Graduate Work Portfolio

Ernie Gonzalez and John Culbertson

The Color of Coverage is a project inspired by the late Lawrence Fan, a Chinese-American who dedicated his life’s work to serving members of the media as a sports information director at San Jose State for 42 years.  This project aims to examine the ongoing struggles racial and ethnic minorities in sports media face. We hope that by highlighting these topics through the content we create, we will be able to spark further discussion. Ultimately, our project delves  into our participants' careers and identifies issues of underrepresentation in the industry and how we may be able to solve them. 

Candace Farmer

This individual project is focused on implementing and launching my personal brand and establishing myself as a social media content creator. The main goal of the content is to share my knowledge in fashion styling and beauty tips in a fun and easily digestible way. With future aspirations of a career in fashion media, establishing my own personal brand is essential to create a strong portfolio that showcases my individuality, creativity and consistency in media. This project is heavily focused on content creation by maintaining multiple platforms including Instagram, TikTok and YouTube accounts along with a personal brand website. 

Maitreyee Gaikwad

Snaphud is a photography company that bridges the gap between photographers and clients. Snaphud provides professional photography services to individuals, businesses, and events while providing a platform for up-and-coming and freelance photographers. The company's goal is to capture memories and create high-quality images that can be cherished for a lifetime. To achieve this, Snaphud has developed a unique and personalized approach to photography.To promote its services, we are launching a marketing campaign that will target potential customers across various platforms. The campaign will leverage social media, email marketing, and influencer partnerships to build brand awareness and drive conversions.

Samantha Hamada

Prepared, not Scared is a product line for the startup of my E-commerce business, Faultedlines LLC, whose goal is to prepare for the unexpected through stationery goods. This challenges the thoughts of ‘no time and no resources’ to help users realize what is in their control when starting to prepare for a disaster situation.  Through planners, game plans, social media, and blog posts, there is a spread of awareness, tips, and guidance for preparing before a natural disaster happens. Faultedlines LLC was created through this project to help bring more awareness to science communication and actively bring the discussion to preparedness.

Rachelle Bedell, Andrea Casas Topete, Zehra Momoni, and Shinga Yoshimine

"JUST SAY IT!" was born by a passionate team of four master’s students at San Jose State University - Rachelle Bedell, Andrea Casas Topete, Zehra Momini, and Shinga Yoshimine.Our podcast aims to educate and inspire people working in strategic communications to help advance and grow their careers through in-depth, personal conversations with communications professionals. We share wisdom, take a look at life lessons, learn from significant business or career moves, and unpack these conversations into smart, actionable takeaways that can be incorporated into everyday communication practices.

Sarah Sager

Zee received her license in 2008, but started her own business in 2018, known as Zee Massage. This massage business is based out of Salinas, CA. Zee has a small clientele, with little to no social media presence. By creating a website, it allows her to bring in more clients and connect with those around her. Massage therapy is a great way to relax and help a person’s well-being. Massage helps reduce muscle pain and relieve stress. With this website, customers can make appointments and learn more about the benefits of massage. She is a self-owned business, with hopes to expand in the future.  

Merlina San Nicolas Leyva

Mexican journalists have been targets of constant harassment and violence from drug cartels and corrupt government officials. In recent years, the pressure on Mexican journalists has increased due to the rampant spread of misinformation, especially from presidential sources, which discredit journalists and call them ‘fake.’ In such an anti-press atmosphere, Mexican journalists are forced to rethink their roles in society, and their news-gathering practices — an area that has been largely ignored by media scholars. This study surveys 250 Mexican journalists to understand their perceptions of journalistic roles and values in an anti-press milieu, their motivations, and their professional practices for fact-checking and debunking misinformation. The results of the study will help in understanding how Mexican journalists have adopted news verification processes to provide journalism of the highest quality when faced with rampant online misinformation in a quasi-democratic country. 

Kim Fletcher, Joe Kim, and Rishi Vyas

CommUniverCity began as a grassroots effort by San Jose State University Urban Planning facility. With the help of university students and community outreach, the group was able to create a safer physical environment for those living in downtown San Jose. As is often the case with a successful campaign, ideas for growth expanded, and the non-profit organization known as CommUniverCity was founded. Its name symbolizes the intertwining of the local community, SJSU, and the city of San Jose. Together these three entities make up the foundation of CommUniverCity. The purpose of CommUniverCity is to create a safe and enriching environment for all.