COLUMBUS, Ga. (WRBL) — Columbus State University's (CSU) Department of Communication hosted their annual "Night for the Stars" event. It serves as a time to honor and recognize the stars – or students – who are studying to become our next journalists, filmmakers and so much more.
Alumni were recognized, answering the question: "What can you do with a communications degree?"
I'm Michelle Jennings, I graduated in Spring of 2023, and I'm a news reporter at WRBL.
SOT: Michelle, Jennings, WRBL Reporter
Current communication majors were awarded thousands of dollars in scholarships on behalf of CSU partners like WRBL, the Barbara Hart family and the Rao Family. For some, the scholarships can make all the difference in their academic careers.
Many of our students, despite their hard work and their passion to be in this program and to get a degree, many of them have to work two or three jobs just to go to school. So getting a scholarship makes such a difference.
Dr. Danna Gibson, Professor & Department of Communication Chair
The department presented a new scholarship this year – the Ryan Boles Scholarship. In December 2023, CSU lost one of their very own, 23-year-old Ryan Boles. Boles graduated with honors from CSU, where he was a film major and a well-known member of the communications department. His family was in attendance, awarding two students scholarships of $2,500 and $5,000 in Ryan's honor.
We're so honored to have his family join us tonight. Talk about a way to take sadness and darkness and turn it into hope for the next generation.
Dr. Danna Gibson, Professor & Department of Communication Chair
During the ceremony, students surprised the Boles family with a heartfelt video showcasing the impact Ryan had on them and the entire department. Although the lights were dimmed, there wasn't a dry eye seen in the theater.
When selecting the two students who received the Ryan Boles Scholarship, the faculty and Ryan's family wanted the scholarships to go to students who knew Ryan and shared a passion for content creation.
One student says the scholarships awarded are much more than a check.
Seeing where the scholarship dollars, you know, where they come from and seeing that they're from partnerships the department has and having that interconnectedness with our partners and our students and seeing how those partnerships help students thrive through scholarships, our internships or anything like that. So it's really a nice time to kind of see these people face to face.
Sydney Frazier, Department Coordinator, CSU Department of Communication
Professor and Department of Communication Chair, Dr. Danna Gibson, made two special announcements. The department is hiring a new faculty member for the next school year, Dr. Nili Cimand. Dr. Gibson also announced the launch of their new Professional in Residence Program. The program aims to bring students and working professionals together by flipping the typical internship on its head – bringing the professional to the student.
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