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Alumni Spotlight: Shevon Greene

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We connected with Shevon Greene, a Communication Studies, Film, and New Media department alum. Shevon graduated in 2021 with a degree in Communication Studies. She has answered several questions letting us know about her experience at Augsburg and what she is doing now.

Shevon Greene
Photo of Shevon Greene

Tell us a bit about yourself.  

“I was born and raised in Minneapolis and have lived in the metro area for most of my life. I still reside in Minneapolis on the outskirts of downtown. I love the creative side of communications, advertising and content creation, I have a passion for DEI  [Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion] and a fun fact about me is that I adopted a hedgehog a couple years ago.”

What are you doing now?  

“After being a college intern with Xcel Energy for 3 years within HR and Communications departments, I was offered a job as a Brand Assistant in the Ad & Brand department. My job is essentially being a brand champion, which means being an expert in the brand standards and guidelines and encouraging that within the company, ensuring that all communications and ads are up to brand standard, and I also assist in content creation and writing for various ads on behalf of Xcel Energy.” 

How are you using what you studied in the Department of Communication Studies, Film, and New Media Studies in your current job? What helped prepare you for your current job?

“Two classes that instantly come to mind are Interpersonal Communication and Intercultural Communication. I remember learning about Interpersonal Communication, specifically about different cues in both verbal and nonverbal communication, and seeing that in the workplace now has been insightful. Intercultural Communication was also a great class to take, especially for the workplace when you are communicating and collaborating with different people who have their own ways of communication based on how they were raised or what their customs are. “

What advice do you have for current students majoring in Communication Studies, Film, and/or New Media Studies?

“Enjoy the classes while you still have them because I miss them a lot and I’m grateful that I learned so much from them. Also, don’t feel pressured to know exactly what you want to do with your career right away. Just live in the moment and take in the learning experiences.” 

Are there any projects you’re currently working on that you’d like to share with us?

“Currently I am helping lead on the steering committee of Xcel Energy’s first Asian American Pacific Islander Business Resource Group as the Communications & Branding Director.” 

Alumni Spotlight: Callie Jones

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We connected with Callie Jones, a Communication Studies, Film & New Media department alumna. She graduated in 2017 with a major in Film Production, and minors in Communications and Spanish. She answered several questions letting us know about her experience at Augsburg and what she is doing now. 

Tell us about yourself. Where do you currently work, live, etc.

Callie Jones Headshot

I’m currently working as a freelance television broadcast technician in the Twin Cities. My current position is doing Graphics as a Television Broadcast Technician with the Minnesota House of Representatives in the Information Services Department.

What was your major and what year did you graduate? 

At Augsburg I majored in Film Production with minors in Communications and Spanish. I graduated in 2017.

What are you doing now?  Describe what your job entails.

As a freelancer, I have had the opportunity to hold several different positions over the last four years. I primarily work in Sports Production and have worked for Fox Sports North, The NFL Network, ABC, and Long Haul Trucking – just to name a few fun ones. I spend most days on television production trucks for high school, college, and semi-professional sports broadcasts around the Twin Cities as an editor, graphics operator, score box operator, replay operator, and camera person! Every day is different, and that’s a huge part of why I love my job.

How are you using what you studied in the Department of Communication Studies, Film, and New Media Studies in your current job?

The classes that prepared me most for my current job taught me how to do every aspect of production! Learn as many different aspects of the industry as you can. Being knowledgeable about different crew positions makes finding work easier until you find your niche!

What was the most memorable part of your experience at Augsburg? In our department?

I met my best friends in the Film Department making short films in Murphy Square on a 16mm Bolex. A lot of my time overlapped with the Athletic Department as a Track and Field Athlete where I met some of the best people, traveled around the US, ran really fast, and made two sports documentaries with the support of the Film and Athletic Departments. I was lucky to go to a school that really understood the student-athlete experience. I had the best of both worlds doing all of the things that I loved as a student/artist and as an athlete. I never felt like I had to choose one over another.

What advice do you have for current students majoring in Communication Studies, Film, and/or New Media Studies?

Use the “small school” aspect of Augsburg to your advantage – really build relationships with your professors and the staff at Augsburg! They will be able to better help you choose classes that you are passionate about, give you the support you need while you are working on projects/films in college, and get you connected to people at Augsburg and in the community that can help you be successful after graduation. I owe the professors and staff at Augsburg so much for connecting me to the right people my senior year. Professor Jenny Hanson, Don Stoner (Sports Information Department, Augsburg Athletics), Kelly Anderson Diercks (Associate Athletic Athletic Director), and Former Head Track and Field Coach, Emily Hackert, helped bring my keystone documentary to life. They did everything they could to support my project, and that short film helped me get the internship that kick-started my career.

Anything you didn’t learn/encounter during your time spent in college that you wish you would have known heading into the professional workforce?

Be flexible when you are getting started in the industry. Taking jobs that don’t pay well or are really long days may be discouraging, but you get 100% out of it what you put in. Talk to people that are in roles that you could see yourself in 1 year, 5 years, 10 years. Ask them what they did to get there, what they were doing at your age, what their favorite gig has been, or what they like/dislike about their job. This will help inform your career path and tell you what you need to be doing now to get to where you want to be later. I still do this four years after college, and it can be a great ice breaker on set.

Alumni Spotlight: Cole Seidl

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We connected with Cole Seidl, a Communication Studies, Film & New Media department alumni. He graduated in 2012 with a major in Film, on the Production track. He answered several questions letting us know about his experience at Augsburg and what he is doing now. 

Tell us about yourself. Where do you currently work, live, etc.

I currently live in Rochester, New York. I moved here just recently from Bethlehem, Palestine, where I was a Visiting Assistant Professor of Media Studies at Al Quds Bard College. I returned to the U.S. to take a tenure track position with Monroe Community College.

What was your major and what year did you graduate?

I majored in Film, on the Production track.

What are you doing now?  Describe what your job entails.

I am currently a professor of Cinema and Screen Studies. I teach film history, critical analysis, and video production courses. I also advise Senior Thesis Projects virtually at Al Quds Bard College for the students graduating from the Media Studies program there.

How are you using what you studied in the Department of Communication Studies, Film, and New Media Studies in your current job? 

I teach film and media studies, so my background studying it at Augsburg was the base knowledge I used to build my understanding of the concepts and films I currently teach.

What was the most memorable part of your experience at Augsburg? In our department?

I received an URGO grant to shoot a feature film, which functioned as the crash course to managing a feature film set. The film I made during that grant became a key part of my resume for my graduate school applications. The most memorable part of the department was the relationships I built with other students. I still keep in contact and work on film projects with several of them.

What advice do you have for current students majoring in Communication Studies, Film, and/or New Media Studies?

Make as much work as possible and foster relationships with those who are making interesting work. Once you leave school, it’s difficult to find a large number of passionate, creative people. You can get a jump start right now.

Is there anything you’re currently working on (inside/outside of work) that you would like to share with us?

I’ve started pre-production for a feature film to shoot in Palestine with some of my former students.

Another Festival for Samiera Abou-Nasr’s film “Of Our Youth”

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WRITTEN BY PRESTON PETERSON

Film characters talking in a restaurant [Still image from the film]
“OF OUR YOUTH” Directed by Samiera Abou-Nasr
Augsburg University film alum Samiera Abou-Nasr has a short film being featured in the Twin Cities Arab Film Festival. She was interviewed by Minnesota Daily, a local student-run media and newsgroup, to talk about filmmaking and her experiences.

The Twin Cities Arab Film Festival is happening September 26-29. You can see “Of Our Youth” at the festival being held at St. Anthony Main Theatre in Northeast Minneapolis. Her short film will play in a block of other local films on Saturday, September 28 at 4 p.m. For more info and ticket information visit the MSP Film Society.

Editor’s Note: Did you miss the festival? You can watch “Of Our Youth” online. Find it featured under Student Work. You can also here Samiera and JC talk about the film during a red carpet interview at the Twin Cities Film Festival.