Rhett Allen (he/him/his) graduated from Iowa State with a degree in Communication Studies, a certificate in Leadership Studies, and a minor in Music in 2018. He went on to receive a Master’s of Education from Auburn University and returned to Ames to work as Assistant Director of Marketing for the ISU Athletics Department.
“I oversee Women’s Basketball, Gymnastics, Cyclone Alley, Cyclone Tents and our on-field football production,” explained Allen when asked about his current position with ISU Athletics. “My education from COMST has helped me build interpersonal relationships, relate to my coworkers and work together in small groups. Small Group Communication [COMST 317] played a big role in identifying various personalities within a group and figuring out how to best work together.” Allen specifically thanked Dr. Stacy Tye-Williams, who taught the course when he was a student.
Allen knew that his degree in Communication Studies prepared him for his career, even when he was still a graduate assistant at Auburn University. Allen describes when he first realized this during his “first external staff meeting at Auburn… trying to build relationships with everyone, get my goals accomplished and solve how we as a group can best surpass our goals.”