Multimedia Communication

Mable Truong

From UCSB to Disney

Meet Mable, a former UCSB student whose journey from undergraduate studies to her current role as a Production Coordinator at Disney Television Animation is nothing short of enchanting. During her time at UCSB, Mable pursued a Communication B.A. and a Professional Writing minor in Multimedia Communication track. It was here that she found a safe space to explore and experiment, integrating her design and writing skills into meaningful projects that she used as stepping stones to her first internships.

Upon graduating, Mable set her sights on transforming dreams into reality. Navigating through a maze of trial and error, she sought out opportunities in animation. Enter Disney, where Mable found her true calling as a Production Coordinator, orchestrating the behind-the-scenes magic of beloved shows like Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. As the Production Coordinator, Mable is the backbone between concept and execution. She works closely with the creative team to translate ideas into tangible artwork. From props and locations to characters and scripts, Mable leads weekly design reviews ensuring that every detail aligns with the vision of each episode. As she continues to make her mark in the animation world, Mable remains grateful for the support and mentorship she received along the way at UCSB. Mable’s advice to aspiring multimedia communication professionals? Build your portfolio with passion projects, embrace discomfort as a catalyst for growth, and approach every opportunity with humility and a willingness to learn.

Alisha Chocha

Founder of Your Marketing People

Meet Alisha, a UCSB alumni whose passion for creativity and determination led her to co-found the thriving marketing agency, Your Marketing People. After graduating in 2008 with a Communication B.A. and a Professional Writing minor in Multimedia Communication, Alisha’s journey into the marketing industry began. In 2017, after honing her skills in copywriting and advertising at multiple agencies, she dove into entrepreneurship establishing Your Marketing People. Starting from the ground up, Alisha and her partner meticulously crafted their agency’s identity, from choosing a name to defining a niche and setting themselves apart in a competitive industry.

As the agency blossomed, Alisha’s hands-on approach and specialization in paid research, campaign building, and account optimization became instrumental in driving its success. Today, Your Marketing People thrives as a stable agency that can cherry-pick clients, most of whom are women-owned sustainable companies. For Alisha, the most rewarding part is seeing her long-term clients achieve remarkable success and growth. Reflecting on her journey, Alisha credits her professional writing minor for equipping her with a deep understanding of the synergy between copywriting and graphics, essential for delivering cohesive messages that resonate with audiences.

Enya & Van

Founders of Goody2Shoes Design Studio

Introducing Enya & Van, the dynamic duo who went from classmates to Co-founders of Goody2Shoes Graphic Design. These UCSB alumni hold degrees in Communication and a Professional Writing minor in Multimedia Communication. Their story begins at UCSB but little did they know that their connection would go beyond campus borders when they discovered that they shared the same hometown.

The entrepreneurial spark ignited for the two post-graduation when they asked themselves: “Why can’t we just do something ourselves?” From a casual idea during coffee chats, they embarked on creating the Goody2Shoes, focusing on UX, brand, and web design. With the recent launch of their website and the excitement of securing their first clients, Enya & Van are thrilled about the future of Goody2Shoes Design Studio. As they reflect on their time in the minor, they emphasize the importance of embracing experimentation and exploration. But what they cherish the most is the sense of community and inspiration they found among their peers!

Julia Marsh

CEO of Sway

Julia Marsh is the CEO and Co-Founder of Sway, a California-based clean tech startup scaling next generation packaging made from seaweed. Sway's patent-pending materials match the vital performance attributes of plastic packaging and are designed to plug into existing infrastructure, enabling scale and competitive pricing. Unlike plastic, however, our materials are made from an abundant, carbon-sequestering resource and decompose into healthy soil after use. Prior to founding Sway, Julia spent nearly a decade building brand and packaging systems for consumer goods companies, technology startups, and design studios around the world. Her work is driven by a deep passion for regenerative design and biological circularity.

As a member of the Sustainable Packaging Coalition, UN Global Compact, Sustainable Ocean Alliance, and 1% for the Planet, Sway is working holistically to scale their product for a thriving, equitable future.

Daniel Eyal, a graduate of Harvard Law and UCSB, is a proud first-generation student and professional. After graduating UCSB with a major in Global Studies and minors in Professional Writing and Spanish, Daniel embarked on a career in politics and government. His first stop was D.C., where he served as an intern in the Obama White House. Then, Daniel returned to his hometown of Los Angeles to work on political campaigns and on the L.A. City Council.

At Harvard Law, he participated in the Public Service Leaders program and various student organizations and journals, and interned at the Department of Justice. Daniel plans on balancing his time working at a law firm with his passion of bringing diverse people together to solve complicated problems and create value in the world.

Throughout his time after undergrad, Daniel relied greatly on the skills and world-class training he received at UCSB, especially from the Professional Writing program. It is so critical to be an effective communicator, and it was through his classes, mentorships, and internships while in school that Daniel learned how to use his voice. Daniel is always happy to help any member of the UCSB community, and students are free to reach out to him via LinkedIn.

Journalist at the San Francisco Chronicle

Erika Carlos is a multimedia journalist at the San Francisco Chronicle. The Professional Writing minor helped her develop a diverse skill set and work samples that helped her snag an internship at the local newspaper, Santa Barabara Independent. Since then, Erika has produced short videos, podcasts, newsletters and other types of digital storytelling. In current role as Audience Editor of Strategy and Off-Platform, Erika helps the Chronicle tell stories in non-traditional formats and reach new audiences across digital platforms.

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Founder of Cool Hand Co.

Lucas Ryden is the founder of Cool Hand Co. - a San Diego beverage company specializing in seasonal fruit and botanical syrups called shrubs. Lucas began bartending while in college at UCSB and fell in love with using local ingredients from the farmers market, but found it difficult to rely on them for cocktail menus. After experimenting with different preservation methods Lucas decided shrubs were the perfect medium for adding fresh, organic flavors to drinks without the addition of artificial ingredients or stabilizers. He began sourcing ingredients from local farms in his hometown of San Diego and macerating them with organic apple cider vinegar and sugar, before bottling for everyone’s enjoyment. The brand is a reference to his college nickname - as Lucas was always whipping up the coolest drinks at the party. When he isn’t making shrubs or shaking drinks he loves to spend his free time outdoors, mostly surfing and cruising local hiking trails.