Get to know some of our College of Media students! Michael Leshock is a Class of 2025 dual degree student in advertising and political science.

Why did you decide to study advertising here through the College of Media?
My junior year, I decided to complete a dual degree by pursuing the advertising major, in addition to the political science major in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. I always knew that I wanted to write for a living in some sort of way. Early on I thought that the only way I would be able to write was by becoming a lawyer. Then I learned about advertising and discovered how I would be able to both creatively write and make a living. I love writing lyrics for my music and writing poetry in my free time. Advertising writing is basically creating a narrative but in a brand’s voice and I could help in this process. I already had the skills required for advertising, but I needed to learn the basics and the technical aspects within advertising. I knew that advertising was the right fit because I could apply what I already knew to different brands.

What has your experience been like in the American Advertising Federation?
I joined AAF at the beginning of my senior year. I applied and got into Midnight Oil. Midnight Oil is awesome; I recommend it to everyone because it is a close replica of what working at an agency is going to be like in the future. In the club you decide what role you want to be in—this could be a strategist, a creative director, an account manager, a copy writer, etc. You work with your team and an actual real client from Urbana-Champaign to develop advertisements with them. My first semester I was a copywriter in my group, and we worked with Pacifica on Green, which is a residential apartment building. It was super fun. We made a bunch of TikToks, banners, posters, and advertisements. I was able to see these ads actually implemented out in the real world, which was pretty cool.

What have you learned from working at WPGU radio station?
WPGU is a student-run radio station that plays alternative music. I loved working at WPGU as an on-air intern, where I had a two-hour radio show on Sunday evenings. This internship was like my introduction to the College of Media. I was able to meet a lot of people at the station who were in the College of Media already, I could ask them for advice. I also learned how to solidify my time management skills because of my time working at WPGU. I had to not only show up for my show every Sunday, but I had to have notes about what I was going to talk about or what music I was going to play during it. That forced me to develop a system I could use all four years of college. I also developed my writing skills more through the internship. I added a new style of writing into my arsenal of creative writing.

What is your advice on networking and what College of Media resources have helped you network?
The advice I would give is to be active and participate in things that interest you; it doesn’t really get easier than that. Try not to overthink it and at least make a conscious effort to put yourself out there more. Attend different events being offered by the College of Media. You get to meet and connect with alumni who have industry connections and can help you. This industry is a lot about who you know and how you network. AAF has also given me one of the biggest opportunities for networking. Each semester you work with a new team of people. AAF also has a lot of specific networking events or social events that connect you with people. They may bring in people from the industry to talk about their experience, and you can then connect with them on LinkedIn.

—Interview by Brianna Alvarado, New Voices Intern