Cronkite School graduate balanced caregiving, school to earn 2 degrees in 3 years
By Henry Smardo
Editor’s note: This story is part of a series of profiles of notable fall 2024 graduates.
When Alicia Rodriguez was growing up, she had a cousin who was a Sun Devil. So, as a third grade-student, Rodriguez was already interested in attending Arizona State University, and she would peruse the university’s website looking at majors. She found the journalism program and was sold.
As many students do at a young age, Rodriguez talked about her dream job. For Rodriguez, it was always a journalist. She applied to only one school and for only one program.
Now she’s a “double Devil.” She graduated last year with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communication, and is now graduating with a master's degree in digital audience strategy.
At the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication convocation this month, Rodriguez is set to receive an Outstanding Graduate Student award. She sat down with us to share what her time at Cronkite was like.
Note: The interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
Question: Why did you choose ASU?
Answer: Proximity was a huge thing for me. I grew up in Avondale, Arizona; I currently live in Buckeye, Arizona. Something about my story that kind of differs from a lot of students is that I chose to stay living at home throughout my college experience because I was taking care of my grandfather who was sick all through college. I didn't join clubs and I didn't do extracurriculars, because I had to be home by 5 p.m. to make sure I was getting him ready for the night and he was fed. I really appreciate that this is a school with every walk of life, students who have the traditional four-year plan and then students like myself. I graduated from high school with my associate's degree.
So I came in with two years of college done, high school class of 2021, graduated from college in 2023 and then came back for my master's this year. I spent a little bit of time with my graduating class, but because I came in with so many credits, all the people who are my age are barely graduating this upcoming spring. Through that experience, people like me can still succeed alongside people who are following the four-year path.
Q: Which professor taught you the most important lesson while at ASU?
A: Dr. Nikki McClaran was my public relations writing professor. She connected with us students on a level that not a lot of professors do. Some professors, they're with it, they know the culture and they can connect with people our age.
One specific instance I can think of is that she held office hours for those of us who wanted to know about how she organized her planner, and that was really cool for those of us who were nerdy about that stuff. There were at least 10 of us, and we all were into planners and notebooks and stationery. She held office hours for us to talk about how she organizes her life.
That to me was just so monumental because I had never met a professor or a teacher who was so open with students on that level, but also just got it. She just got it. That's really what I appreciated about her.
Q: What’s the best piece of advice you’d give to those still in school?
A: There's balance for everything — even if you think, ‘I can't do this, I have to fit this certain mold of what a college experience looks like.’ College can look like so many things, and if there are obstacles in front of you, there's always a way to overcome them. Your dreams are not unattainable.
Q: What are your plans after graduation?
A: I'm still in the job hunt. I'm hoping to get into communications at ASU. My dream is to work in K–12 education communications and be a public information officer in any school district. I have a huge heart for nonprofits, K–12 education and even local government stuff.
Q: If someone gave you $40 million to solve one problem on our planet, what would you tackle?
A: Probably something with K–12 schools and education accessibility. The world could be a much more powerful place if every child had the same opportunities. I would like to feed that into creating programs for kids, especially in lower-income communities where education is not accessible to them and their families don't have the same opportunities.
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