Students From the College of Fine Arts and Communications (CFAC) Travel Internationally to Gain Real-World Experience and Share Their Talents While Studying Abroad, Competing, Interning & Performing
Each spring and summer, students in BYU’s College of Fine Arts and Communications (CFAC) take the knowledge and skills they have learned in the classroom and make their mark on communities across the globe. During July and August 2024, students had the opportunity to network with professionals, polish their skills and make connections with people around the world.
School of Communications | Global Sports Media
This year, sports media students had the unique opportunity to attend the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France. During summer term, students spent several weeks in class producing preview stories and planning for the trip to Paris. In preparation for the Olympics, students also produced multimedia content such as videos, digital content and social stories focusing on athletes with a connection to BYU or to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to be published by the Daily Universe and other distribution partners. On July 26th, students left for Paris to cover athletes competing in the Olympics and continue to produce multimedia content surrounding the Games. The content created by students during the trip will help to build up their portfolios for the future.
Journalism and sports media student Caleb Jenson said, "I can't think of a better way to build my portfolio than by being in Paris to cover the games. It's helped me to refine my skills, progress towards my goals, and gain real experience covering major events.”
“The Olympics have been a dream!" Agreed fellow journalism and sports media student Jocelyn Moody. "The media professionals we spoke with were flabbergasted that we are getting this opportunity so young. I am so blessed to attend this university and have wonderful and kind professors who navigate, inspire, lift and guide each of us not only on campus but in Paris."
School of Communications | International Advertising Awards
With stops in Italy, England, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Austria and the Dolomites, the International Advertising Awards trip offered students the chance to learn from the most prestigious international advertising award shows and understand the global and diverse cultural ideas addressed in award-winning international advertising. Students who participated in this experience had the opportunity to attend prestigious awards shows such as the Cannes Lions awards in Cannes, France and the D&AD awards in London, UK. Students also had the chance to participate in field projects with ad agencies and curriculum designed to address how to create compelling strategies, develop creative big ideas and execute award-winning campaigns.
School of Communications | Church Communications: New Zealand Internship
This summer, public relations student Ezra Leauanae had the opportunity to work as an intern for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints communications office in Auckland, New Zealand. Throughout this internship, Leauanae had a unique opportunity to learn and improve his skills in public relations. As an intern, Leauanae networked and built relationships with others on a professional scale while being involved in a wide variety of activities in order to facilitate a proper projection of the Church in the Pacific areas. These projects included drafting and publishing news releases for Pacific Area Church Newsroom, creating a social media campaign to increase awareness of senior missionary work throughout the South Pacific and assisting various Church departments in improving their internal communications processes.
“As a Samoan American, moving to New Zealand provided me with an opportunity to connect with my extended family and learn about my Samoan heritage,” said Leauanae. “I met my extended family based in Auckland for the first time, hearing stories about my family history and experiencing life alongside them. It was like finding the missing puzzle piece to my family! I’m grateful for the cultural, academic, and spiritual lessons I learned through my internship with the Church and through my time in Auckland, New Zealand.”
School of Communications | Global Faith, Belonging and the Media
Students on this study abroad had the chance to explore issues of belonging and diversity within the contexts of world religions, gender, race and class, against the backdrop of the beauty and history of France, Italy and the United Kingdom. During the trip, students also studied the media’s role in cultivating perceptions, creating identities and communicating information about these diverse groups through activities such as case studies, interactive discussions, expert lecturers and site visits.
Department of Design | Light and Truth: Photography and the Restoration
Through the medium of photography, students from the Department of Design had the opportunity to study light and truth throughout the history of the Church in the British Isles and continental Europe. Led by BYU dean of Religious Education Scott Esplin and photography area head Paul Adams, they traveled through the English and Irish countryside; hiked among Alpine peaks in France, Switzerland and Italy; and photographed stunning landscapes in those regions. The students followed the footsteps of early apostles and missionaries across the British Isles and continental Europe, studying sacred stories of sacrifice in sites like Preston, Herefordshire and Liverpool. Through the lens of a camera and the eye of faith, students learned about the lands where the gospel first took root internationally and deepened their own conversion as well as their ability to visually communicate through photography.
“I feel that the photos I took during this study abroad have greatly improved my portfolio and will set me apart as I prepare to look for an internship,” said photography student Emma Olson. “I am equally grateful for the spiritual experiences I had. Seeing Church history sites, visiting temples and attending sacrament meetings in different countries strengthened my testimony of our Savior and of His church.”
“I’ve loved having the opportunity to improve my photography skills while expanding into new subject matters that aren’t typically found at home in the U.S,” another photography student, Mia Watson, said. “I feel that this experience has encouraged me to continue learning and growing as both a photographer and a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”
Department of Design | Siggraph 3D Animation Conference
Students from the Department of Design and College of Computational, Mathematical and Physical Sciences attended Siggraph, the largest conference for 3D animation industry professionals. The students presented a panel on their film capstone with the goal to open doors in the film industry. Siggraph gave students a glimpse into that industry, networking opportunities and allowed them to get feedback on their work.
School of Music | International Conference of the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles
BYU's Wind Symphony gave a full concert performance at the 2024 International Conference of the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles (WASBE) in South Korea. They are one of ten bands selected to perform for the world's only global band organization. "This will, without question, be the biggest year in the history of the BYU Wind Symphony," said Shawn Smith, Director of Bands at BYU. They chose to perform George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue," a composition marking its 100th anniversary. The piece showcases a clarinet solo by the student Reuben Allan and a piano solo played by Jihea Hong-Park, an associate professor in piano performance and native of South Korea. In addition to performing for people who are "deeply involved in band music," the Wind Symphony performed in a park for the general public.