Communication Alumni Updates

steve barrios

Communication, 1992

I was at a San Jose sharks game the other night, when the people in front of me an I started talking. Come to find out they were HSU alumnus too, we talked about the old times and all the goodtimes in arcata!!!! What a small world, and what cool people go or have gone to HSU. Go JACKS

Kristin Coker

Communication, 1989

Kristin is a proud alum of the Speech Communication Department! After graduation, she worked as an Admissions Counselor for Heald Business College. She traveled to San Francisco East Bay high schools and spoke of the importance of staying in school and striving for a higher education. Kristin also worked for a nonprofit organization called Contra Costa ARC, where she was an HR recruiter. The agency was developed to employ and educate adults with developmental disabilities.  
 

Kristin says her degree was the best choice for me, as it opened many doors to many job market opportunities.   

Dr. Carolyn Dunn

CommunicationIndian Teacher Education Personnel Program (ITEPP), 1986

Carolyn Dunn, 1986 Communication, was recently named associate vice president of institutional diversity for Central Michigan University. In addition to her new post, Dunn has contributed to Project Upward Bound, a program that trains students to succeed in college.

Craig Sides

CommunicationSpeech Communication, 1980

Craig was invited to be a guest on the "Bold Leadership Stories Show," Among all the guests, he, by far, has had the most views! Putting HSU on the map as the owner of Temecula Valley Solar. He thanked Humboldt State on his Facebook page.

Brian Akre

Communication, 1980

I recently moved my family to The Hague to become senior speechwriter for the CEO and senior leadership of Royal Dutch Shell. I previously worked as head of Executive Speaker Services at Nokia in Finland. Earlier this year, I received a Cicero Speechwriting Award for a speech I wrote with Nokia's former CEO, which was delivered at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in 2010.

Margot Genger

Communication, 1973

Margot Genger, Communication, 1973, published “Shift Happens — Breakdowns During Life's Long Hauls” in March 2018. Susan Bennett, Ph.D., English Professor Emeritus, writes: "Out of desperation to escape the confines of her small Northern California town, Genger breaks every rule of her 1970s social class, gender, and upbringing to become a long-haul truck driver. 'Shift Happens' will make you laugh, cringe, and celebrate as Margot navigates the underground life of long-haul truck driving with 11 different driving partners. She crisscrosses the U.S. delivering everything from Hustler magazines to Washington State apples — sees both the beauty and the meanness that is America — and eventually realizes what she values in 'home'."