Come for the donuts, stay for the conversation. 🍩 Join Dean Mira Lowe this Wednesday, Oct. 28, from 11 a.m. to noon in the Dean's Suite on the fourth floor. Share your ideas, ask questions and connect with the Dean. 🐍🧡 Stay up to date with the full schedule. 👀 See you there, FAMUly! #FAMUSJGC #DonutsWithTheDean #FAMUly

Rattlers, help us welcome Sean McLaughlin to the FAMU School of Journalism and Graphic Communication 2026 Board of Visitors! 🐍🧡 McLaughlin is vice president and general manager of KPRC Houston and vice president of news strategy for Graham Media Group. Fun fact, he has the world’s strangest dog, a white golden retriever that walks backwards. 🐶 Stay tuned as we introduce more of our new board members and share how they’re helping shape the future of SJGC! 💚 #FAMUSJGC #BoardOfVisitors #FAMUly

Rattlers, help us welcome Jason Jones to the FAMU School of Journalism and Graphic Communication 2026 Board of Visitors! 🐍🧡 Jones is a 1996 graphic design graduate and the founder and creative director of Studio Jones Design in Orlando, where he has helped small businesses brand and promote themselves since 2012. He has also taught graphic design at Valencia College since 2004 and serves as marketing liaison for TOTI Media. Fun fact, he loves to garden and has dozens of house plants. 🪴 Stay tuned as we introduce more of our new board members and share how they’re helping shape the future of SJGC! 💚 #FAMUSJGC #BoardOfVisitors #FAMUly

Rattlers, it’s all going down TODAY! 🐍🧡 Grads Are Back kicks off at 9:30 a.m. with our Opening Plenary, and the day is packed from there. We’re talking a Homecoming Career Fair, the SJGC BBQ, and breakout sessions in graphic design, journalism, sports journalism, public relations and film, all led by a multitude of our amazing speakers! 🎙️ Swipe left for the full schedule, and head to gradsareback.com for more information. See you there, FAMUly! 🎤 #FAMUSJGC #GradsAreBack2026 #FAMUAlumni #FAMUHomecoming #FAMUNetworking

Rattlers, help us welcome Kena Lewis to the FAMU School of Journalism and Graphic Communication 2026 Board of Visitors! 🐍🧡 Lewis is the founder of Kena Lewis Communication Consultant and is an APR and Fellow of PRSA. Fun fact, she makes a mean 3-layer red velvet cake from scratch. During the holidays, she bakes about six. Five go to her in-laws and one goes to the pastor who married her and her husband nearly 30 years ago! 🍰 Get to know her and your fellow board members next week at Grads Are Back! Visit gradsareback.com for the full schedule and more information. #FAMUSJGC #BoardOfVisitors #GradsAreBack2026 #FAMUly

You’re officially invited to the cookout! 🐍🔥 SJGC is firing up the grill for the annual Grads Are Back BBQ, celebrating 50 Years of Flava with our radio station WANM-FM 90.5! Pull up for good food, iconic tunes and unmatched energy with the SJGC family. 🧡💚 🗓️ Thursday, Oct. 22
⏰ 12:30 to 1:45 p.m.
📍 SJGC Plaza Tag your crew and don’t be late. Plates go fast! See gradsareback.com for the full schedule and more information. 💻 #FAMUSJGC #WANM905 #50YearsOfFlava #GradsAreBack #SJGCBBQ

From the newsroom to the big screen, your story is the main feature. 🎬🐍 Join us for Beyond the Byline, From Journalism to Film, a conversation with FAMU SJGC alumni on turning journalism foundations into careers in film, screenwriting and directing. Panelists will discuss career pivots, pursuing an MFA and translating reporting, research and storytelling skills to the screen. Panelists:
Leland Hall, Director, Filmmaker and Writer, Rose Gamble Entertainment
Skyy Sandifer, Script Writer, CBS Studios 📅 Thursday, Oct. 22
🕑 3:30-4:45 p.m.
📍 TV-20 Studio B Come hear how these alumni found their creative voice and broke into the film and entertainment industry. FAMUly, we’ll see you there! 🧡💚 See gradsareback.com for the full schedule and more information. 💻 #FAMUSJGC #FAMUly #GradsAreBack2026 #BeyondTheByline

Rattlers, help us welcome Justin Grayson (@JustinGraysonPR) to the FAMU School of Journalism and Graphic Communication 2026 Board of Visitors! 🐍🧡 Grayson leads marketing and communications for Student Affairs and Athletics at the University of California, Riverside. He is a former ABC News producer (World News Tonight, Nightline), Amazon PR manager and WANM on-air personality. Fun fact, he was the first FAMU student to win first place nationally in the Radio Feature category at the Hearst Journalism Awards, a.k.a. the “Pulitzers of college journalism”! 🎙️ Get to know him and your fellow board members next week at Grads Are Back! Visit gradsareback.com for the full schedule and more information. #FAMUSJGC #BoardOfVisitors #GradsAreBack2026 #FAMUly #Hearst

Your voice is your power, so chart where it takes you. 🎤🐍 Join us for Change Makers: Own Your Voice, Chart Your Trajectory, a conversation with industry leaders on turning values into influence across advocacy, consulting, leadership and public impact. Moderator:
Heidi Otway, APR, CPRC, President + Partner, @smprFlorida Panelists:
Catarah Coleman, Founder and CEO, Southern Girl Desserts
Nadia Sharis Felder, Founder, LOWKEY Communications
Melanie Newman, Chief External Affairs Officer, Planned Parenthood Federation of America
Ebonee Thompson, Director of Digital Strategy, Matrix MKTG
Kailynn Kinney, Sr. Integrated Marketing Manager, Steve Madden
Lilla Bleu Bell, Sr. Associate, Strategic Communications, Bully Pulpit International 📅 Thursday, Oct. 22
🕞 3:30 to 4:45 p.m.
📍 SJGC Room 2037 Come hear how these leaders found their voice and built their path. FAMUly, we’ll see you there! 🧡💚 See gradsareback.com for the full schedule and more information. 💻 #FAMUSJGC #FAMUly #GradsAreBack2026 #ChangeMakers

The future of design is already taking shape. 🎨🐍 Join us for The Creative Shift, an inside look at what’s next for design with Brian Rice, Global Vice President and Head of Design at Newell Brands. Hear about the company’s new Design Center and Content Studio in Atlanta, the skills his team is building for the future, and how AI is fueling creativity across some of Newell’s most iconic brands. Speaker
Brian Rice, Global Vice President and Head of Design, Newell Brands 📅 Thursday, Oct. 22
🕑 3:30 to 4:45 p.m.
📍 SJGC Photo Studio, Room 2058 Come see what’s next. FAMUly, we’ll see you there! 🧡💚 See the linktree link in bio or gradsareback.com for the full schedule and more information. 💻 #FAMUSJGC #FAMUly #GradsAreBack2026 #TheCreativeShift

Rattlers, help us welcome Yolanda Clark Cade to the 2026 Board of Visitors! 🐍🧡 Cade is the Vice President of Communications and Public Affairs for Disney Signature Experiences at The Walt Disney Company. Fun fact, she once played 103-year-old Sadie Delany in the stage adaptation of “Having Our Say,” based on the bestselling book by Sarah and Elizabeth Delany. The play follows two African American sisters who lived past 100 and shares their experiences growing up as daughters of a former slave, building successful careers and integrating a New York suburb! 🎭 Get to know her and your fellow board members next week at Grads Are Back! Visit gradsareback.com for the full schedule and more information. #FAMUSJGC #BoardOfVisitors #GradsAreBack2026 #FAMUly

The classroom teaches you design, but real life teaches you the rest. 🎨🐍 Join us for Design IRL, a conversation with SJGC alumni on the experiences and unexpected turns that shaped their careers, from an evolving industry to the rise of AI, and what it really means to build a creative career. Moderator:
Alicia Hope, Instructor, Division of Graphic Communication, FAMU Panelists:
Kyon Hollis, Graphic Designer, SECO Energy (Sumter Electric Cooperative)
Novia Lindsay, Sr. UX Designer, Amadeus North America
L. Michelle Salvant, CEO, LMichelleMedia
Brion Eason, Exec. Director of Marketing & Communications, Edward Waters University 📅 Thursday, Oct. 22
🕑 2 to 3:15 p.m.
📍 SJGC Photo Studio, Room 2058 Come hear how our alumni keep it real. FAMUly, we’ll see you there! 🧡💚 See gradsareback.com for the full schedule and more information. 💻 #FAMUSJGC #FAMUly #GradsAreBack2026 #DesignIRL

Rattlers, help us welcome Dr. Eric M. Winkfield to the 2026 SJGC Board of Visitors! 🐍🧡 A proud alumnus, he’s VP at M Booth and the first Rattler to hold national PRSSA office. Meet him at Grads Are Back next week! See the full schedule and lineup at gradsareback.com 💚 #FAMUSJGC #GradsAreBack2026

#FAMUSJGC is celebrating a major milestone! 🎉🐍 We are proud to announce our fifth cohort of the Disney Storytellers Fund at FAMU, the culminating class of a $1 million, 5-year investment from @Disney. ✨ Congratulations to the 2026-2027 Storytellers: Christopher Gooden, Graphic Design Elijah Lott, Journalism Layla Richardson, Graphic Design Makayla Smith, Public Relations Rayne Davis, Journalism Rowan Mumford, Journalism Ta'Niya Williams, Public Relations Usher Williams, Graphic Design 🎥 We’re also celebrating the program's ongoing impact, with nearly 50 students benefiting from professional development, scholarships, networking, and exclusive opportunities. Students have had the opportunity to intern in New York City at multiple platforms across @ABCNews and @ESPN. Since its start, program alums have launched careers at ABC News, the NFL, Bloomberg Media, BET, the NBA, NBC affiliates, Gray Television, Cox Media Group, and more! 🚀 A heartfelt thank you to Disney for investing in the next generation of Rattler storytellers! 💚🧡 If you’re a Disney Storyteller Fund alum repping FAMU, comment below! Read the full announcement at the link below! 🔗bit.ly/DisneyFutureStorytell… #SJGCOnTheMove #DisneyFutureStorytellers #HBCUExcellence

Ready to pitch your story? 📝🐍 Join us for How to Pitch and learn how to turn any newsworthy, relevant and local idea into a story. We’ll break down bio info, story angles and building your questions and source list. 📅 Monday, Oct. 19
⏰ 5:30 to 7 p.m.
📍 SJGC Lecture Hall Our student media leaders from each org will be in attendance, including WANM 90.5 The Flava Station, The FAMUan and Journey Magazine. Come ready to learn and connect. 📰 #FAMUSJGC #905TheFlavaNews #HowToPitch #TheFAMUAN #JourneyMagazine

Rattlers, help us welcome Laura J. Downey to the 2026 Board of Visitors! 🐍🧡 Downey is the editorial director of WebMD Magazine and Point-of-Care products. She is a former J-School professor, Journey Magazine advisor and FAMU graduate with a master’s degree in journalism. Fun fact, she was the first Black president of the Georgia Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists! 📝 Get to know her and your fellow board members next week at Grads Are Back! Visit gradsareback.com for the full schedule and more information. #FAMUSJGC #BoardOfVisitors #GradsAreBack2026 #FAMUly #SPJ