
After graduation, I hope to attain a position at an established organization that will relate to my knowledge of communications and journalism. I am interested in a career within the field of journalism and obtaining a role in reporting within a newspaper in the Northwest. Reporting in areas such as local news, sports, and features of members within these communities are a few aspects of journalism I am hoping to gain knowledge in once I leave college. After graduation, I am also extremely interested in working with an organization to better its external use of communications, including establishing a media presence that connects with its audience and being responsible for writing and editing stories for the organization. While I have not currently established a specific route for my career path after graduation, I do know that I would love to make a difference in my community and focus on helping/informing others through my position at a newspaper or company. Although I realize many graduates often do not stay in a field that is related to their major, I am certain my interest and passion for communications will continue after graduation! Another goal I hope to achieve after graduation is to pursue my passion in travel. Writing is often a position that consists of traveling to new cities, small-towns, and possibly internationally which I really appreciate! Experiencing new cultures is one aspect of life I am very interested in, and I believe that the freedom of post graduation could possibly provide an opportunity for these travels in addition to finding a secure job that pertains to my major.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MURROW COMMUNICATION COURSE YOU’VE TAKEN SO FAR? WHY?
My favorite Murrow course I have taken thus far is COMJOUR 390 with professor Lisa Waananen Jones. As someone who entered the course with only two videos to her name and a lack of experience, I had a steep learning curve during the course, and I learned how to effectively tell visual stories. Professor Waananen Jones is my favorite professor at the university, as she has so much real-world experience and is passionate about making the course a rewarding one.
WHAT COMMUNICATION CLASS/INTERNSHIP/PRACTICAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITY ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO DURING THE 2023 – 2024 ACADEMIC YEAR AND WHY?*
I am looking forward to the Rural Plunge next year. It is rewarding to find stories in less than 48 hours and still form relationships with your sources and your Murrow team. I am hoping I will find a story worth pursuing and possibly publishing!
WHAT CLUBS, STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS OR COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS ARE YOU PART OF? DO YOU HOLD ANY LEADERSHIP POSITIONS? WHAT DO YOU ENJOY AND VALUE ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE?
I am a part of the Association for Women in Communications at WSU, and I will likely become a member of the leadership team in the 2023-2024. Throughout this experience, I really enjoyed connecting with women going through similar experiences and hearing from professionals in the industry. I also hold a public relations/marketing internship for WSU Libraries, where I value being able to write feature stories, create videos, and take photographs, all of which capture the niche aspects of the library that are extremely interesting.
* Francesca answered these questions before the fall semester started.
The generosity of alumni and donors to the Murrow College Scholarship Excellence Fund allowed the College to award more than $20,000 to 18 students for the 2023 – 2024 academic year. The Scholarship Excellence Fund combines gifts of all sizes to make impactful awards. These funds are often combined with one or more awards from Murrow’s 48 scholarship funds to provide students with more robust financial packages. This academic year we awarded, in addition to the Scholarship Excellence award, $149,000 to a total of 38 students.
This Thanksgiving season, make a gift on #GivingTuesday, Nov 28 to the Murrow College Scholarship Excellence Fund.
If you’re interested in establishing an annual or endowed scholarship fund, please reach out to:
April Johnson, Sr. Director of Development
Seattle, WA
April.s.johnson@wsu.edu
206-428-3026
Camille Vaughn, Director of Development
Pullman, WA
Camille.vaughn@wsu.edu
509-335-4575