Jazzy Innis ’24, a sports management MBA candidate at Lynn University, would be the first to tell you how game-changing the junior and senior years of college can be.
Traveling to Galway with the communication department, Jazzy earned six credit hours in international multimedia production. The coursework centered on journalism, videography and audio stories. “I had more experience doing graphic design, ad campaigns and crisis communications. I decided to take the leap, though, and sign up,” notes Jazzy.
She wrote two pieces regarding faith practice in Ireland — focusing on church attendance, the effect of COVID and the Catholic Church’s response to its own scandals. “I loved every minute of this project,” Jazzy says. “It taught me so much about how to conduct interviews, write articles and then refine them after edits. … Studying abroad with Berry allowed me to experience and learn from a culture different from my own.”
“The experience of studying abroad changes students,” says Curt Hersey, associate professor of communication. “Jazzy now has a more expansive vision of the world beyond America, and her ability to engage and thrive in an international setting grew.”
On campus, Jazzy became deeply involved as a content creator for the Center for Personal and Professional Development (CPPD), which facilitates career exploration, resume building, networking, and job and internship searches. She went on to become the student director of marketing, overseeing a staff of five handling social media and events.
Jazzy’s leadership skills set her up for a trip to the NCAA Convention, also attended by Athletic Director Angel Mason and President Steve Briggs. “Ginger Swann [assistant athletic director] encouraged me to apply for the NCAA DIII Student Immersion Program,” explains Jazzy, who was also a member of Berry’s indoor and beach volleyball teams. “I was one of 40 students to be accepted into this program. … I learned through this conference that I might want to pursue a career doing communications within athletics.”
Tackling college with energy, curiosity and determination can be life changing. Having accumulated skills across the board in communications, Jazzy says, “The experiences I’ve had allowed me to grow and gain confidence as a future professional. ... I have worked in many different roles across sports, public relations and graphic design and have dreams of making a positive impact on the sports world.”
