Jessica Gennuso
January 21, 2020
Jessica Gennuso (2019)
Jessica lives in Chicago and works in the benefits and healthcare communications industry. She’s very close to Lake Michigan, so she spends as much time as possible either on the beach or on the lake path, weather permitting of course! In her spare time, she likes to play tennis, go to concerts, read, draw (badly), and hang out with friends and family. You’ll probably catch her in St. Louis at some point, as she tries to get there a few times a year to visit her Truman friends.
What year did you graduate and what was your concentration?
I graduated in 2014 with a concentration in Public Communication.
What extra-/co-curricular activities did you do?
I played on the tennis team and was a member of Sigma Sigma Sigma social sorority, the COMM Club (NCASC), and Lambda Pi Eta.
Did you go to grad school? If so, where? Was it immediately after you left Truman or did you wait? Why?
I did not go to grad school. I wanted to start working as soon as possible and save up enough money to move to the city on my own.
Jessica (far left) hanging out with friends (2019).
What was your first job after graduation?
I worked as a Marketing Coordinator for Panasonic Healthcare in Wood Dale, IL. They specialized in biomedical devices. I helped create and implement new strategies for both internal and external communications, wrote copy for various marketing materials, and worked with agencies on media placement. I wasn’t at all familiar with the healthcare/biomedical industry when I started, but I had the communication skills needed to get the job anyway. From there, I learned even more about marketing, communications, and healthcare.
Jessica (right) with friends in Chicago (2018).
What work do you do/What are you doing now?
I work as a Senior Communication Specialist at Evive in Chicago, IL. We are a communications company that focuses on employee benefits and preventive healthcare. Most of my day consists of analyzing past communications and strategizing and writing copy for future external communications (mainly emails).
How has your Liberal Arts/COMM education helped you?
My Liberal Arts education helped me become more well-rounded, both personally and professionally. I learned so much about so many different things, and in my personal life I’ve been able to form more meaningful relationships because of that. And in my professional life, being well-rounded has helped make me more valued and relied-upon in my career.
Which class did you dislike at the time you took it, but now you’re grateful you took it?
I wasn’t a huge fan of COMM Theory because I thought it was a really difficult class, but I’m grateful that I took it because it challenged me to think about communication from different perspectives and points of view.
What was your greatest accomplishment at Truman?
My greatest accomplishment at Truman was receiving the Outstanding Undergraduate Student in Communication: Public Communication award. I was very honored to receive this recognition and am still grateful to all of my professors and fellow classmates who encouraged me to be the best student I could be and always made me eager to learn more.
Jessica (far right) being an outstanding student with her friends on campus (2014).
Why is Truman a good place for a student to study?
Truman provides students with a high level of education in all areas and sets them up to succeed after college in a way that I don’t think other schools do. The professors are passionate about their areas of expertise and really care about your success. I think the smaller class sizes make learning much more personal. And with the wide array of classes offered at Truman, students are bound to find something that interests them and gets them excited about learning.
What would you say a COMM student should absolutely do while at Truman?
Take any COMM class that piques your interest, and don’t be afraid to try something new. I took a lot of COMM classes that didn’t exactly align with what I thought I wanted to do after college, but I learned so much and had fun along the way.
Jessica (center right) hanging out with friends in Chicago (2018).
What advice would you give someone who wants to go into the same line of work as you?
Don Krause gave me this advice when I was looking for a job: think about the companies or brands you love, or think about what you absolutely love doing, and go from there. And even if you don’t end up working at your dream company right away, try to create opportunities for yourself in which you can do what you love. At every job I’ve been at, I’ve expressed my interest in writing and asked for any opportunity to do so. Because of that, I’ve been able to create my own career path and do what I enjoy most.
What do you miss most about campus/Kirksville?
I miss walking around campus and always seeing a friendly face. I met some of my best friends at Truman, and now that we don’t all live in the same place, I really miss being able to see them whenever I want. Though it is extremely different from where I grew up, Kirksville felt like home.
What tag line would you create for the COMM department at Truman?
“There’s a class for that.”
If you could come back to Truman and teach a class for a semester, what would be its title and what would it be about?
I think a class all about writing food, travel, and music reviews would be awesome!
What did we not ask that you think is important for people to know?
Truman has something for everyone, no matter what you’re interested in. There are so many things you can get involved in, both from an academic and extra-curricular standpoint. I think my involvement in tennis, Greek life, and clubs around campus is what made my time at Truman so memorable and enjoyable. There are plenty of opportunities to get involved, so you’ll never be bored.
Jessica (1st row, far left) and her ΣΣΣ sisters at graduatioin (2014).