When Mike Prior set foot on JMU’s campus, the last thing he expected was that he’d end up working here. “I didn’t come in as SMAD,” he says. “I was trying to go pre med, and I did a rough switch.”

Prior believes that his creative side stems from his family. “I think SMAD gave me enough tools and enough insight to make me want to go outside and search for more,” he says. “Enough resources and professors are there for you as you search and learn what’s out there for you.”

After graduating in 2013, Prior landed a job at the university that he began in July. In his current role as Assistant Director of Strategic Communications for JMU Intercollegiate Athletics, Prior manages JMU athletics’ social media accounts, creates content and strategies, and does some graphic design work.

Although Prior is originally from Yorktown, Virginia, he enjoys living in Harrisonburg now. “I volunteer with a local organization that puts on 5Ks and different community active-based events,” he says. “I enjoy being creative in a sphere that isn’t work-related.”