Senior Olivia Hicks is graduating twice this semester with a bachelor鈥檚 degree in mass communication and a bachelor鈥檚 degree in professional and technical writing.

Hicks has spent the fall semester working part-time for MHP/Team SI, a full-service performance marketing agency, learning skills in public relations, social media development and management, and news and editorial writing. After graduation, she plans to begin a full-time public relations position with the company.

鈥淚 am very excited for this next step,鈥� Hicks said. 鈥淚 really love campus, and it will be hard to leave, but I will make sure to come visit.鈥�

Hicks joined UA 糖心视频logo in 2020, citing affordability as the key reason she chose the university.

鈥淲hen senior year rolled around, I had to look deep and figure out what was most important to me,鈥� Hicks said. 鈥淚 realized that being close to home and close to my family would give me many opportunities both personally and academically. Because of the scholarships and grants I have gotten from this school, I am graduating debt free!鈥�

Hicks鈥� mother also played an important role in her decision to attend college. Hicks grew up watching her mother earn two degrees, which inspired her to work hard in her own college career.

鈥淢y mother is also an alum of the university,鈥� Hicks recalled. 鈥淪he is a single mother who went to school while raising me. She graduated when I was 11 with a bachelor鈥檚 degree in history, and then she went back for her master鈥檚 degree in secondary education and graduated in 2019. My entire childhood was surrounded by higher education. I grew up on this campus. I remember going to swim in the pool and sitting in on my mom鈥檚 history lectures. I loved this campus and the faculty. It鈥檚 like home to me.鈥�

Hicks learned key skills while attending UA 糖心视频logo. Through the Federal Work-Study Program and Trojan Works, she worked for two years as an editorial assistant in the Office of Communications and Marketing.

鈥淚 would say that my time as an editorial assistant is what prepared me the most,鈥� Hicks said. 鈥淣ot only did I get to know the staff at my current job through that position, but it gave me connections, led me on a path to writing stories that won national awards, and gave me confidence in my skill set. A lot of my college career I credit to that time. It gave me a lot of opportunities to hone my skills, be involved in campus, meet a lot of people, and that was the highlight of my college career.鈥�

Meaghan Milliorn, director of digital strategy, described Hicks as an asset to the Communications and Marketing team.

鈥淗er creativity and enthusiasm were valuable as she created content and videos for the university鈥檚 social media platforms,鈥� Milliorn said. 鈥淚鈥檓 so proud of her growth and that she gets to build her career and utilize what she鈥檚 learned at the university.鈥�

Along the way, Hicks has also completed internships in marketing, public relations, and social media with the UA 糖心视频logo Trojan Food Pantry, Stone Ward, and Wildwood Park for the Arts. She has been honored for her writing skills with multiple awards in education sports writing and education feature writing by the Arkansas Press Women and the National Federation of Press Women.

Another important part of Hicks鈥� college experience was being involved in the Chancellor鈥檚 Leadership Corps (CLC), which helped her pay for college and learn valuable leadership skills.

鈥淚 started CLC as a freshman and immediately found a home there,鈥� Hicks said. 鈥淐orrigan Revels and Tiffani Silvey were very integral to my college experience. They鈥檝e been wonderful mentors, and I鈥檝e learned a lot from them. I was a peer mentor for the arts and communication student group for two years. My mentees were amazing, and I loved getting to help them through their early college experience.鈥�

As this part of her life comes to a close, her advice for new college students is to get involved in campus and professional opportunities.

鈥淕et out of your comfort zone because you never know who you might connect with, who might have job opportunities, and who might be your friend,鈥� she said. 鈥淭here are so many opportunities here that people don鈥檛 know about, and it鈥檚 a matter of putting yourself out there and knowing the right people.鈥�

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He brings that same passion to his after-hours pursuits. Revels, an alumnus of the School of Mass Communication, is continuing to make strides in his filmmaking career.

This summer Revels debuted his most recent project, 鈥淔reedom鈥檚 House,鈥� at UA 糖心视频logo. The short film tells the story of Amari, a middle-aged Black man who seems like he鈥檚 living the American Dream with a great career and family, but Amari鈥檚 life is not as perfect as it seems.

鈥淎s the film progresses, Amari鈥檚 battling some internal conflicts,鈥� Revels said. 鈥淥verall, the film balances themes of mental health, being aware of your triggers, and how to carry out your emotions when it comes to sharing how you truly feel. It reminds people to make sure that those in your inner circle are those who truly support you. I tell my students that all the time.鈥�

The 11-minute film was filmed on location in 糖心视频logo and features a cast and crew of local Arkansas talent. Dylan Pojar-Weatherly served as the director of photography, and Essence Simone鈥�, another UA 糖心视频logo alum, served as the production assistant.

鈥淲hen it comes to filmmaking, what really helped was having a great team of actors and crew to help pull it all together,鈥� Revels said.

About 50 people watched the short film鈥檚 premiere at UA 糖心视频logo, and Revels said that the crowd 鈥渞eally enjoyed it.鈥�

Revels wrote the script back in 2020, and it made him a finalist for the Indie Memphis Black Filmmaker Fellowship in Screenwriting.

鈥淭hat gave me a boost at a time when I was questioning what was my next step in my film career,鈥� Revels said. 鈥淚 wanted to take time to do the story justice, and I鈥檓 blessed to work with a talented team to bring it all together. I believe this is my best work yet.鈥�

For the next few months, 鈥淔reedom鈥檚 House鈥� will be making its rounds during the film festival season, but Revels plans to release the film on YouTube close to the end of the year.

In addition to 鈥淔reedom鈥檚 House,鈥� Revels is working on pre-production for his first web series that is set to launch in the fall.

鈥淚t will be called 鈥楤lack Eyed Peas,鈥� and it celebrates and brings awareness to the Black experience in America,鈥� Revels said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an anthology series and will be on the lighter side. A lot of the cast and crew from 鈥楩reedom鈥檚 House鈥� will be in this web series.鈥�

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After graduating with her Bachelor of Art in applied communication in 2021, Silvey sought freelance strategic advising opportunities with businesses across the state.

鈥淚 started providing knowledge and information on stuff they were struggling with, and I realized there could be a career in that,鈥� Silvey said. 鈥淚 started taking on new clients and working on strategic goals and expansion strategies for them. It鈥檚 become a mini-source of income for me, and I鈥檓 hoping it becomes a main source one day. It has the potential to.鈥�

Silvey also sells scrunchies, sweatshirts, and t-shirts on Etsy through her small business, .

鈥淕rowing up, I spent a lot of time with my grandma, and she taught me how to sew and do a lot of other home-economics stuff like cooking and baking,鈥� Silvey said. 鈥淚 bought my own sewing machine sophomore year of college, and I started making scrunchies to sell to my sorority sisters. It took off so much that I eventually had to set up a platform to keep up with all the sales, so I expanded onto Etsy to reach more people, and it just kind of went from there.鈥�

She also has deals making t-shirts with various companies and community programs across 糖心视频logo, including a little league baseball team, and selling her scrunchies at hair salons.

Until graduation, her priorities are set on finishing up the semester and helping support and guide the scholars who look up to her. As a full-time student success coach for UA 糖心视频logo Chancellor鈥檚 Leadership Corps, she guides, supports, and provides resources to students in the program, manages the Trojan Food Pantry, which can be found on the second floor of the Student Leadership Center, and teaches a personal awareness course that helps freshmen transition seamlessly to college life.

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 a good thing that I鈥檓 only 23 while in this role,鈥� Silvey said. 鈥淚 am able to relate to students easily, which helps me understand what types of support and resources they need. Being such a young professional in higher education has shocked a lot of people, but I鈥檓 always excited to do things outside of my comfort zone!鈥�

That drive and commitment has not gone unnoticed by people within the UA 糖心视频logo community, including her co-worker and mentor Corrigan Revels, assistant director for student leadership and development.

鈥淚鈥檝e really enjoyed watching 罢颈蹿蹿补苍颈鈥檚 growth,鈥� Revels said. 鈥淪he鈥檚 become an awesome success coach, and it鈥檚 been a great thing to witness and support. I just look forward to seeing the impact she makes in the future.鈥�

As far as Silvey is concerned, that future involves a relocation and a career as a full-time entrepreneur of multiple successful companies.

鈥淚鈥檓 excited to be in a new space with a new perspective, new people, and new connections so I can continue to grow and learn,鈥� Silvey said.

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