Alumni Spotlight: Nicole Jacobsen Mayberry

Nicole Jacobsen Mayberry (B.A. ’11) is this week’s featured alum in our new Alumni Spotlight series for the This Week at Meadows e-newsletter. Each week, a different Meadows alum will be highlighted for their accomplishments post-graduation.

One of the best things about the programs at Meadows is that they prepare their students for a variety of careers, and there are countless ways to use your degrees that may not immediately seem like the obvious path to take. When Nicole Jacobsen Mayberry left SMU armed with degrees in journalism and advertising, she initially took on a job as a news reporter and producer.

After realizing it wasn’t the right fit for her, Mayberry began to explore other industries where she could still apply the knowledge she amassed at Meadows. From working at a Dallas private school sharing stories of students' accomplishments to managing community events and partnerships for Children’s Health, Mayberry leveraged the writing and communication skills she learned in the journalism program to succeed.

“The Meadows School of the Arts never put me in a box,” says Mayberry of her Meadows experience. “I initially let the idea of my degree define me when in reality, I could use so many different learnings to define the job I really wanted.”

This mindset eventually led Mayberry to her current role as the Community Relations and PR Lead for PGA of America, where she spends her days connecting with community leaders and business executives to educate them about how they can partner with the organization, as well as local non-profits and school districts on how they can work together to introduce underserved communities to the game of golf. Not only did the journalism program help Mayberry develop the writing and communication skills she’s utilized throughout her career journey, it also prepared her for the networking portion of her profession.

“[When I was in school] I didn't have the luxury of hiding behind a screen to talk to people and that really prepared me for my career,” she explains, noting that social media wasn’t nearly as prevalent when she was at Meadows as it is today. “Part of my job is walking into a crowded room and making connections with strangers, and in every job I've held, being able to connect with people from all walks of life has been paramount to my success.”

The inspiration and self-confidence her professors fostered during her time at Meadows also encouraged her to pursue her dreams in sports journalism, even though it is generally a male-dominated field. Now Mayberry gets to pay it forward when she meets with young, female students and shares about the endless opportunities they have to work in sports.

“When you see someone who looks like you doing well in their career, it breaks down barriers that most people are afraid to challenge,” she says.

Between promoting the idea that golf for accessible for all, no matter someone’s age or athletic ability, and utilizing her communication and networking skills to engage the local community with PGA of America, Mayberry is clearly making an impact of the world of sports journalism.

Learn more about the Division of Journalism here and the Division of Advertising here.