Armed with a degree in mass communication with a concentration in journalism and a wealth of hands-on experience, Santana is ready to make his mark in the fast-paced and dynamic field of broadcast journalism.

鈥淚 am super grateful for 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock and the journey I鈥檝e gone through,鈥� Santana said. 鈥淐oming here was the best decision I made in my academic career. I can鈥檛 wait to see where my career takes me.鈥�

As he prepares to take the next step in his career, Santana reflected on the inspiration and skills he has learned through three internships. He spent two summers interning with the Dumas Clarion newspaper through the Arkansas Newspaper Foundation鈥檚 Summer Internship Program. His internship was specially sponsored by donations from the Arkansas Press Women, the Dumas Chamber of Commerce, Dumas Economic Development, and Merchants & Farmers Bank of Dumas in memory of Charlotte Tillar Schexnayder, who owned and published The Dumas Clarion for 44 years with her husband Melvin.

鈥淭he Dumas Clarion built my journalism knowledge, and they created a stepping stone for me to enter the journalism field, and I will forever be grateful for them,鈥� Santana said. 鈥淚 learned how to find local news, how to network, and how to attend press conferences. The last two summers went very well. I learned everything I needed to learn as a young journalist.鈥�

During the fall 2023 semester, Santana had the opportunity to intern at KATV, where he worked with Brenda Lepenski and decided that he wanted to work in broadcast journalism.

鈥淚t was a really exciting internship. I learned how the everyday life of a broadcast journalist works,鈥� he said. 鈥淭ime management is really important. Brenda taught me a lot and gave me so much great advice. I鈥檓 very excited about going into broadcasting.

Now that his college career is coming to an end, Santana expressed gratitude to Linna Jones and Rick Wright from the Dumas Clarion, as well as Professors Tim Edwards, Jamie Byrne McCollum, Kiel Thorlton, and Sonny Rhodes from 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock鈥檚 School of Mass Communication for helping him build his skills as a journalist.

At 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock, Santana also serves as a reporter and photographer for the student newspaper, the Forum, as well as co-vice president and social media chair for the Hispanic/Latinx Initiative. He was recently inducted into the Kappa Tau Alpha honor society, where he received the Top Scholar Award for having the highest GPA of a graduating student.

For other students who are thinking about going to college, Santana鈥檚 advice for them is to get involved in campus life.

鈥淭his is what I learned during my first year of college when I was really stuck at my dorm,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 feel like college is about more than just receiving a degree. You need to make friends, network, participate in student organizations, and connect with people who will help you in your journey.鈥�

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Daniel Breen, a 2018 graduate of 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock and award-winning reporter and news anchor for 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Public Radio, served as the keynote speaker.

鈥淢y journey from a student at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock to newsroom leader has taken me a long way, and I am grateful to be where I am today,鈥� Breen said. 鈥淢y mentors here at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock gave me the space to breathe and learn and ensured that I had the strongest foundation possible for growth.鈥�

Dr. Tim Edwards, interim chair of the School of Mass Communication, and Professor Sonny Rhodes presented the Meritorious Service Award to Arkansas Press Association/Arkansas Newspaper Foundation and the Arkansas Broadcasters Association for their invaluable support to mass communication students at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock.

Six students were inducted into Kappa Tau Alpha, a college honor society that recognizes academic excellence and promotes scholarship in journalism and mass communication. These students include undergraduate students Jesse Cain, Allison Risius, Olivia Hicks, and Ahmed Elkhattabi as well as graduate students Abigail Carlson and Daniela Dehaghani. Cain also received the Top Scholar Award.

Students who received the Academic Achievement Award for being on the Chancellor鈥檚 List and/or Dean鈥檚 List include Shalonda Nelson, Allison Risius, Jaelyn Tucker, Kayla Woods, Adrian Rogers, Emily Wells, Ahmed Elkhattabi, Jesse Cain, Kate Benne, Kristin Divino, Olivia Hicks, Braden Rainey, and Miles Miller.

Mass communication students who received additional awards include:

• Outstanding/Top Graduating Senior Award – Jesse Cain and Allison Risius
• Outstanding/Top Graduating Graduate Student Award – Franca Afolabi and Diana Denning
• Clifton O. Lawhorne Memorial Award – Chloe McGehee – Awarded to journalism student/major who exemplifies outstanding leadership.
• Director’s Award – Emily Wells – Presented to a student who demonstrates initiative, leadership, collaboration, and engagement both in and out of the classroom, and whose efforts contribute to the life of the School of Mass Communication.

The School of Mass Communication awarded nearly $100,000 in scholarships to students for the 2023-24 academic year. Mass communication students who received scholarships include:

• The Dan and Johnnie Winn Memorial Scholarship 鈥� Matt Anderson, George Arthur, Andrew Bacon, Kevin Beckwith, Kiara Bradford, Arielle Fresh, John Reed, Adrian Rogers, and Kelle Watts
• K.A. Engel Memorial Scholarship 鈥� Kate Benne, Kristin Divino, Ahmed Elkhattabi, Daniela Montero, John Reed, Kennedi Stephens, and Daneisha Whitaker
• Golden Mike Award/Steve Stephens & Belinda Shults Endowed Scholarship 鈥� Matt Anderson
• Arkansas Broadcasters Association Endowed Scholarship 鈥� Adrian Rogers
• TreDay.com Scholarship 鈥� Daneisha Whitaker
• Television Broadcasters of Arkansas Scholarship – Ahmed Elkhattabi
• RD Doubleday Endowed Scholarship 鈥� Andrew Bacon
• Roy Mitchell Scholarship – Ahmed Elkhattabi
• Governor Orval E. Faubus Scholarship 鈥� Frankquetta Mallett
• Jane and John Thompson Endowed Journalism Scholarship 鈥� Ebony Gurley
• Herbert and Gertrude Latkin Scholarship Fund 鈥� Kate Benne
• Jerol Garrison Endowed Journalism Scholarship 鈥� Kristin Divino
• William K. Rutherford Freedom of Information Act Endowed Memorial Scholarship 鈥� Kate Benne
• Jason Irby Scholarship 鈥� Kevin Beckwith
• Harry Ashmore Award 鈥� Kristin Divino
• Edith Woods Sweezy Memorial Scholarship in Journalism – Daniela Montero

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