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Scripps College of Communication
Schoonover Center
1 Ohio University
Athens OH 45701-2979
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Scripps Young Alumni Council
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Young Alumni Council

About Young Alumni Council

The purpose of the Scripps Young Alumni Council is two-fold. 

The primary goal is to convene a group of younger alumni from diverse industries and perspectives to provide advice, knowledge and feedback to current students on real-world situations through regular engagement. Members of the Young Alumni Council will have opportunities to interact with students throughout the nine-month program during both virtual and in-person meetings, through student organization speaker opportunities, class speaking opportunities and mentoring.

Those who serve on the council will also interact with and gain benefit through contact with the college's leadership and faculty and the Dean's Advisory Council, founded in 2000. Young Alumni Council members will have opportunities for professional development on a variety of topics, including networking, career strategy, the business of media, and leadership,  as well as emerging communication technologies like artificial intelligence and data analytics. 

Through interaction with students and college leadership, Young Alumni Council members will help us to shape our curriculum and career development courses in the college. 

Members of the Young Alumni Council may choose to serve a term of two to four years.

young alumni council group image

Young Alumni Council Images

The inaugural cohort of the Scripps Young Alumni Council visited Athens in September 2024 to engage with college leadership and students. Council members also toured NEXT‽, the dynamic new experiential learning advertising agency for journalism students.

Ashleigh Mavros

 

 

 

"Overall, I've really enjoyed my experience on the Young Alumni Council. I think there are a lot of opportunities to build on, but for its first year, it's been enjoyable. The opportunities to connect with the Scripps Dean's Advisory Council have been great."

-Ashleigh Mavros, BSJ '14

2024-2025 Inaugural Cohort

The following young alumni served as the inaugural cohort:

  • Brooklynn Kramer, BSC '17, MBA '21, chair
  • Karli Bell, BSJ '16
  • Mary Carter, BSJ '19
  • Rachael Cathey, BSC '19
  • Danny Cox, BSJ '10
  • Kaitlyn Cummings, BSC '22
  • Mary Davies, BSJ '09
  • Emma Kramer, BSVC '19
  • Ashleigh Mavros, BSJ '14
  • Arielle Patterson, BSJ '15
  • Kylie Souder, BSJ '17
  • Mary "Mimi" Stillman, BSC '18
  • Madison Velten, BSC '18
  • Payge Winfield, BSC '18

Why join the Young Alumni Council?

  • Engage with current students and leaders in the college, as well as members of the Dean's Advisory Council
  • Connect with fellow recent alumni to build your Bobcat network
  • Mentor and engage students through a variety of virtual and in-person meetings.
  • Develop professionally through mini workshops given by college leadership and faculty.
  • Help the college to determine priorities with curriculum, particularly career strategies and development courses. 

2025-2026 Schedule of Sessions

The Scripps Young Alumni Council cohort will meet August 2025 through April 2026. Two daylong sessions are mandatory and will be held in-person on the Ohio University campus in Athens, Ohio, in October and March. All other monthly sessions are virtual and held on the second Tuesday of every month (August, October, November, December, January, February and April) from 6-7 p.m. ET. All sessions are mandatory unless otherwise noted.

  • August 12 – Virtual
  • September 9 – Virtual
  • October 16 – Optional cohort evening activity, Athens, Ohio
  • October 17 – On-campus cohort activities, Athens, Ohio
  • November 18 – Virtual
  • December 9 – Virtual
  • January 13 – Virtual
  • February 10 – Virtual
  • March 26 – Optional evening cohort activity with Dean’s Advisory Council, Athens, Ohio
  • March 27 – On-campus cohort activities with Dean’s Advisory Council, Athens, Ohio
  • April 14 – Final first year cohort session, virtual 


Due to busy summer schedules, we will pause meetings in May, June and July. Again, members may choose to serve a term of two to four years, with a break each summer.

  • How to Apply

    Applications for the 2025-26 council will open June 2 and will be accepted through Monday, July 7, 2025, at 11:59 p.m.

    Application elements include:

    • Basic contact and education information
    • Resume
    • LinkedIn and/or personal web site URLs
    • Alumni involvement at OHIO
    • Two brief essay prompts:
       
      • Brief bio (1200-character max.)
      • Interest statement (1200-character max.)
         

    Please note, our application system will not save progress if exited mid-way. Therefore, please plan to submit all pieces of the application in one sitting.

    Apply Now

Financial Commitment

While there is no membership fee for the Scripps Young Alumni Council, members will pay for their own transportation and lodging in Athens for the October and March on-campus sessions. Participants of the program will not only receive professional development sessions but will also enjoy catered meals during the in-person events.

Requirements and Additional Information

  • The Scripps Young Alumni Council is open to Ohio University Scripps College of Communication alumni who graduated 15 or less years ago.
  • Approximately 20-25 alumni will be chosen to serve on the 2025-2026 cohort.
  • Participants must attend all sessions, both in-person and virtual.
  • The nine-month program time commitment is approximately 20 hours with additional time for travel.