Alumni Profiles

As the new media manager for Alfa Omega TV (AOTV) in Romania, Sorin Petan '09 (Communication) wears many hats. On any given day, he's leading a team of people through projects related to website development, mobile apps and social networking. Sorin and his team also contribute to the promotion of the network's image by developing video spots, printed newsletters and emails to reach their audiences.

Sorin immediately realized that his degree took him to the next level in his career. "Practically, I was able to apply my knowledge in setting up marketing campaigns for AOTV in print, TV, web, email and social media, as well as setting up a new website, developing online video and mobile streaming, and TV and video production," he explained.

Always interested in technology, particularly the use of internet as a way to communicate, Sorin now has the context he needs to be a leader in his field. "The result of my degree was a shift in my mindset, from being a tech-minded person and enjoying making things work, to seeing the bigger picture," he says. "At Regent, I learned more than just skills; I learned how to be a leader. I was taught the business side of marketing and new media. I learned the 'hows,' 'whys' and legalities of running a business online."

"Understanding the dynamics of the industry-the management, leadership and marketing aspects of it, and how social sciences connect to technology within the greater forces of our society-was great because all that added on top of my knowledge of technology," he said. "I was able to not only understand how things work, but also make them happen."

Shé Hall graduated in 2011 with her M.A. in Communication. Her desire to work with digital technology initially led her to take computer science coursework in 2006. However, she quickly discovered that her career goal was to focus on the less technical, and more artistic, side of computers.

“I was positive I still wanted to pursue a graduate degree,” Hall recalls, “but decided to take some time to find a program that was a good fit.” A few years later, she signed up to visit Regent’s School of Communication & the Arts through a Preview Weekend event.

“I felt welcomed by the faculty and enlivened by the electricity of the school,” Hall says. “I decided that one of the ways I would honor God with the gifts he had given me was to intricately include Him in my graduate studies at Regent.”

Hall’s love for strategic organization and project diversity led her to focus studies on web design and social media. As the current web and social media manager for Otto, an advertising, web development and public relations agency in Norfolk, Va., Hall attributes the coursework at Regent for helping prepare her to think critically about the use of strategic communication in a post-modern world. She views each project as a God-given opportunity to demonstrate His creativity.

“My Regent learning experience helped inform my perspective–on clients, products, the work environment and competitors–which heavily influences the work that I do,” Hall says. “I love arming clients with websites by taking raw ideas, mixing in fresh content, and packaging it all in a visually stimulating and functionally seamless product. I also enjoy creating strategies that earn clients the social capital they’ll need to be a force in this digital age.”