What is the Dean’s Student Circle?
At the School of Communication, students are at the core of all we do. The Dean’s Student Circle (DSC) is an organization of student ambassadors who represent the School to prospective students, new students, and the University of Miami at large by participating in outreach and recruitment, leading tours, and assisting in orientations and panels. Members also share ideas and student feedback with School leadership.
The DSC also offers a mentorship program which connects students within their first two semesters at the SoC with students who have ideally at least three semesters at the School.
The Dean’s Student Circle Mentorship Program
The Dean’s Student Circle Mentorship Program at the School of Communication helps students succeed by connecting students within their first two semesters at the SoC with students who have ideally at least three semesters at the School. This program equips new students with the resources and peer guidance needed to help them navigate the multiple facets of college life.
Student Ambassadors
Student Ambassadors must have at least 2 semesters completed in the School of Communication. In this role, members represent the School to prospective students, new students, and the UM community by participating in outreach and recruitment, leading tours, and assisting in orientation activities and panel discussions. They also share ideas and student feedback with School leadership.
Mentors
Mentors are Student Ambassadors who ideally have at least 3 semesters with the School of Communication. The ideal mentor has already completed an internship, devoted time to a University of Miami organization, and used the resources on campus. Mentors are paired with new students who may not be familiar with all the opportunities available at UM.
Mentees
If you are new to the School of Communication, the DSC Mentorship Program was designed with you in mind. As part of this program, you are paired with a mentor in one of your areas of study who will show you how to utilize the resources at UM and at the School to maximize your experience. This opportunity allows newer students to form developmental relationships that help them navigate the academic, professional, and practical realities of college life.
How to Join
Visit one of the links above to complete an online form. Complete applications include a resume, a letter of recommendation, and at least a 3.0 GPA in both the SoC and UM. Selected students will be asked to participate in a short interview.
All applicants must be in good standing and students in the School of Communication.
Responsibilities
New student transfer orientation activities (at the beginning of each semester)
Special Events (including, but not limited to: Open House, Family Weekend, Communication Week, guest speakers, panels, etc.)
Participate in outreach and recruitment
Giving a tour once a week or once every other week based on the student’s schedule/availability
Help the Admissions, Academic and Alumni Office during advising times
Assist in phone campaigns
Mentoring of Freshmen
Peer Counseling
Help students as they look for internships or jobs, promote events
Current Ambassadors/Mentors
Cameron Aynehchi
Hometown: Orange County, CA
Major: Advertising and Film
Favorite Internship: Waldorf Astoria
Extracurricular Activities: Pi Kappa Phi Philanthropy Chair, U Miami Chabad, Canes for Israel
Favorite Quote: “If you make it congrats, but if you miss try again.”
Margaret Christovich
Hometown: Potomac, MD
Major: Communication Honors—Website Development and Design
Minor: Art
Favorite Internship: Web Developer with UM Communications
Extracurricular Activities: Graphic Designer for Art for Kids, Web Developer with Orange Umbrella, UM Communications Web Team
Favorite Quote: “The secret of getting ahead is getting started.” -Mark Twain
Catherine Coffenberg
Hometown: Fair Haven, NJ
Major: Media Management
Minor: Music Business and Entertainment, Sport Administration
Favorite Internship: Content Writer at SportsBlog.com
Extracurricular Activities: HP Concerts, Orientation Fellow, USPORT, Intramural Club Tennis, UMLUX, American Marketing Association, Media Management Association, Tutor at the Camner Center
Favorite Quote: “There may be people who have more talent than you, but there’s no excuse for anyone to work harder than you do.” -Derek Jeter
Leslie Dominique
Hometown: Atlanta, GA
Major: Broadcast Journalism
Minor: International Studies, Psychology
Favorite Internship: FOX News
Extracurricular Activities: UMTV, Distraction, Planet Kreyol
Favorite Quote: “To fall in love with yourself is the first secret to happiness” – Robert Morley
Charlotte Fox
Hometown: Newton, MA
Major: Motion Pictures
Minor: Psych and ECS
Favorite Internship: Development Intern at Dolphin Entertainment
Extracurricular Activities: Get Out The Vote, Delta Kappa Alpha, Delta Delta Delta
Favorite Quote: “I go to seek a Great Perhaps.” -Francois Rabelais
Mallory Garber
Major: Media Management
Minor: Marketing
Extracurricular Activities:
Favorite Quote:
Cristina Herrera
Hometown: Manassas, Virginia
Major: Broadcast Journalism and Cinema Productions
Minor: Public relations
Favorite Internship: Social Media and Marketing Intern at the Wyndham Championship
Extracurricular Activities: UMTV Pulse Executive Producer
Favorite Quote: The goal isn’t to live forever, but to create something that will.” -Selena Quintanilla
Veah Hope
Hometown: Brooklyn, NY
Major: Public Relations and Media Management
Minor: Psychology and Finance
Favorite Internship: 8 Degrees PR
Extracurricular Activities: Delta Phi Epsilon, Girls of Outreach and Diversity, Caribbean Student Association, Club Volleyball, Student Government Board of Communications.
Favorite Quote: “If you are working on something that you really care about, you don’t have to be pushed. The vision pulls you.” – Steve Jobs
Ella Howard
Major: Public Relations
Minor: Music Business, Marketing
Caroline McDonald
Major: Public Relations
Minor: Music Business, Marketing
Savannah Price
Major: Media Management
Minor: Marketing
Extracurricular Activities:
Rachel Schlow
Hometown: Bridgewater, NJ
Major: Media Management
Minor: Public Relations
Favorite Internship: Publicis Groupe Internship Program: Project Manager at Razorfish Health
Extracurricular Activities: Delta Delta Delta, Orange Umbrella, PRSSA
Favorite Quote: “Be you, do you, for you.”
Julie Schoen (Mentor)
Hometown: Newton, MA
Major: Public Relations
Minor: Psychology
Favorite Internship: Marketing Internship at Modern Luxury Media
Extracurricular Activities: Orange Umbrella, PRSSA, and Delta Delta Delta Sorority
Favorite Quote: “Have some fire. Be unstoppable. Be a force of nature. Be better than anyone here and don’t give a damn what anyone thinks.” -Christina Yang—Grey’s Anatomy
Shane Shakoor
Marie-Paulina Stein
Hometown: Paris, France
Major: Advertising
Minor: Marketing and Education
Favorite Internship: INVTN (Advertising Firm in NYC)
Extracurricular Activities: Alpha Delta Pi, Tau Sigma, Gamma Sigma Alpha, Uthrift and Miami Chaarg.
Favorite Quote: “Always remember that your present situation is not your final destination. The best is yet to come.”
Savannah Steinberg
Hometown: Natick, MA
Major: Public Relations (Honors)
Minor: Business Law
Favorite Internship: Public Relations Intern at McNeil, Gray and Rice Strategic Communication
Extracurricular Activities: UMTV, School of Communication Honors Program, Tri Delta Sorority
Favorite Quote: “Whatever you are, be a good one.” -Abraham Lincoln
Briana Vargas
Hometown: Fairfax, VA
Major: Public Relations
Minor: Marketing, Business Law, & Spanish
Favorite Internship: Law Intern
Extracurricular Activities: Alpha Delta Pi, Phi Alpha Delta, and Empower Me First
Favorite Quote: “Don’t forget what you have now was once a goal.”
Treasure Wilson
Major: Broadcast Journalism
Minor: Political Science
Esther Animalu
Hometown: Queens, New York
Major: Communication Honors-Broadcast Journalism and Political Science
Minors: Media Management and International Studies
Favorite Internship: Oath Inc. (Formerly known as AOL Inc.)
Extracurricular Activities: The Miami Hurricane, National Association of Black Journalists, Society for Professional Journalists, Model United Nations, Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society, TEDxUmiami, African Students Union, Empowered Youth, G.O.O.D (Girls of Outreach and Diversity)
Favorite Quote: “Journalism can never be silent: That is its greatest virtue and its greatest fault. It must speak, and speak immediately, while the echoes of wonder, the claims of triumph and the signs of horror are still in the air.” – Henry Anatole Grunwald
Tyler Walsh
Hometown: Reading, Massachusetts
Major: Broadcast Journalism & Psychology
Minors: Film
Extracurricular Activities: UMTV, Calling Canes, National Broadcasting Society
Favorite Quote: “It’s not the destination, it’s the journey.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Julia Barger
Hometown: Los Angeles, California
Major: Communication Studies
Minors: Media Management, Marketing, Music Business
Favorite Internship: Working with fitness by the sea this summer.
Extracurricular Activities: Hurricane Productions, Panhellenic Association, Media Management Association, ‘Cane Records
Favorite Quote: “If you can look at yourself in the mirror at the end of the day and say you tried your hardest then regardless the outcome, you did well” -Glenn Barger
Shane Shakoor
Hometown: Baltimore, Maryland
Major: Motion Pictures
Minors: Strategic Communication; Communication Studies
Favorite Internship: Operations & Special Projects Intern at Consumer Credit Counseling Services
Extracurricular Activities: Associate Producer of UMTV’s ‘The Culture’ PR Chair of Sociology/Criminology Club; United Black Students; NAACP; Horizons Orientation Mentor
Favorite Quote: “Change will not come if we wait for some other person, or if we wait for some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.” – Barack Obama