Department Honors

Elizabeth Burt is graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in General Communication. Her honors thesis entitled “Signs and Symbols of Resistance, War, and Oppression: Semiotics in Propaganda” was granted Highest Distinction. This project is a culmination of two things that she finds intriguing about her studies in communication: signs and how they impact individuals. She has found that even the smallest things can have the greatest impact on how an individual views the world and hopes to study that phenomenon even further.

Beyond her studies at UCCS, Elizabeth is an Assistant Classroom Teacher at a local early college program. She loves working with high school students and hopes to bring some of her communication knowledge back into the journalism program at her school, where she is an alumna and sometimes advisor. When not teaching or being a student herself, she is normally found behind the mic on UCCS Radio for her show Everything but the Kitchen Sink, at local punk shows, or watching The West Wing and making blankets for her friends and family.

Kaylie Foster is graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication with an emphasis in Media Studies. Her honors project explored how the changing nature of media could lead to a shift in dominant mass communication theories. As a passionate journalist, Kaylie has recognized a change in who holds the power in the spread of communication. The public is quickly gaining the ability to spread information en masse through digital media. Consumers are experiencing control over both information dissemination and the information they consume. Therefore, her project investigated how widely accepted mass media theories may lose their strength in the two-way communication environment of digital media.

Kaylie has devoted much of her college career to journalism as a reporter and editor at The Scribe. She has loved getting to know UCCS campus life through feature writing and expressing herself through the written word. Kaylie will also graduate with a minor in dance, continuing her lifelong passion for artistry through movement. In her time at UCCS, she starred in the UCCS Dance show Once and spent two seasons on the UCCS Dance Team. After graduation, she hopes to find a career in journalism to continue her passion for storytelling. 

Aracelis Patino is graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication after completing her degree in just two years, having earned her associate degree in high school. Her Honors project explored Social Presence Theory in online education, analyzing how video calls influence student engagement, participation, and connection with instructors. Through this research, she demonstrated her understanding of communication in digital environments and its importance in creating meaningful interactions.

Her time at UCCS, especially in Writing for the Media, solidified her passion for journalism and storytelling. Outside of academics, Aracelis runs a personal blog where she shares reflections and insights, drawing inspiration from books, films, and television. She plans to pursue a career in journalism, beginning with potential internship opportunities this summer. Aracelis is grateful for the knowledge and growth she has experienced through the Communication Department and looks forward to applying these skills in her professional journey.