This fall, the Communication Arts Partners (CAPS) were thrilled to welcome Kathy Brown, who brings to our alumni advisory board expertise in communication, persuasion, and relationship building. As a Director of Broker Alliances at Origami Risk, Brown utilizes countless skills she honed while in Communication Arts to manage relationships with clients. Her voice as a graduate from the Rhetoric and Communication Science track of the program will be an asset for students eager to discover the endless possibilities their degrees can take them in.
After graduating from Communication Arts, Brown started her career as a Client Representative at Marsh. She began fostering a passion for volunteering, which inspired her to get a master’s degree in social work from Loyola University. Following this, she decided to earn her MBA and has worked in relationship management roles ever since.
“My job is all about relationship building and problem solving,” Brown said. “That interpersonal side is really what I take with me from my degree at Wisconsin.”
Brown was recently interested in getting involved at UW, and after learning about the CAPS board, she found a perfect fit. She is eager to mentor students and help them understand how valuable the skills they’re gaining in their Communication Arts classes will be when they launch their careers.
“When I talk to students who are wondering what they can do with their Comm Arts degrees, I tell them that they can do anything that deals with people,” Brown said. “You’re building skills in speaking, writing, presenting, problem solving, negotiating. These are all essential skills to have for a countless number of careers.”
Brown is excited to continue speaking with students and providing advice she’s learned from her career.
“Your first job isn’t your last job, so never be afraid to explore other options,” she said. “Figuring out what you don’t like is just as important as figuring out what you do like.”
CAPS board members like Brown are essential contributors to numerous initiatives in Communication Arts. Their skills and insight make so much of what we offer our students possible, and we are grateful that Brown has chosen our department as her next volunteering endeavor.
You can discover more about the CAPS board and its mission here.