Sophie Kullman (Class of 2021)

photo of Sophie Kullman

  • senior triple major in English:Creative Writing, Strategic Communication, and Media & Culture
  • from Powell, OH
  • attended the NYC Media (January 2018), Inside Hollywood (January 2019) study-away programs
  • spent 5 weeks in Rome, Italy with the LeadAbroad GO Rome program
  • member Miami University Student Foundation; Sketch Writing & Acting Group; Chi Omega
"Miami has some of the best professors, and I love the environment that they provide for me and other students. They really care, and I have developed relationships with many of them, especially in the MJF and English departments — they are the best!"

Why Miami?

"My parents are Miami Mergers, and my grandpa was a professor at Miami for 40 years. My grandparents still live in town, so I grew up visiting Oxford and the Miami campus for many years. I had looked at a few schools and knew that if I were to stay in Ohio, it would be Miami. I love the campus and atmosphere.

"As a prospective student I met with emeriti professor Richard Campbell when he was the chair of the Department of Media, Journalism and Film (MJF). He talked for about an hour with me and my dad, selling me on not only Miami but MJF as well."

Best Miami Experiences

Sophie Kullman at NBC Studios in NYC

"Some of the most incredible things that I have gotten to do have been through the MJF department: going on the NYC Media trip with senior lecturer of journalism Patricia Newberry for a week over J-Term my freshman year, doing the Inside Hollywood program in L.A. for three weeks, and more. I was able to earn credit, go to really cool places, and meet amazing alumni. Those two trips have been some of the best moments of my life here at Miami.

"I came in with an idea of my career path and knew that I wanted to study strategic communications. I would like to work in either New York or LA, perhaps applying to the NBC Page program and a few other entry-level jobs to get my foot in the door. After taking a few strat-comm classes, I knew that I had chosen the right department and could ease into my first year. Among Miami faculty, I especially loved assistant professors Andrew Peck and Matthew Crain and visitor professors Lexi Marsh and Sam Ribbler from MJF and assistant professor TaraShea Nesbit from the Department of English.

"At Miami I already knew a few people from my high school. However, I decided to find a random roommate who I met via the Facebook group, because I wanted to start fresh, branch out, and make new friends. It worked out for me, since I am still best friends with my freshman year roommate.

"Making connections with Miami alumni in both New York and Los Angeles has already been helpful. I know I can contact them even if they are not hiring. My classes have also been beneficial by giving me hands-on work as well as helping me put together portfolios of my writing. I now have material in my arsenal to bring to interviews, as well as ideas for my writing classes, since I'm hoping to go into writing wherever I end up."

Miami and the Liberal Arts

Sophie Kullman in front of the 'NCIS Most Wanted Wall' in Los Angeles

"Something I love most about my media & culture major is its relevance to today, and how full it is of fun things to talk about. We discuss media, movies, television, and I've written research papers about YouTube and Netflix. We learn how the media that we enjoy operates in the world as a business and how people profit from it. It's really interesting and applicable to everyday life, and my professors have helped me get hands-on experience while learning the inner workings of making a movie. I've also studied film and all aspects of film production. All of this is directly related to my hopeful career in New York or LA!

"Strategic communication focuses on public relations, so I've learned how to put together PR plans and do situation analysis. We learn how to set up a campaign for a client. And in my creative writing major we read a lot of literature and learn to express ourselves through writing and a variety of stories.

"My writing, including creative, professional and screenwriting, has improved a lot over my 4 years at Miami. I have a lot to work with, including experience with software, editing, and camera equipment. I know my way around a TV studio and how it works — but I hope that wherever I go, whether that be PR or media or entertainment, I am going to be writing. It's what I love to do."

Studying Art and Culture in Rome

Sophie Kullman in front of Pantheon in Rome, Italy

"I got to study abroad over the summer, two years ago. I was in Rome, Italy for 5 weeks as part of the LeadAbroad program, and it was amazing. A representative spoke at one of my sorority chapter meetings, and I instantly fell in love with the GO Rome trip. One of my favorite memories was going to Prague for a weekend with a smaller group of friends. We toured the city, went to museums, and saw statues and paintings in person that we had learned about previously in our classes. Seeing these works directly as opposed to studying them in a textbook was incredible.

"While the program wasn't through Miami, all the course credits transferred over. I took an art history class, which focused on the Italian Renaissance and ancient Rome, as well as a communications and gender studies class. In the communications class we discussed different cultures and customs abroad compared to the USA. One assignment was to walk down our street and notice how the locals dressed, ate, and talked. Most of my art history classes took place in museums or in ancient ruins like the Colosseum and Pantheon.

"The experience gave me an eye-opening perspective for when I enter the career field after Miami. It provided a broader range of things I can pull on in my creative writing and expanded my worldview. I have also become more independent, after flying from Rome to Munich, Germany all by myself. It was fun to be on my own, even beyond life as a college student. If you have the means and the time, be sure to study abroad!"

Advice to Students

"Get involved as soon as you can and try new things. Sometimes it can be hard, but everyone is trying to make friends. Join a club that you have an interest in, even if it is something you haven't done before. It could turn out to be where you meet your best friends. Say yes to a J-Term class that takes you to Costa Rica to do a service project, or like me, to New York City for a week. You don't know what will lead to your future job or future friends.

"I have made a lot of friends just sitting next to them in my classes, and we have amazing discussions. There are also many opportunities outside the classroom to study in places like New York, DC, or LA — Miami offers "Inside" Study Away programs like Inside Washington, Inside New York, Inside Chicago, and many others, while the Department of English sponsors the Literary London trip over the summer.

"Miami has some of the best professors, and I love the environment that they provide for me and other students. They really care, and I have developed relationships with many of them, especially in the MJF and English departments — they are the best!"

[December 2020]