Every once in a while a guest speaker will come into a classroom and make a connection with students that really resonates with them. Last week, Wichita State alumna Roni Ayalla spoke to three classes in the Elliott School of Communication about not only her post-graduation experiences, but about what the students' goals were, as well.

Ayalla, a creative strategist and visual designer who lives in New York and runs her own business, Sandpaper Productions, was in town to be honored with the Elliott School’s 2015 “One to Watch” award, which recognizes a recent graduate who is engaged in outstanding work.

Instructor Madeline McCullough and assistant professor Amy DeVault jumped at the chance to have Ayalla speak to their classes while she was here.

Rather than just showing and talking about her work, she took the time to ask the students to identify what values are most important to them. Ayalla explained that she has used her own core values as vital guideposts on her career path.

“Knowing my core values and sticking to them has led me to where I am today,” she says.

That student-focused approach, DeVault says, is what stood out when Ayalla spoke.

“She made the students think,” DeVault says. “It challenged them to identify what they should consider when choosing a job. I think my students appreciated Roni’s honesty in discussing her career trajectory so far — what has gone well, what has surprised her, graduate school and moving to a place where she didn't know a single person. She is authentic, which I admire.”

Relating to students

Only eight years out of college, Ayalla is young enough that she can relate to students, McCullough says, because she remembers what it feels like to face the transition from college life to the workforce.

“I worry that students slip into thinking of college as a transactional experience,” she says. “They think they’ll go to college, get that degree and go do that one thing they are now qualified to do because of their degree. Roni encouraged the students to follow their passions into an industry they care about.”

As a WSU student, Ayalla sought out mentoring, internships and co-ops. While not all of them were a perfect fit, Ayalla says, it was that trial and error that allowed her to better narrow down her career aspirations.

“I loved that she explained to students that some of her best internships were the ones that showed her what she didn't want to do for the rest of her life,” DeVault says. “Roni is a shining example of our integrated communication curriculum. She’s a gem, and we're lucky to call her one of ours.”