Chosen by the faculty from the December and April graduates, Shelby Hintze and Dane Christensen were the Communications students that spoke at Friday’s convocation program.
Hintze, a public relations graduate, initially felt overwhelmed at the prospect of addressing her peers and their families. Despite that, she was eager for the chance to speak.
“I knew it would be exciting and an opportunity to leave one last mark on the BYU Communications department,” she said.
In her speech, Hintze spoke about her experience dabbling in broadcast journalism and public relations. To spice things up, she also presented a video that was filmed in one take with a friend using the infamous hashtags that are used online and in everyday conversations.
“I wanted it to be fun,” Hintze emphasized. “I feel like graduation can be a little … formal and I wanted to be serious, but I also wanted to capture the feeling of celebration and the personality of the graduates.”
During her time at BYU, Hintze has learned the importance of chasing her dreams. In the future, she aspires to be a producer on the Today show in New York City.
“One of the most important things that I’ve learned is to go after what I want,” she said. “I have the power to do what I want without permission from anyone.”
Christensen, who graduated from the recently discontinued communications studies program, was shocked at being chosen to speak at the convocation ceremony.
“I remember 40 seconds after the department chair called me, I just thought, ‘Did that just happen?’” he recalled.
During his address to the crowd, Christensen described his trip to southern Mexico where he learned that social media could create real change when compelling stories are told. He ended by encouraging graduates to take advantage of the wealth of opportunity afforded to them
Initially a mechanical engineering major, Christensen decided to change his major to communications after he saw his fiancée, now wife, enjoying the advertising program. Uninterested in the vigorous application process of the other emphases, Christensen went into communications studies.
“Believe it or not, it was a perfect sequence for me,” he admitted.
Christensen now has plans to attend graduate school in Denmark or Sweden and hopes to start his own social media management agency in the future.
“I learned from my…degree how important communications is,” he said. “If you can communicate well, you can succeed in life.”