Joseph Shortino is a graduating, senior tech comm student who serves as president of the Eagle Technical Communicators (ETC), the student organization for technical communication.

He said, "I feel like I benefit personally and professionally from getting experiences by doing things like leading an organization or redesigning a brand. It's been a big learning experience."

TECH COMM MAJOR

Shortino began his UNT career uncertain about his future. He first became aware of UNT Tech Comm when his roommate suggested he take TECM 2700 to fulfill his college writing credit. Shortino declared his status as a technical communication major after learning more about the department, variety of classes, internship and recruitment opportunities, and the variety of workplace options he would have after graduating.

He noticed that other students faced a stressful rush to develop their portfolios before graduation. Based on this observation, Shortino started developing his portfolio at the beginning of his student career as a showcase for potential employers.

He advised, "Find someone in class whose work you really like and talk to them. Learn from them and continue to associate with people who are truly invested in doing their best work. You'll be more motivated and inspired, and you'll have a good network. Continuing to polish all your old projects as you learn new skills will benefit you when it inevitably comes time to put a portfolio together. You'll have a large body of finished work that reflects your sense of quality and style."

ETC PRESIDENT

As a new tech comm student, Shortino was eager to meet more people in the department so he attended an ETC meeting. He took a more active role when the organization began to lose members after the previous student leaders graduated.

Starting in Fall 2017, Shortino worked with other students to change the logo and add more student-oriented events to the itinerary. He was elected president of the organization during the spring 2018 and has served in that role ever since.

"I really like technical communication. I want other people to discover it," Shortino said.

LOOKING FORWARD

In preparation for graduation this May, Shortino is putting the finishing touches on his personal portfolio website (a site he has built from scratch).

"I started out really eager to see where the program would take me, and now I'm really excited for what's next and what I can learn beyond graduation," Shortino said.

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