Meet the Chair: Peg Achterman

Welcome to the Department of Communication and Journalism. We are six faculty members, more than 100 majors, and thousands of alumni.

What Can You Do With a Communication Degree?

Students and parents often ask me that question. My answer is, “Just about anything you want to do.” Here is what a few of our Communication and Journalism alumni have done with their Communication or Journalism degrees:

  • Captain Adam Gregory ’08 is a media operations officer at the United States Air Force Press Desk at the Pentagon.
  • Alissa Baier ’07, Journalism emphasis, graduated from Seattle University Law School and is now an attorney for the Union Gospel Mission.
  • Breyanne Nortvedt ’08 works as a singer, model, and actress in Los Angeles.
  • Stefan Bennett ’08 is the customer service manager at Gravity Payments.
  • Chris Banchero ’11 plays professional basketball in the Philippines.
  • Dr. Jonah Attebery ’04 is currently on a fellowship in pediatric medicine at Washington University in St. Louis.
  • Kyle Tyler ’99 is the senior web merchandising manager at Tirebuyer.com.
  • Nasue Nishida ’99 is executive director of the Center for Strengthening the Teaching Profession in Olympia.
  • Danielle Knight ’11 works for Total Traffic Network. Her voice can be heard as the traffic reporter on most Seattle radio stations.
  • Jason Zingsheim ’00 is an assistant professor of communication at Governors State University in Illinois.

A Communication or Journalism degree is a liberal arts degree — that’s liberal in the sense of “liberating.” A liberal arts degree frees you from the limitations of your previous life experience and prepares you to face the many options available in the wider world. I invite you to explore our site and, better yet, prepare to explore the world with us as a Communication and Journalism major or minor!