Connections.

Jun 29, 2021 | Stories

Jay Matthews ‘20 used his Mitchell College connections to land a job in the field he loves. Working as a video editor for META (Maryland Esports Training Academy), Jay edits video of national college Esports games and packages them into hour-long videos. He also creates promotional videos for the Esports management and development company – which leads Mitchell’s Esports program, introduced in Spring 2021, providing coaching and other services for its Rocket League team. 

“I’ve loved video editing since I was a kid. As a creative medium, it’s second nature to me, yet it never fails to teach me something new with every project I start. I’m glad to have a job in my field, doing what I love and learning new things about the field and the content I am helping to create. I knew absolutely nothing about Esports before taking this job, and I’ve learned so much since. I’m just grateful to be creating.”

Jay credits Paul Dunn, integrative career development coordinator, with pointing him to the job, and he urges other Mitchell students to take advantage of the college’s resources when pursuing job opportunities.

“I often advise my recently graduated friends to utilize their Mitchell connections, like professors and the Integrative Career Development Office, because they are very helpful. I absolutely have Mitchell to thank for helping me find the job! Paul Dunn got me the job interview and wrote a recommendation about why he thought I was a good fit for the job.” 

Jay also felt well-prepared for his new job by his Mitchell coursework, using many of the software programs he worked to master as an undergraduate.

“I came to Mitchell with some editing experience, but there was so much I didn’t know that I learned in my college studies and now use every day. I use programs like Adobe After Effects and other Adobe programs all the time. I’m so incredibly thankful to Luke Walden, Karen Ward and so many others who helped me polish my skills to a professional level.” 

Working in a fully remote job is something that Jay finds especially rewarding.

“I work with people all over the country, and it’s really cool! We all do our parts and collaborate digitally. It runs smoothly that way.”

Still, being remote during the pandemic has presented some challenges.

 “I’m a very social person, so I go a little cabin crazy with no excuse to leave my apartment. But now that I am fully vaccinated, I can bring my laptop and do more work in other places.”

Natural habitat.

Jun 18, 2021 | Stories

Junior Kyra Brimdyr is spending her summer knee-deep in pursuit of her passions – working on an oyster farm on Cape Cod. Her internship at Avery Oyster Company in Wellfleet, Massachusetts, gives Kyra, who is studying marine biology at Mitchell, an opportunity to exercise her interest and build skills as both a biologist and environmentalist, as she sees the interconnectedness of the natural environment close up.

“It is amazing to work with the oysters and learn about their life cycle and the process of growing them. I am working hands on with many different tools and learning new terms related to the field. These oysters are sold to a local restaurant, so I have to know exactly what to look for in the oyster, like how big the oyster and the cup, or bottom, has to be. The bigger the cup and the bigger the oyster, the better.”

Kyra sorts through trays of oysters, usually 10 to 20 trays per day, to pull out the big oysters, making room for the smaller ones to grow.

“On the farm, there are rows and rows of oyster trays, stacked up three to four trays high. The water from the tide gives nutrients for the oysters to grow, so the trays have to be positioned to make sure water goes into the trays. There is a science to it. Certain nutrients in the ocean make the oysters grow, and it’s a process to make sure they have the right amount.” 

Her biggest challenge is lifting the heavy trays.

“Big oysters get heavy! I have moved from lifting one tray to two trays. Showing others that I am able to do the hard work that they are doing is rewarding.”

Lessons learned about natural habitats in her ecology class at Mitchell come to life in Kyra’s internship, and she understands the importance of keeping the environment healthy, for mollusks, like oysters, and other marine life alike.

“Since I was younger, marine animals have been a passion of mine, and I liked having experiences working with them. I think it’s important for people to see other people caring about something. An example is a whale watch. If you see a whale washed up on the shore, you know something is not right. Whale watches educate people about the whales, what is going on in the environment and what can be done about it.”

Kyra says that the dead stock and shells at the oyster farm go to someone who uses them for other purposes, such as teaching tools about different types of oysters and shell identification.

“Saving the shells is doing something good for the environment. As a marine biologist, you have to think about the impact of what you are doing before you do it.”

Major fan girl.

Jun 16, 2021 | Stories

Megan Roche ’13 used the early days of COVID-19, when the world locked down in a global quarantine, to write about something near and dear to her – an almost 15-year friendship with Paula Abdul.

The result? Her self-published first book, Forever Her Girl: The Stories and Experiences of a Major Fangirl.

“It’s no secret that every teacher and person I interacted with at Mitchell knew that I was a huge fan of Paula Abdul. I have just always loved her and what she stood for. Knowing that I was different, I endured a lot of bullying and teasing. I was often the kid that had no friends in school, and I always felt alone.”

A member of the Paula Abdul Fan Club, where “members all had the common bond of loving Paula and easily became friends with one another,” Megan was lucky enough to meet the singer-songwriter in 2007, when she waited by the stage door of The David Letterman Show in New York City, where Paula was a guest.

“She was late for her interview, so she didn’t stop for anyone as she was on her way in. I was absolutely heartbroken that I started crying. One of the security staff noticed my tears and promised me that she would be back when she was leaving the show. About 10 minutes before she was set to leave, the same security guy came over and brought me to the very front of the line. When Paula came out the door, I don’t remember much other than getting a hug and taking a picture. Thankfully, I was videotaped meeting her for her reality show that was set to air that summer on Bravo.” 

Megan’s book talks about how she has been able to stay in contact with Paula, and through writing her book she discovered why she loves her so much.

 “She was one of the first people to show me kindness and compassion when everything else in my life was upside down. I’ve learned from her that an attitude of gratitude is one of the best things you can have in life. Since that day in 2007, I’ve always found a way to see her. We’ve become close friends, and because of her I’ve met some of my best friends. Thanks to her, I’ve been to countless TV tapings, concerts, philanthropic events, galas, and award shows.”

Megan, who earned her B.S. in communication with a concentration in production, performance, and technology and holds a master’s degree in digital multimedia journalism from Sacred Heart University, hopes that her book reaches “kids of all ages who are ultimate fangirls and boys.”

“I want kids to know that being different is okay. I always say, ‘the weirder and more out there, the better.’ I want everyone who reads my story to know that they can accomplish their dreams and goals, no matter how big they are.”

Megan credits her time at Mitchell with learning the important skill of “knowing how to work with people who may be different from you.”

 “I took many classes that focused on group work, which can always be a struggle. Being in a managerial position now as an editor, I have to work with people of all different backgrounds and skill levels. At Mitchell, I met all sorts of different people of all ages. I learned to listen better, how to effectively communicate my needs and wants, how to accept criticism, and that sometimes, your idea isn’t the best way of going about the problem. I also learned time management and self-advocacy skills that l use in my job today.”

For a copy of Megan’s book, email her at megan.roche13@gmail.com.