A conversation with Jason Askew ’01 and Emily Morgan ’27, journalism and political science. 

Jason Askew ’01, public relations and communication studies, discovered his passion for communication his sophomore year after learning about the opportunities open to communication majors. He credits Professors Agnes Doody, Patrick Devlin, and Gail Alofsin most for preparing him with the skills he needed to succeed in business. Today, Askew is a Senior Product Marketing Manager at Cvent, a company specializing in meetings, events, and hospitality management technology. 

Why did you choose to study at URI?

I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do [after high school], and I did not have much guidance. However, I knew I loved music and aviation; I decided to dive into where my current passions were around music and go to URI. I started as a music education major at URI. I became familiar with the professors and students while taking private lessons and performing as a percussionist in the All-State and Honors Bands. I did that for a year and transitioned to the communications department. Thankfully, I completed enough coursework to earn my minor in music performance for percussion.

What made you choose your majors?

I went over to the Communication Studies department and talked to Dr. Wood. I sat with him and saw how many communication, public relations, and marketing opportunities were available. It looked exciting and interesting. I learned about communications because I did public relations for my band. I was good at it and enjoyed it. I took that passion and projected it into the Communication Studies program. 

How do you use the skills you learned while at URI today?

I enjoyed all my communication classes. Advanced public speaking with Dr. Devlin stood out to me, which Dr. Sandra Ketrow insisted I take. I am proud to say I can speak at major conferences and in front of thousands of my colleagues. My business communication classes with Professor Gail Alofsin would expose us to multiple businesses and how they operated with many guest speakers and site visits. It exposed me to how companies work. It truly taught you how to be professional. I learned a lot about conducting myself professionally and respectfully. 

The other class was with Dr. Doody called business communication, which I loved. She taught us tactics to uplevel ourselves to be professional in the workplace. It was the practical applications that the professors would put me in where I would learn a lot. That method is gold. It just bakes the concepts into your head, making it easier to recall them when you apply them in the real world.

What is your favorite memory from URI? 

I have so many good memories from URI. My best memories are of the energy of the professors and the program and the feeling that I was part of the family. The professors loved what they taught, so it was easy to learn. They had passion, and I responded well to that as a student. That is why I stayed in the program. Focusing on concepts buried in books was always difficult, so the professor engagement was elemental for my success. I was also heavily involved with the URI Marching Band. I served as a Lieutenant and EMT for the URI Emergency Medical Services. A big memory is playing drums on the Pep Band courtside when our URI Men’s Basketball Team was in the Sweet 16 in 1998. That was an amazing time to be at URI. 

What one piece of advice would you give students who are preparing to enter the workforce?

Have strong public speaking skills. Be curious and be kind. It is not only who you know; it is what you know about people. It is taking the time to learn what makes people tick, establishing strong relationships with people you meet, and learning about their lives. You can create a trajectory for yourself by just sitting for a minute, remembering a fact about a person, and saying, “How is this going?” That is what people remember about you. They forget about the work, but they remember how you treated them and that you cared because people know if you are authentic. When you sit and want to listen to someone talk, it makes your life and your job easier. The better you know someone, the better you treat people, the more help you get, and the further you will go.