When Jennifer Prandato boarded a plane from Idaho to Indiana, she wasn’t just traveling to college; she was taking her first step toward a career she hadn’t yet fully imagined. The flight to Ball State marked a turning point, one fueled by curiosity, confidence, and a willingness to say yes to an opportunity.

At Ball State, Jennifer found more than a journalism program. She found a place that challenged her creatively, supported her ambition, and prepared her to step into professional spaces with confidence.

“The artistic thread had run through my family for a really long time,” Jennifer said. “Ball State was so clearly the school that was doing art direction and journalism the best.”

From the moment she toured campus, she knew she’d found the right fit.

“It immediately felt like this is where I should be for my career,” she said.

 Growing at Ball State

Once on campus, Jennifer immersed herself in hands-on learning. She balanced nine jobs during her time at the university, and was involved with extracurriculars such as student media, freelance design, and Kappa Delta, all while excelling academically as an Emens Scholar.

She credits the Emens Scholar program as transformational, providing her with connections that made Ball State feel more like home. She mentioned that the level of care she received from the Emen’s family is something she still has a soft spot for in her heart.

For Jennifer, it was the immersive learning and mentorship that shaped so much of her path and confidence.

That mindset of confidence carried Jennifer through Ball State’s student media outlets, including The Daily News, Ball Bearings Magazine, and Cardinal Communications, where she built a professional portfolio with design bylines and art direction experience before graduation. The newsroom quickly became one of her favorite places on campus, an environment that mirrored the pace and expectations of the industry she would soon enter.

Her education took her far beyond Muncie. Through a Ball State program, Jennifer traveled to cover the 2012 London Olympics working under the Chicago Tribune, gaining real-world experience that set her apart. Just two years later, she reported again as an Olympic graphic journalist for the Chicago Tribune on site in their newsroom for the 2014 Sochi Games.

“They knew we could do it because we went to Ball State,” Jennifer said about the newsroom editors. “They knew what our education and journalism program was.”

Beyond the Tassel

After graduation, Jennifer’s career took flight. She completed a design contract with The Boston Globe before joining TIME, where she spent more than seven years contributing to major print and digital editorial projects, such as the TIME printed and online magazines and TIME 100.

Jennifer recalls one of the most proud projects she had worked on was the April 2020 issue that shifted unexpectedly during the pandemic, but her newsroom training kicked in. She developed the “Finding Hope” concept under intense deadlines, highlighting interviews with past TIME 100 honorees about how they found hope during the incredibly challenging first few months of the pandemic.

“It’s a snapshot in time that I am extremely proud of,” Jennifer said.

After TIME, she became an art director at NBCUniversal, managing the digital art and photo department of TODAY. Three years later, she took on a new role as a senior designer at Amazon News.

Though her path may appear seamless, Jennifer is open about experiencing imposter syndrome along the way. Today, she pays it forward, offering guidance to students who reach out with the same questions and doubts she once had.

Returning to campus in April of 2025 as the keynote speaker for the JDAY+/CCIM+ Conference brought her journey full circle.

Standing on the Emens Auditorium stage years later, looking out at students seated where she once sat, Jennifer shared that she reflected on how far she had come since her first flight to Muncie.

“I am extremely proud to have gone to Ball State and represent the University in my industry,” Jennifer said. “There is no way I would be where I am if I didn’t go to Ball State.”