Fitchburg State University Communications Media Department

05/26/2026

Say congrats to MS in Applied Communication Student of the Year Nikki Lajoie! Check out images from her graduate capstone project and read about her work below. Learn more about our program at https://www.fitchburgstate.edu/academics/programs/online-masters-applied-communication-social-media-ms

Nikki entered the MS in Applied Communication seeking a new way to use her medical background. She hopes to use her past experience and master’s degree to focus on communication in the healthcare field as a marketing consultant or researcher for hospitals and medical institutions.

Her graduate experience was quite different from undergrad. Nikki had obtained associates degrees in Allied Health and Nursing at Mount Wachusett Community College and then got her bachelor’s in Nursing at Fitchburg State. Her nursing classes focused heavily on practical clinical work and exams, but her graduate studies were research and project intensive. Nikki enjoyed the new challenge and felt she was able to grow as a writer and communicator. “My writing skills have become much stronger over the last two years and I now understand the process of research and what quality research really means and why. It's given me a whole new way of looking at the world around me,” says Nikki.

For her capstone project Nikki researched and developed a social media marketing campaign for a med spa, a business that combines a traditional spa and aesthetic non-surgical medical treatments. Her Quantitative Research course helped her focus on gathering and analyzing information on engagement statistics to pinpoint the colors, themes, and images that generated the most engagement for certain med spas. But her Qualitative Research allowed for a more personal approach to research, instead focusing on the mental and social impact of the posts from her own perspective. From this second approach she developed a more ethical campaign that “prioritized the viewers' wellbeing, confidence and sense of inclusion,” says Nikki.

After researching her capstone project, Nikki is determined to create content that is engaging without having a negative impact on the viewer. Her dream is to someday continue her education through a PhD program where she can focus on social media's impact on mental health.

05/26/2026

Fitchburg State University is hiring a full-time Admissions Counselor! Apply by June 9. Application and details online at https://fitchburg.interviewexchange.com/jobofferdetails.jsp;jsessionid=BD7C93D5DD3538A874CBEDBDA9D0079C?JOBID=200830

05/21/2026

Say congrats to Video Student of the Year Jaden Blake! Read more about Jaden below.

Jaden Blake is a fearless filmmaker with a powerful voice. He is not interested in telling simple narratives, but instead embraces thought-provoking and challenging subjects. His work has been recognized in the Comm Media Department’s annual Visions exhibition and gone on to be screened in regional and international festivals.

Directing and screenwriting are the two aspects of filmmaking Jaden is most passionate about. “I love being able to experiment with storytelling through filmmaking so that, in the end, [films] teach you, empower you, or entertain you enough to make you want to watch them all over again,” says Jaden. He enjoys writing screenplays that experiment with story structure and embrace absurdity. A few of his notable projects include “November Fall,” an action-comedy about the months October, November, and December battling each other, and “The Disregarded” about students dealing with their strange third roommate.

His Film/Video courses helped give him the confidence and skill set to express his unique vision. He especially enjoyed Professor Dermer’s Directing class because, “it pushed me to be more purposeful with the art form, teaching me that you don’t always have to give the audience an answer; sometimes, leaving them with a question is more impactful,” says Jaden. It was in this class that Jaden developed the idea for “The Black Gig,” an experimental short about how the lives of three Black male students collide in a majority white school. This won Best Experimental Film at the Africa USA International Film Festival in Cannes, France. It will also be screened at the Roxbury International Film Festival in June 2026.

Interested in learning more about Jaden's work? Check out his interview on "The Short of It Podcast" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhbLyJNKsjU and a recent profile of him in The Sentinel & Enterprise https://www.sentinelandenterprise.com/2026/04/21/spark-meaningful-conversations/

05/20/2026

Say congrats to Josh Cronin, winner of the Jacqui LaCoy Documentary Award! Read below about Josh's incredible work at FATV and on internship at NBC 10 WJAR Providence New Bedford.

Josh Cronin has become a familiar face of local news in Fitchburg and has a reputation for succinct high-quality reporting. He began cohosting North Central News on FATV with Zoe Chrisostomides in the spring of 2024, and the show has become an important source of information on community events, city council meetings, weather emergencies, and large construction projects in Fitchburg.

The opportunity to intern at NBC 10 WJAR Providence New Bedford had a profound impact on Josh as a journalist. Here he was able to learn from seasoned reporters and crew members, and he helped cover major events in the area. In February Josh assisted one of the first reporters on the scene for a mass shooting at the Lynch Arena in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. “Navigating the complexities of death and destruction in real time while also feeding information to my reporter is something I will never forget,” says Josh. Although it was a challenging story to cover, Josh felt it reaffirmed his belief in the importance of thoughtful on-the-ground reporting.

Josh will bring his new skills and experience back to FATV this summer as he begins full time work there to continue with North Central News, and to help create a sustainable reporting model based on collaboration with student and community reporters. He is excited to continue covering important local news stories, but also has a dream to someday become a political correspondent in Washington D.C.

05/19/2026

Congratulations to multi-award winner Jesye Nortey - recipient of PRSA Student of the Year, Photography Student of the Year, and the Joshua Allen Design Scholarship. Read more about Jesye below and check out their portfolio in the bio link. 👏

Jesye’s work has stood out for their professionalism and creativity. During their time double concentrating in Photography and PRSA, they have worked diligently to improve their skills and pursue real world opportunities. This year Jesye created and executed a detailed marketing plan for Visions, the Comm Media Department’s annual exhibition of the year’s best student work, and Jesye also had multiple photographs featured in the gallery exhibit.

During their classes they have been able to refine both artistic and marketing skill sets. “With photography, I really admire its ability to capture and freeze a moment in time while also allowing me to create an image based on my own vision,” says Jesye. In PRSA they have enjoyed working with real world clients. During Rob Carr’s Client Production class Jesye and other students created marketing materials for alum Cillea Houghton’s online journal and storytelling platform “No One is Listening.” Jesye says Rob Carr’s classes “have pushed me to achieve and create in ways that help me stand out in this market.”

PRSA and Photography have complimented each other in important ways for Jesye’s career plans. Their dream is to someday become the creative director for a beauty brand or fashion house, and possibly start their own agency called Norté Studios. “Having the creative side from photography along with the ability to execute a vision through strategic planning makes the whole process a lot smoother. I also think having multiple skills as a creative always helps and pays off in big ways,” says Jesye.

05/18/2026

Please stay tuned this week as we highlight our remaining award winners! Today say congrats to Digital Media Innovation Student of the Year Chris Gonzalez. Read below about their awesome capstone project on Fitchburg history! 📖

In the Digital Media Innovation major Chris Gonzalez was able to tailor their degree to what most interested them. They entered the program with multiple interests in history and games were able to pursue a capstone project that involved deep historical research and using cutting edge technology. Outside of the classroom one of their favorite experiences was establishing and then serving as president of the Minecraft Club.

For their senior capstone project Chris focused on creating 3D interactive models of the Upper Commons of Fitchburg and documenting how the space had changed over the past 128 years. The end goal was to make an interactive exhibit to be displayed at the Fitchburg Historical Society. Chris worked directly with the Fitchburg Historical Society to find images and also scoured the internet for additional hard to find photos. They took all of this visual information to document changes and then created custom 3D models. These models gave viewers a sense of the unique geography and the multiple changes over the years as different buildings and businesses came and went. Chris also hoped the models would provide a more accessible and tactile representation of local history to the blind and visually impaired.

After completing their capstone project, Chris decided to work more closely with the Fitchburg Historical Society by interning with them. Here they had access to the organization’s vast archives and learned essential skills about persevering and documenting local history. The capstone project and internship had a big impact on Chris’s career plans. “My current hope would be to create exhibits for museums and historical societies, as this project has been one of the most rewarding things I've ever worked on,” says Chris.

05/15/2026

Congratulations to Milena Mahoney who won both the Gunther G. Hoos Award and the Elaine T. Coyne Women in Film Memorial Scholarship! Read below to learn more about Milena and check out her work at https://milenammahoney.wixsite.com/mila-m-photo

Pursuing filmmaking has changed Milena’s life and opened up new possibilities for personal expression. “Filmmaking has given me a voice I never had before; I am able to articulate myself, my ideas, and what perplexes me most in ways that every other attempt has fallen short of,” says Milena.

Milena is a thoughtful and creative filmmaker that has gained confidence in her abilities through work inside and outside the classroom. A few of her favorite classes were Lighting, Experimental Filmmaking, and Advanced Documentary. She was able to participate in the Mass Production Coalition Pitch Contest earlier this year where she pitched the idea for her documentary “Chasing Dragonflies.” Milena was nervous about public speaking, but her classmates and other students helped her overcome her self-doubts with their encouragement. She says, “I was able to get on stage with enough confidence in both my film and myself as a filmmaker to articulate my vision with authority and passion.” Milena went on to win first place in the pitch contest.

That award was well-deserved because “Chasing Dragonflies” has gone on to be recognized at both Visions at Fitchburg State and won the grand-prize at the student showcase at IFFBoston. This documentary about estate sales is surprising and moving because it leads the viewer to reflect on their own possessions and how quickly life can pass us by. This kind of engaging storytelling is what Milena aims for in both her film and photography. She says she hopes to create work “that speaks to something deeper than pure entertainment. I want to invoke reflection and contemplation, not just amusement.”

05/14/2026

Congrats to Film Student of the Year Aidan King! Read the article about Aidan below and be sure to check out his short films on Vimeo at: https://vimeo.com/aidanking

Aidan King has forged his own path and embraced experimental filmmaking. He has made both documentaries and fiction films, and enjoys the challenge of adapting his ideas to the screen. “I like art that is based in some kind of realism and I think filmmaking excels at that,” says Aidan.

His thoughtful approach to filmmaking incorporates ideas and skills from various areas of study. “Learning about social theory really helped me develop my writing for narrative film,” says Aidan about his sociology courses. He also took two different directing classes; one focused on film with Professor Zak Lee and another focused on theater with Kelly Morgan. Aidan says both were “instrumental in helping me find my style.”

Aidan’s distinctive style makes a strong impression on the viewer. One of the documentary projects he is most proud of is “Citrus Sap,” a vibrant and authentic observational documentary about a day at a skatepark with his hometown friends. Currently Aidan is working on a longer piece, “We Interrupt Your Broadcast,” an experimental 16mm narrative film that was inspired by the famous “War of the Worlds” broadcast by Orson Welles in 1938. For over a year Aidan has worked tirelessly on writing the script and production planning. He began shooting last November and hopes to continue production over the summer.

05/14/2026