Doug Russell

graduate

Hometown: Lake Stevens, WA

What is something you wish everyone knew about your major? A communication major is a great "catch all" for any number of careers (not just corporate communication): Media and entertainment, marketing, journalism, PR, social media management, HR, advertising, sales; the skills you learn can be widely applied and will open a lot of doors for you.

What was your most impactful class or professor? Dr. Purcell, without a doubt. His passion for and knowledge of the content, relatability, understanding and acceptance of his students, and his ability to engage his class as an equal are just a few of his qualities that set him apart. If it weren't for Dr. Purcell I wouldn't have finished my degree. His retirement is an absolute loss to the Communication Department and to SPU.

What are you excited for in your future career? Yeah... I am an odd duck. I started my college journey in 1993, attending SPU full time from 1998-2000, finally finishing my degree in 2023. I am well into my career and do have SPU to thank for that.

What advice do you have for incoming students? INTERNSHIPS. I can't tell you how many students I have met over the years who went to college with some grand idea of what their career was going to be, and then got out into the workplace and realized it wasn't at all what they expected. If you have a career in mind, please, go out and get an internship in that field. Get in an office, or on-site somewhere and see what that career actually entails, and what life in that career is going to look like. It may not be what you expected, and if you find that out early, you may have time to make changes in your career goals and enter the workplace better prepared to face what your career is going to throw at you.