Student Spotlight - Emily Kassmeier

Emily is in her fifth year at UNK and is excited to finally graduate in May! She is studying Multimedia and is the go-to for all things media at the Center for Entrepreneurship this semester.

When you were little… what did you want to be when you grew up?

When I was in Kindergarten, I really wanted to be a veterinarian. This dream quickly ended when I realized I can’t stand the sight of blood!

Why did you choose your major and what career(s) can it lead to?

It took me a while to end up as a Multimedia major. I started out studying Elementary and Early Childhood Education for three years with the intent to become a teacher. I also had a music minor during my first semester. About two years into the Teacher Education degree, I knew I didn’t want to teach in a classroom (though I still love kids!) but continued with this major for another year because I didn’t know yet what to do instead. During that year I started volunteering on my church’s tech team, doing lights and graphics for Sunday morning services and that experience had a huge impact on me. It finally dawned on me that this was an area I was really interested in and already had natural talent in. I had no idea how I hadn’t thought of this before! I’ve always been pretty tech-savvy, I just had never considered pursuing this interest as a profession.

Then I began researching careers in this area. Through that process I learned that I’m more interested in the creative production side of media—designing graphics, shooting videos, etc. After I narrowed down the career possibilities to the ones I was most interested in, I then looked into the college degrees people in those positions had and which colleges offer those. I found UNK offers a Multimedia major and a Media Production minor, which seemed like a perfect fit for me! So I changed my major shortly after, and began my senior year as a Multimedia major with minors in Media Production and Educational Studies.

My area of study can really lead to many different career paths, including a web designer and/or developer, photographer, video producer, animator, audio engineer, graphic designer, and more. It definitely encompasses a lot of different areas, which is what I love about it.

Why did you choose UNK?

I actually chose UNK because of the scholarship that was offered to me as an incoming freshman. I also knew UNK has a great Teacher Education program, which is what I was going into at the time. I’m so glad I ended up here though. Not only is UNK a great school, but I also really love Kearney. I’ve made many friends here, and I met my fiancé in Kearney. So this town is very near to my heart now!

Tell us three unique things about yourself:

1. I’m from Fremont.
2. My birthday is the day after Christmas.
3. I can play three instruments—piano, oboe, and flute (though flute I picked up just for high school marching band so my skills there are limited).

You graduate this May! What is your next move?

My fiancé and I are getting married in June! Other than that, I am looking to start a full-time job in the Kearney area producing media for a business or organization. I would love a job that allows me to use multiple aspects of my degree, such as video, photography, graphic design, web design, social media, etc.

Who is your favorite videographer and why?

I am a big fan of the videos produced by the I Am Second organization. I also love wedding videography, particularly CandleLight Films and Rob Adams Films. Videos that highlight people’s stories are my favorite. I am a huge believer that everyone has an interesting story to tell.

How have you surprised yourself as a student at UNK?

The most surprising part for me has been how much I have enjoyed my college experience! I remember when I was graduating from high school I actually was not very excited to start college. I realized it was important for my future and I was thankful to have the opportunity to attend, but I still was very unsure about the whole thing. Thanks to my parents’ encouragement along the way, I ended up coming to UNK. Now in my last semester here, I look back and can see how influential my years at UNK have been—especially since the change to Multimedia. There have been so many classes in this area that have challenged me and taught me so much. Coming into college, I didn’t ever expect to enjoy my classes so much! It’s been amazing to see how much you can do in the area of media.

If you could only have one of the following items, which would it be and why? Camera, iPod, Television, colored pencils and drawing pad?

This is a hard one! I would have to say camera though. I need to be able to document the world around me, whether for producing media or just for personal use. iPod is a close second though!