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When Brooke Moncol, '25  first arrived at ����ֱ�� State University, she thought computer science would be the perfect fit. After just a year, she realized something was missing.

“I came to ����ֱ�� as a computer science major, and I learned the hard way that it was not for me,” she said. “It’s very intense. I was struggling. So, I started looking into switching majors. I was between EMAT and VCD, and I realized EMAT was similar but still kept that interest of enjoying code. I also wanted to be a little more creative, so EMAT was the way I could do both.”

That balance between technology and creativity is what set ����ֱ�� State’s Emerging Media and Technology program apart. For Brooke, it became the foundation for building a career focused on user experience design and digital storytelling.

“I enjoyed that there were a lot of different types of classes,” she said. “I worked with Python, JavaScript, HTML and CSS, and then there were some that weren’t even related to code. From that program, I was able to take on three different minors in user experience, web design and marketing. All of those have helped me get my job today.”

“I was able to do a lot in my short time during school. Everyone encouraged us to do more, explore more and learn as much as possible. 

Brooke now works for MCPC, a Cleveland-based technology company that provides IT lifecycle management and digital transformation solutions for organizations. Her position is a mix of marketing, design and technology.

“I’m technically hired for MCPC, which is a technology company,” she said. “They provide companies with all of the necessities: a phone, a computer, anything for onboarding to make it as quick and easy as possible for a new employee to get started.”

Through MCPC, Brooke also works with The Foundry, a nonprofit organization founded by MCPC’s owner, Mike Trebilcock. The Foundry offers rowing and sailing programs for kids across Cleveland and Northeast Ohio, giving access to Lake Erie and the Cuyahoga River.

“I kind of have a dual role, but I’m focusing on the nonprofit at the moment,” she said. “I’m currently working on their website, so I’m doing a lot of work with the UX skills I learned from school. The reason they hired me was because they saw the technical skills I got from EMAT and my minors. I created a portfolio through Webflow, and I’m pretty sure my boss saw it and thought, ‘She knows code.’”

Brooke said the EMAT program’s focus on group projects instead of exams taught her valuable collaboration skills. “We had so many group projects instead of tests,” she said. “I learned how to work with all different types of people, which has helped me a lot. In my dual role, I work with so many personalities, and EMAT really taught me how to adapt and communicate." Many of Brooke’s classes had assignments requiring collaboration with classmates, including Thomas Mis, now a ����ֱ�� State professor. “We were working with React, which was completely new to me,” she said. “It helped me learn how to look at code and find where the issue is.”

Now a marketing specialist, Brooke continues to use the design thinking mindset that EMAT instilled in her. “Right now, the website is my big project,” she said. “There are a lot of accessibility issues, and that’s something I learned about while working on the KSU mobile app. Accessibility is so important, and you never really realize that until you work in it.”

Brooke also credits her interdisciplinary coursework for giving her hands on experience before graduation. “We worked on the May 4th Visitor Center page,” she said. “With that project, my biggest lesson was realizing that when you start a project, you often dream bigger than what’s actually possible.”

Her experience extended beyond the classroom through internships. She worked with Goldberg Companies, Inc. in Beachwood, where she developed her Adobe skills in Photoshop, Illustrator and After Effects. She also worked with ����ֱ�� State’s IT department, where she collaborated with students from other programs as part of The Digital Leadership Academy. “They created a program where we could work with students we never would have met otherwise,” she said.

Looking back, Brooke says EMAT gave her the freedom to explore her creative interests while preparing for a UX-driven career. “I had a really great experience,” she said. “I was able to do a lot in my short time during school. Everyone encouraged us to do more, explore more and learn as much as possible. At the time, I thought some assignments were annoying, but they helped me reflect on what I was learning and doing.”

Her advice for future EMAT students is simple. “Take things seriously,” she said. “There’s a reason for doing every single thing that you’re going to do.”