It happened in a coffee shop, of all places.

"I was sitting with a friend of mine, and I got an email from Marquette saying that our decision is ready for you," says Jean Louis Rodriguez. "And I was like 'oh, no.'"

His reaction would quickly change when he opened the message.

"When I opened the email, digital confetti flew out and it said that I'd been accepted. We're all happy and jumping for joy. My friend gave me a big hug. Then, I quickly realize I have to pack everything up and move," Rodriguez says.

That was just over two years ago. Now Rodriguez, a student from Puerto Rico in the Master of Arts in Corporate Communication program, is close to graduation and excited to use what he learned to make an impact.

"I know where I want to go, and now it's just a matter of making it happen," Rodriguez says.

What was your background before coming to Milwaukee for the corporate comm program?

I graduated from the University of Puerto Rico in 2023 with an undergraduate degree in audiovisual communications and a minor in photography. After I finished, I found myself a little bit lost. I enjoyed my degree program, but it was basically like film school and there's not a huge market for film production in Puerto Rico. I loved the art, but I was wondering how to make a living out of it.

During September of 2023, I came here for one of my cousin's weddings. I have a lot of family members in Wisconsin and they'll all Marquette alumni. While I was at the wedding reception, one of my uncle's friends told me I should come to Marquette because they have a great communication program and the people there will take care of you.

How has this program prepared you for life after graduation?

It develops your skills broadly. The finance and quantitative parts of the program in particular have been useful in helping me better understand how organizations communicate complex information to different audiences. They've given me a stronger foundation for interpreting data and financial information, which is important when translating technical or financial topics into clear communication for employees, stakeholders, or the public.

Which professor have you become closest with?

Dr. Katharine Miller, for sure. I interacted with her last year when I was searching for an internship. She offered to help by going through her contacts and telling me which people to reach out to. Sometimes, she reaches out to check in on her students not even for career or class stuff, just a quick, "How are you doing?" She's always super helpful.

Are there any projects that stand out as particularly memorable?

I had to design a whole proposal with the Milwaukee Bucks as a client for my capstone class. I had to work out everything: what the budget was going to be, what kind of language we were going to use, who our audience would be and how we would reach them. I loved doing a deep dive on that because it's just like what I'm going to be doing when I graduate.

Some of the most interesting discussions in the program have come from courses like Corporate Social Responsibility and Corporate Advocacy, where we looked at how organizations navigate public expectations, stakeholder pressure and reputational risk. Those conversations often focused on how communication strategy shapes how companies respond to social and business challenges. It helped solidify my interest in internal and strategic communication.

What advice would you have for people considering going through this program?

Plan a lot. Organize a lot. This is an intensive program. I've only been taking three classes per semester, but the material I have each week is definitely enough to keep me in the library all day. You can do it if you plan well, though.