William Jessup University
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHT
DIGITAL COMMUNICATION AND DESIGN
by Jessica Hice
More than eight out of 10 people get their news from a smartphone , according to a 2021 Pew Research Center study . This change has caused disruptions in the traditional roles of news media consumers and media professionals alike .
In response to this cultural shift , Jessup launched the Digital Communication and Design bachelor ’ s degree program in 2019 to produce graduates who can adapt to the ever-changing climate of communication .
“ Students have to be unbelievably savvy because there is so much competition and so many different tools for producing media ,” says Paul Robins , lead faculty for the Digital Communication and Design program .
Robins knows what it takes . He ’ s an Emmy Award-winning media professional with over 35 years of experience in national broadcast media , including the Discovery Channel and PBS , and locally in San Francisco and Sacramento . Robins was the morning news anchor at Fox 40 for over 10 years before taking his current position at Jessup just over two years ago .
A few of the program classes are taught by Robins himself and the rest are led by staff from other degree programs on campus to create what Robins calls a “ contemporary communications study program ” to help create wellrounded students .
“ It needs to be different than when I got my degree in the 1970s ,” he says . “ People will leave with skills to put messages on screens . Every business , every ministry , every nonprofit will require this skill . It ’ s a skill as essential as IT . Even plumbing shops and engineers need students with these skills .”
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
KYLE JOHNSTON
Executive Director , Lookwell Media Major : Youth Ministry / Bible & Theology Current City : Denver , CO
Jessup not only taught Kyle Johnston how to organize his life , but also how to believe in himself .
“ I had a 2.5 GPA my sophomore year of high school ,” Johnston admits . “ But I graduated Jessup with a 3.75 . I was able to learn how to prioritize and juggle a lot of things at once , which set me up for later on in adult life . Jessup made me realize I was more capable than I thought .”
This confidence boost came in handy post-college when Johnston was feeling “ a little lost ” working in youth ministry and doing video production on the side . When a friend suggested he reach out to ( now late ) university President Emeritus Bryce Jessup for mentorship , Johnston assumed the revered leader wouldn ’ t have time . To Johnston ’ s delight , Jessup agreed and the two men met once a month for more than a year , which changed Johnston ’ s trajectory .
He went on to make his side hustle into his main gig by founding Lookwell Media in 2014 . The full-service video production company has produced work for clients including Budweiser , Smashburger , Pete ’ s Coffee , Bud Light , The Design Network and more — all because someone took an interest . “ What Dr . Jessup taught me was so valuable ,” Johnston says . “ I wasn ’ t some rich donor , but he still made time for me . I hope I can be like that .”
GABRIELLE BOSCHÉ
President , The Millennial Solution Major : Public Policy Current City : Dallas , TX
“ Most of us don ’ t know why we believe what we believe ,” says Gabrielle Bosché , founder of millennial strategy firm The Millennial Solution and cofounder with husband Brian of The Purpose Company . “ But Jessup helped me understand and question — in a healthy way — what I thought was true , solidify what I know to be true and to communicate that in an authentic and respectful way .”
Bosché ’ s life is all about communication . As a student at Jessup , she studied public policy with real-life practitioners who helped her form a professional network she benefits from to this day . After landing her dream job at the California State Senate just out of college , Bosché realized she wanted to do more . At age 24 , she started The Millennial Solution as a way to help companies bridge the generation gap to motivate young employees .
“ Our purpose is generational reconciliation ,” says the bestselling author and international speaker , whose clients include the U . S . Navy , Comcast , Audi , Walmart and more . “ It ’ s not just about ‘ How do we change to make young people not hate us ?’, it ’ s about ‘ How do we learn from each other and build great things together ?’”
Which is a concept she first learned at Jessup . “ The heart behind the school has always been partnering with students on their purpose ,” she says .
100 comstocksmag . com | August 2021