School of Communications welcomes Fellows candidates to campus

Tom Nelson, associate professor of communications, chats with a Fellows candidate during a March 6 reception held in the McEwen Communications Building.[/caption]​During Elon University’s Fellows Weekend from March 6-7, 2015, the School of Communications welcomed to campus 74 candidates for its Communications Fellows program. Not to be overlooked, nearly a dozen other candidates who were unable to attend the two-day event interviewed via phone with faculty and staff.

The students are contending for 25 spots in the school’s Communications Fellows program, which selects applicants based on high school academic performance, involvement in communications-related activities, essays and an interview.

Communications Fellows are offered several exclusive opportunities such as enrollment in challenging Fellows courses, a chance to conduct and present undergraduate research, and close access to news conferences and Q&A sessions with high-profile campus speakers. Additionally, Fellows also travel to media hubs across the country, including a first-year Fellows trip to Atlanta.

Just like past classes, this year’s Communications Fellows candidates are motivated and enthusiastic, said Naeemah Clark, associate professor of communications and director of the Communications Fellows program.

“These students are the best students in their high schools, and the competition can be really tough,” Clark explained. “By and large, the students we select now as Fellows – these 17-year-old high school students – are four years later still very impressive and successful. They continue to rise to the occasion while on our campus.”

Janna Anderson, professor of communications and director of the Imagining the Internet Center, speaks with a Fellows candidate and her family.[/caption]​The schedule for Fellows Weekend consisted of several informational sessions and seminars, which included panels with current students and alumni.

On March 6, the candidates for Communications Fellows attended a reception in the McEwen Communications Building. School of Communications faculty and staff, including Dean Paul Parsons, were on hand to discuss academic programs and educational opportunities. Likewise, current Communications Fellows and members of student media organizations were in attendance to answer questions.

The following day, Communications faculty and staff members conducted 30-minute interviews with the Fellows candidates. The students also attended an Experience an Elon University Core Curriculum Seminar, which required a written essay afterward.