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Rylee Vogel is a performer with a love for听musical theater. She also loves communication and how it connects people. Now, these two degrees will help her make her way in show business.

This December, Vogel will graduate with a degree in communication, a minor in theater and the distinction of earning the William W. White Outstanding Graduate Award. This honor is bestowed to the student graduating with the highest GPA in the College of Media, Communication and Information. After years of hard work鈥攕ometimes even holding multiple jobs at once鈥擵ogel is graduating with a 3.96 GPA and plans to move to New York City.

鈥淐MCI has really taught me how to have personal conversations in the real world and how to walk into an audition or a job interview and be confident and know how to communicate with people well,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t makes you stand out when you are walking into that room.鈥�

Vogel was initially attracted to communication because she had an interest in law as it seemed a good combination. But she soon realized that wasn鈥檛 a path she wanted to pursue. Instead, she enrolled as a double major in communication and musical theater.

Then the COVID-19 pandemic abruptly interrupted her freshman year. Suddenly, she and her peers were sent home, zooming into class, trying to connect over the screen. Not long after, her two majors began conflicting, and it became apparent that keeping the dual degree would tack on more time in school.

鈥淚 realized I could start working [in the theater] instead of spending an extra year,鈥� she said.

After a meeting with her counselor and determining that she could get her theatrical training outside the classroom, she decided to keep her major in communication and change her theater studies from a major to a minor.

Vogel maintained her full course load while auditioning for plays in the area. She also landed a job at the Candlelight dinner theater, sometimes working up to 40 to 60 hours per week.

鈥淚 found, even though it wasn鈥檛 school-related, my comm professors were very, very helpful in making sure that my career was able to get started outside of class,鈥� she said.

She chose communication, in part, because of its practicality: In addition to performing, she鈥檒l be able to do media marketing or public relations, especially for theater companies. The combination will help her performance career be more sustainable, she said.

Along the way, she鈥檚 found unexpected moments of joy from studying the topic. Although she never took a formal family communication course, she found elements of communication theory in her other classes that offered new insights into family dynamics.

鈥淚鈥檓 very family oriented,鈥� Vogel said. 鈥淎nything that dealt with family communication, I always found really, really fascinating鈥攖he way that families communicate with each other, how different families are built and what the effects of that are.鈥�

Beyond that, Vogel found her studies in communication actually help her be a better performer. She connects with the audience, director, castmates and even the characters she plays at a deeper level, all because of the lessons she鈥檚 learned about communication styles.

鈥淵ou can find different motivations for each character through connection and communication, and then on the personal side of it, you鈥檙e able to connect with directors and castmates to understand what their point of view is,鈥� she said. 鈥淔or instance, intimacy is an interesting thing on stage. Understanding how the other person is feeling, what their process is as an actor, and having these conversations is super important. It's communication that鈥檚 able to actualize that.鈥�

For her, it鈥檚 an honor to be recognized by the college that has given her so much support.

鈥淭hroughout my time here, time and time again, CMCI is supporting their students in ways that are not traditional, and I appreciate that so much,鈥� Vogel said.

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