Nicholls Mass Communication Department has selected nine students to be part of the Nancy Sanderson Matherne Institute for Global Communication in its initial year. These candidates are participating in an international public relations campaign for the Cross River Gorilla Project – a group focused on protecting Cross River gorillas in Cameroon. Part of the team will travel to the United Kingdom to present their work at a dinner, featuring a panel of communications specialists and their project client.
The team has been featured in the Students Against Species Extinction news, a world-wide volunteer student group that highlights university students making an impact in the conservation of endangered species. Their group and Nicholls State University are highlighted alongside Newcastle University and Edinburgh University on the SASE Foundation website. This cross-cultural communications project is an opportunity for students to learn about other cultures while pursuing the Nicholls mission to aid in environmental issues.
Spring 2024 participants of the Nancy Sanderson Matherne Institute for Global Communication are:
- Bethany Leonard; Houma; Chief Strategist
- Catherine Clement; Thibodaux; Event Coordinator
- Gabrielle Chaisson; Thibodaux; Account Executive
- Treneice Cannon; Luling; Creative Director
- Lance Jones; New Orleans; Staff Member
- Sally-Anne Torres; Denham Springs; Staff Member
- Skylar Neal; Houma; Staff Member
- Wesley O’Neal; Central; Staff Member
- Amelia Sandie; Brighton, England; Staff Member
Event Coordinator and Mass Communication Senior Catherine Clement said, “The Mass Communication Department at Nicholls has allowed me to experience so many opportunities that I am so grateful for. The support that I know I will always receive from my classmates and professors has allowed me to grow more confident in my skills and accomplish my goals. This opportunity to work with Newcastle University and the Cross River Gorilla Project is one that I am most excited for. Environmental communication is something I have always had a passion for, and the opportunity to practice that while learning the new skill of international communication is such a unique opportunity that I am really looking forward to.”
Staff Member and Mass Communication Senior, Amelia Sandie was born and raised in Brighton, England, and is an international student-athlete for Nicholls State University’s women’s basketball team. Sandie said, “I am so blessed to be a part of this team. It blends both the cultures I have experienced: British and American. I think it’s a great way for people to learn not only new things in regards to education, but to work with people from different cultures and backgrounds – something that has definitely shaped me into the person I am today.”
Nicholls State University’s Nancy Sanderson Matherne Institute for Global Communication is a program that will connect Nicholls to the world by providing a global communications structure that will aid its local community, faculty, staff and students. The institute was created and funded by Dr. Brian Matherne, a Houma physician, and his daughter Kellie Daniels, a lecturer in public relations and corporate communications at Newcastle University in England, to honor his mother Nancy Sanderson Matherne, United Kingdom native, long-time Terrebonne Parish resident and first female member of Terrebonne Parish School Board.
To learn more about investing in the Nancy Sanderson Matherne Institute for Global Communication at Nicholls State University, contact james.stewart@nicholls.edu or visit nichollsfoundation.org to directly benefit the organization or department of your choosing.