Advice for Future Mass Communication Students

Lacy Harlin - Guest Speaker at The Call Arkansas Gala in Magnolia - Feb. 14, 2026

Dear Future Mass Communication Students,

When you start taking mass communication classes with Professor Reppert, know that everything he says applies in the real world - advertise yourself, gain experience, learn from others, and do the work on time and efficiently. 

When you begin courses, you won't always have the website figured out, but trying and communicating matters. As you navigate this time in your life while staying on top of classes, know that you are not alone. Make sure to look at the websites of your peers who are ahead of you by year; they have learned what their style is and way of communicating.

Take it all in. 

The seat you sit in, Professor Reppert will remember it for years to come - my seat was in the front row beside the window. 

Know that this will all go by pretty fast, though in the moment you are really ready to either go to lunch or get your other classes taken care of as well. You are the future of mass communication, whether you are a major or minor, and Professor Reppert will get you taken care of. Professor Reppert is there for when you need him and can feel like family at some point in your time completing the courses he teaches.

In Professor Reppert’s mass communication courses, I have learned the skills it takes to advertise myself through the immense research of other companies and individuals I conducted, along with their history and rise from controversy. His style of teaching helped me gain confidence in public speaking, research, and learning from mistakes – that every mistake, even as small as a misspelled word, is something to learn from and correct as to promote a clean and professional image. I would recommend his courses to any student, that even taking one course can be beneficial to any major. I plan to continue my career in the news industry and grow in the news field.

Make sure to live in the moment and enjoy the ride. 

Sincerely,

Lacy Kay Clarissa (Olivarez) Harlin

Former Southern Arkansas University (SAU) Mass Communication Major, with Minors in Writing and History