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Carving Slopes and Developing Skills: The Connection Between Capstones and Careers.

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Searching for fresh powder, Jo Veit traverses up the mountain terrain. Veit worked r minimal amount so he would have just enough money to live his life outdoors during the summer and winter months. Photo Courtesy of Joshua Landon.

PR Student: Shelley Safaee
This article was produced in cooperation with the COMMS 425 lab.

Winter is almost here, which means scores of skiers from around the world are about to hit the Utah slopes for the season. During the 2017 winter semester, Joshua Landon and Alexis Erickson decided to capture the stories of some of these winter sports fans for their news media capstone project. While these students loved their experience, the important part wasn’t just telling stories, it was gaining skills for their careers.

Creating the Connection

Landon, now a BYU alum, said the skills he learned from his capstone project have been beneficial throughout his career. Landon currently works for Lava Surf, a social media marketing company located in the Silicon Slopes of Utah. As part of his job responsibilities, Landon conducts social media management campaigns and uses the Adobe creative suite, using skills he began developing in the news media program at BYU.

Landon explained the BYU news media program also taught him how to glean valuable information from an interview. “I learned how to get good answers out of people, rather than just the typical yes or no answers.”

While working on their capstone project, Landon and Erickson spent hours researching and tracking down skiers on Reddit. After researching the skiers’ stories, the students contacted the athletes for interviews and set up meetings on the mountain.

Applying the Arlberg Technique to News Media 

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Ian Rice showcases his Subaru Outback, which also doubles as his home. Rice travelled around the Western United States to ski, so he cooked, and slept in the back of his truck so he could travel wherever he wanted. Photo Courtesy of Joshua Landon.

Landon also said the news media program taught him videography and how to edit film to produce a professional documentary.

“There is so much you can learn that can be applied in so many different ways,” Landon said. The documentary “The Life of a Ski Bum” highlights technical angles of skiers as they glide through fresh powder. Although the documentary has been published for less than a year, it already has more than 4,000 views on YouT­ube.

Capstones: Obtaining the End of the Graduated Length Method

In the BYU School of Communications, all students are required to complete an internship and capstone course. These experiential learning opportunities exist not only to give students real world experience, but also to help students develop writing and professional communication skills that will make them marketable in the workforce.

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Evan Hill earns money fighting fires during the summer months so he can ski throughout the winter season. Photo Courtesy of Joshua Landon.

Landon recommended students apply the skills they learn during their education throughout all aspects of their lives.  “Find a way to use what you’ve learned to bring about change wherever you decide to go,” Landon said. “ doesn’t need to be within journalism, or ad, or public relations. What you learn can be so beneficial wherever you end up.”