‘86 Journalism alumnus Michael Adamson has always been one to arrive at his own conclusion and do things his own way. This led him to have a very interesting journey at Ball State. After cycling through many majors, Michael found a home in the Department of Journalism. Years later, he is now a Director at Perficient Digital, where he consults Fortune 500 companies on Digital Product Management.
Writer: Ashley Curry, Department of Journalism Student • Interviewer: Any Ung, ’19 Telecommunications grad• Video: Ball State UMS
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What kind of student were you at Ball State?
A student that frustrated many professors! I liked to arrive at my own conclusions. Often in our classwork, they would set up goals, and they wouldn’t necessarily like how I got there. They always liked the outcome though.
What was your favorite place on campus?
I spent a lot of time in the Bracken Library, and enjoyed it. There were study lounges outside where you could study and visit with friends, but the library was open all hours of the night. We were able to stay there and study at all hours. I found that as a natural place to always find my way back to and congregate.
What was your favorite memory at Ball State?
Throughout college, I was a part of the Student Center Programming Board, which organized a lot of entertainment activities on campus. I had the opportunity my last year to organize a full scale outdoor concert. I pulled it off, and it was fabulous. Everyone had a great time. We had not done an event to that scale in years.
How did Ball State have a positive impact on you?
The things that made the most impact on me were the experiences that I had, whether it was working with classmates or working with the folks at the Daily News. I was involved with so many organizations on campus, and being able to combine that with my classwork that was the positive experience.
What advice would you give your freshman self?
To continue to seek. I went through a lot of majors looking for something very specific. Comm Studies didn’t exist back then and if it did, I think it would have been a great fit for me. But the journey was important. Though I would tell myself, to seek out more specific skill sets like organizational communication and organizational psychology. Learning more about how people work is a skill I have had to require in the professional field, so getting that experience in college would have been helpful.
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