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Get Jazzed Up with Grammy Nominee Bobby Shew at FSCJ South Campus Jazz Festival April 21

Here's a can't-miss event for jazz fans: Join us at…

By Michael Corby Thu, April 19, 2012 5:01 pm EDT

Gear up for the Jacksonville Jazz Festival with a free concert featuring the Florida State College at Jacksonville Jazz Ensemble I (directed by Professor John…

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Student Spotlight: Cooking Up a New Career

“I love the thrill of being able to prepare something for someone that I don’t know and watching them smile when they eat my food. If I can get a…


Student Spotlight: From the Lab to the Kitchen

“I would look at my mom and look at my grandma, and I wanted to cook like that,” said Ericka Jenkins, Florida State College student.

Ericka…



Channel 26 Saturday, May 19, 2012


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The Future of Communications: CBS47 News Anchor Dawn Lopez

By Celine McArthur Thu, January 05, 2012 3:18 pm EDT

Florida State College at Jacksonville is developing a new media bachelor's degree program called Converged Communications. The goal is to prepare students for a wide range of communications professions—news, marketing, advertising, public relations, corporate communications, government relations—and more. After all, every company today is a media company. Every company wants to—or has to—communicate with its staff and stakeholders. While the program still needs SACS approval, we’re busy building a network of amazing, award-winning communications leaders in the region willing to share their expertise to make this program… rock.

“It was actually a professor at then FCCJ [who said], ‘You do so well in my speech classes, I have an internship for you. I want you to try it and I want you to tell me what you think. And let’s see if we can find your niche in this world.' Isn’t that amazing? If you listen it’s amazing what you will learn.”~News Anchor Dawn Lopez explains how she discovered her desire to pursue her career in television news.

On Florida State College Network, (our public access education channel: Comcast 26), we’re airing a series called News Writing. It’s classic, vintage 1995, but the lessons and messages you consume are as relevant now as they were then—if not more so. Whether you’re interested in pursuing a career in communications—or you just want to improve your research, writing and presentation skills—it’s a series worth watching.

At the end of each episode I sit down with one of Jacksonville’s leading communicators to give you some insight into their careers and where they think the industry is headed. They also offer some valuable advice for students willing to ride the wave of this highly competitive, constantly evolving industry. For those of you not jumping in, the series also offers you the opportunity to learn more about the people who produce the information you read, hear or see everyday.

I know you’ll enjoy the series and I look forward to getting your feedback. You can reach us on Facebook, Twitter or send us an email through the website. Just look for the mail icon at the top of the main page.

Celine McArthurAbout Celine McArthur
Celine McArthur is the Associate Vice President of Strategic Communications at Florida State College at Jacksonville. A veteran television news anchor and award-winning investigative reporter, she came to Florida State College in July of 2009 following nearly a decade of anchoring and reporting at a Jacksonville TV station, with previous stints in markets as diverse as Washington D.C. and Austin, TX. Celine earned her Master of Arts in Communications and Public Policy from American University and her Bachelor of Science in Journalism at Boston University. Her secret password is energy.

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