{"id":1397,"date":"2019-08-13T00:00:52","date_gmt":"2019-08-13T00:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.truman.edu\/commspotlight\/?p=1397"},"modified":"2020-04-21T23:52:41","modified_gmt":"2020-04-21T23:52:41","slug":"shull20190813","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.truman.edu\/commspotlight\/2019\/08\/13\/shull20190813\/","title":{"rendered":"JoAnn Shull"},"content":{"rendered":"
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JoAnn Shull (2019)<\/p><\/div>\n

JoAnn Shull lives and works in Columbia, MO with her husband, Kyle and three children, Luke (5), Isaac (3) and Clare (4 months).\u00a0 When not working or chasing around littles, she enjoys cooking, reading, listening to podcasts, and scrapbooking.\u00a0 She hopes one day to get a good night\u2019s sleep and eat a full meal uninterrupted.\u00a0 Until then, she\u2019s enjoying the hectic life of being a working mom, even if it\u2019s giving her a few grey hairs.<\/p>\n

What year did you graduate and what was your concentration?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

I graduated in May 2007 with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication<\/a> Arts.\u00a0 I also earned minors in Psychology<\/a> and Philosophy & Religion<\/a>.<\/p>\n

What extra-\/co-curricular activities did you do?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

I was involved primarily at the Catholic Newman Center<\/a>, helping to lead several retreats and also was involved with music ministry.\u00a0 I held leadership positions in Alpha Phi Omega<\/a> and Omicron Delta Kappa<\/a>.\u00a0 I worked on campus at the Child Development Center and as a desk assistant in the Language & Literature Office.\u00a0 In my senior year, I was also a student ambassador which ultimately led me to my first job in the Admissions Office<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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JoAnn (back row, red sweatshirt) and her \u0391\u03a6\u03a9 brethren (2004).<\/p><\/div>\n

Did you go to grad school? If so, where?\u00a0 Was it immediately after you left Truman or did you wait?\u00a0 Why?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

I did, but not right away.\u00a0 I ultimately ended up completing my Masters in Theological Studies from Quincy University in 2012.<\/p>\n

I waited to go to graduate school \u2013 and even took a few non-degree seeking graduate courses in Communication at Mizzou \u2013 because I knew I wanted an advanced degree, but wasn\u2019t sure what path interested me most.\u00a0 I\u2019m glad I spent a few years working so that I could discern where to place my time.\u00a0 I completed my master\u2019s program over a three year period while still working full-time and planning a wedding \u2013 not a path for the faint of heart!\u00a0 Going to school while working full-time was difficult, but also rewarding as I was able to put what I was learning to immediate use.<\/p>\n

What was your first job after graduation?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

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JoAnn and Spike working at an Admissions event (2005).<\/p><\/div>\n

After graduating, I stayed in Kirksville and spent a year working in the Admissions Office<\/a> as an Admissions Counselor.\u00a0 I traveled a bit to schools in northeast Missouri and also worked on the first team to start Summer Orientation<\/a>.\u00a0 The staff then was amazingly supportive and helped to teach me the ropes in my first \u201creal\u201d job.<\/p>\n

What work do you do\/What are you doing now?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

One of my favorite aspects of my job in the Admissions Office was talking with students who desired involvement in a faith community while in college.\u00a0 College is more than just a time to learn some facts \u2013 it\u2019s a place where you decide what you want out of life and the skills that will make your dream a reality.\u00a0 For many students, that includes a spiritual life. Talking about my experiences and ways that these prospective students could explore their faith as adults was very fulfilling for me.\u00a0 So, I decided to do just that full-time at the Catholic ministry at Mizzou.<\/p>\n

I have been working for 11 years at the St. Thomas More Newman Center<\/a> in Columbia, MO, first as the Assistant Director of Campus Ministry and now as the Development Director.\u00a0 My job now is to form relationships with the alumni and parents to bring them into our mission to the college students.<\/p>\n

In my \u201cspare time,\u201d I serve on the Alumni Board of the Catholic Newman Center<\/a> at Truman coordinating their fundraising program.\u00a0 Also, my husband started a dental practice in July 2018 and I run all branding and marketing efforts for the practice.<\/p>\n

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JoAnn hanging out with her family in Branson, during her spare time (2019).<\/p><\/div>\n

How has your Liberal Arts\/COMM education helped you?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Every time I have taken a job since graduating, I have felt completely unprepared for the position.\u00a0 I don\u2019t think these feelings were just fear of the unknown as I haven\u2019t had any formal training in the three career paths that have brought me to where I am now!\u00a0 However, when I reflect on why I was hired and why I have been successful in what I\u2019ve done, it comes back to my Liberal Arts education.<\/p>\n

I can say that I don\u2019t remember many of the facts that I learned in my coursework.\u00a0 What was engrained in me, however, was the critical thinking skills and evaluative tools that help me to break down problems or conflicts to see truth, patterns, and commonalities.<\/p>\n

Which class did you dislike at the time you took it, but now you\u2019re grateful you took it?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

I suppose to rephrase the question a bit, the class that about killed me was Rhetoric of Women\u2019s Rights<\/a>.\u00a0 I enjoyed the professor and the class discussion, but it was a class with very high expectations.\u00a0 I don\u2019t think I\u2019ve ever worked so hard for an A in my life!<\/p>\n

As a part of the coursework, we were supposed to take an academic article that we had been assigned in class and refute the point of the writer.\u00a0 The article I chose was one where I disagreed with the author\u2019s point of view entirely, but couldn\u2019t quite place my finger on why.\u00a0 Through the course of the semester, I worked hard to discern how logic and theory could guide my argument instead of my feelings on the topic.\u00a0 I spent so much time in research, revisions, and time with the professor who poked SO MANY holes in my initial drafts.\u00a0 In the end, I was incredibly proud of the final product.<\/p>\n

Why is Truman a good place for a student to study?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

When I worked in the Admissions Office<\/a>, I would always ask students what kind of environment they wanted.\u00a0 Did they imagine themselves at a big school where game days took over their weekends and where they had huge lecture classes?\u00a0 For me, that\u2019s something that was never appealing to me.\u00a0 I loved that my largest class was the health requirement and it had 80 people.\u00a0 All of my major courses had maybe 30 people, and often much less.\u00a0 I really enjoyed that my professors knew my name and cared about my success as a student and as a person.<\/p>\n

What was your greatest accomplishment at Truman?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

During my senior year, I coordinated a state-wide conference of Catholic students.\u00a0 Between picking a site, choosing speakers, coordinating the advertising and registration process, and even preparing the meals, it was a huge undertaking.\u00a0 It was very satisfying to see almost 100 students (in the days before social media) from across the state gather in one place.<\/p>\n

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JoAnn (far left) and Newman Center friends (2005).<\/p><\/div>\n

What would you say a COMM student should absolutely<\/u> do while at Truman?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Get a minor or two in something that really interests you, even if you think it\u2019s not a marketable trait.\u00a0 Many COMM majors end up in a communications position, but many others end up working in fields that interest them that aren\u2019t directly related to communications.\u00a0 Even if your degree doesn\u2019t directly apply to your career path, the skills you learn as a COMM major help set you up for success.\u00a0 An extra minor will give you additional knowledge that will expand your horizons.<\/p>\n

What advice would you give someone who wants to go into the same line of work as you?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019m entering my fourth year in fundraising.\u00a0 Development is hard work!\u00a0 But it\u2019s also a lot of fun.\u00a0 Find a mentor and seek out opportunities to grow.\u00a0 Remember that, as a COMM major, you have one step up on those who may struggle to write or design materials that engage people.\u00a0 Communicating with people is the keystone to many careers \u2013 including development \u2013 and a COMM education at Truman will prepare you well for the future.<\/p>\n

What do you miss most about campus\/Kirksville?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Cheap rent!\u00a0 All jokes about small towns aside, I miss tight knit campus community and feeling like I could get anywhere in less than 10 minutes.\u00a0 Now working with college students on a much larger campus, it\u2019s amazing how much time they spend commuting from place to place.\u00a0 I\u2019m glad I was able to spend my time on a beautiful campus surrounded by great friends that are still with me today.<\/p>\n

What tag line would you create for the COMM department at Truman?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

“Learn. Analyze. Create something new.”<\/p>\n

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?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

If I could teach a class, it would probably be on Special Events.\u00a0 Communication is a huge part of planning an event and having the skills to complete different types of events from start to finish is a valuable skill in many industries.<\/p>\n

What did we not ask that you think is important for people to know?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

At Truman, you will graduate with a well-rounded education and the critical thinking skills to be valuable in any number of fields.\u00a0 You are only limited by your creativity and passions \u2013 use what you have learned to show your employers what a valuable asset you are to their team.\u00a0 Or, branch out on your own and start a business \u2013 you have the skills to do it!<\/p>\n

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JoAnn and her family (2019).<\/p><\/div>\n

If you would like to learn more of JoAnn’s story or <\/span><\/strong>you want to learn more about the Department of Communication, contact us!<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

JoAnn Shull lives and works in Columbia, MO with her husband, Kyle and three children, Luke (5), Isaac (3) and Clare (4 months).\u00a0 When not working or chasing around littles, she enjoys cooking, reading, listening to podcasts, and scrapbooking.\u00a0 She hopes one day to get a good night\u2019s sleep and eat a full meal uninterrupted.\u00a0 … Read More →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":497,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[50608],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1397","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-watdn"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.truman.edu\/commspotlight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1397","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.truman.edu\/commspotlight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.truman.edu\/commspotlight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.truman.edu\/commspotlight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/497"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.truman.edu\/commspotlight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1397"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.truman.edu\/commspotlight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1397\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1411,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.truman.edu\/commspotlight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1397\/revisions\/1411"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.truman.edu\/commspotlight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1397"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.truman.edu\/commspotlight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1397"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.truman.edu\/commspotlight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1397"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}