Alumni Profiles

We begin with baseball. With an impressionable 12-year-old boy at Tampa’s Al Lopez Field to watch a Cincinnati Reds spring training game circa 1972. The hits and catches and strikes and outs are unimportant to him. His eyes are on the bleachers. There, nailed into the flat metal rows, was…

Before Rico Pasqualini was the president of the world’s leading backpack maker, he was a public relations student at the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications. Much has changed in his life between then and now, but one aspect remains the same: At both the CJC and JanSport,…

It all started when he picked up a film camera for a class assignment. This simple task sparked the defining moment that would set the tone for Jerry Ketcham’s successful film career. “I was able to write, direct and edit my little film. When it was completed, I projected it…

Perched in his Los Angeles kitchen is one of Rich Preuss’ most prized possessions, the 1995 Most Valuable Player Award, a recognition he received while working as a production student at WUFT-TV. Now he can add another prestigious award to his collection – a 2017 Primetime Emmy Award. Preuss, a…

The idea of being a sportscaster always appealed to Rick Stern. He knew it might be a long shot, but was willing to give it a try. He became a Telecommunication major, took the required classes and even sought advice and direction from his instructor and trusted advisor, Dr. Sid…

Angela Buonocore always loved writing but, like many freshly minted graduates, was not quite sure what she wanted to do with her life.  As it turns out, she quickly found her calling. Angela, who retired from corporate life in December 2014, is a former member of the Public Relations Advisory…

A passion for storytelling combined with early hands-on experience inspired Craig Heyl to pursue a career in video production. Along the way, Heyl has been a news editor, video producer, Turner Broadcasting senior vice president, Georgia State University professor and now he is working with team at Pinewood Studios in…

In 1985, Yvette Miley came to CJC to get her hands dirty. She had one goal: become immersed in broadcasting. On her third day on campus, she volunteered for WRUF-AM. There, Miley found her passion. So much so that she soon quit going to class, lost her scholarship and almost…

Danny Wuerffel: 20th Anniversary of Winning the Heisman Trophy By Sara Perlman, TEL 2017 “My experience at Florida, both as a student and football player, had a great impact on my life and continues to do so on a daily basis.” It has been 20 years since Danny Wuerffel, B.S.…

Ramon Looby began his academic career in the UF College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, but upon graduation he knew that he wanted more. He had a passion for communication and found a kindred spirit in the UF College of Journalism and Communications. That kindred spirt was Dr. Lynda Kaid,…

Lainey Johnson Garcia considered herself an “impressionable” undergrad and one class with Dr. Mary Ann Ferguson left an impression that she would carry throughout her career. Dr. Ferguson encouraged her students to consider the role of business to be a force for good in the world and as communicators, to…

Scott Tatter, B.S. Telecommunication 1984, had his defining moment one night at a music nightclub. Tatter graduated from the CJC with a degree in hand and had no clue what his future held. He was supposed to be a football phenomenon, but that never happened after he blew out his…