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Andy: Welcome to Meadows on the Mic, the official podcast of the SMU Meadows School of the Arts. I'm your host, Andy Draper, part of the Meadows Marketing team and podcaster extraordinaire. On this show, I'll be bringing you in-depth interviews with Meadows faculty, students, and staff covering everything from events, special guests, and anything else you need to know happening at SMU Meadows. On today's episode, I interviewed Chloe Young, a senior dance performance major who is also pursuing a degree in public relations and strategic communications. Young talked about how she first got started in dance as a young child, how she came to be at SMU Meadows, taking on a second major, and post-graduation plans.

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Andy: Let's get to know, Chloe Young!

Chloe: Thank you for having me. Glad to be here!

Andy: So, before we get into our interview, we have a lot of exciting questions and I'm excited to get to know you better. Tell us how is the semester going so far?  Spring break's just around the corner, but how are things?

Chloe: Yes. Hard to believe that it's already about to be spring break. It's pretty insane how quickly the semester's been going by and we're already halfway through. It's been very, very busy for me, but I know everyone is always very busy.  I have spent this semester really finishing everything up because I'll be graduating in May. With one of my majors, I'm a dance performance BFA major. We have a senior capstone project that we work on this entire semester in which basically each senior choreographs a work and has all the younger students, first years through juniors, perform it. We've been working quite a bit on that, which is a very lengthy process with everything from the choreographic process, getting music rights, costuming, promoting and marketing the show. That's definitely been a big part of this semester. I also have my own final performance with the dance division in April, which is very exciting and incredibly bittersweet. I'm finishing up all of my coursework with my PR degree. It's just been kind of a whirlwind, but a good whirlwind of just getting everything finished up, enjoying all the final moments and everything that SMU has to offer in the next couple of months.

Andy: Yeah, that's really exciting. And like I said, Spring Break's just around the corner, so you'll get a break here soon.

Chloe: Yes, definitely.!

Andy: So, my first question is a little bit of background. So where are you from and how did you first kind of get into dance?

Chloe: Sure. So I'm from Memphis, Tennessee, born and raised there, lived there all the way up until coming to SMU. And it's actually really funny because I grew up attending a very small college prep school, basically, that was all girls. And I started there when I was three years old. And in the preschool division that I started when I was three, one of my teachers actually was a former professional ballet dancer with Sacramento Ballet in California and a couple other companies, before going back to school and getting a master's in education and then transitioning into teaching children. And so because of her background, she just incorporated a lot of ballet and dance and creative movement into the early childhood curriculum. And that was what really drew me into it. I just loved the opportunity to get to move to music and explore and use my imagination as a young child.  And so then I ended up enrolling in tiny baby ballet classes when I was three years old, just like every little kid does. And then ended up continuing with it. And then another funny part of the story of how my school was involved in this process. We also took ballet as part of our elementary school curriculum. It was kind of like a fine arts credit. And when I was in second grade, I was considering quitting just because all of my friends were going to play soccer and do other sports and stuff like that. But the teacher who taught ballet at my school ended up reaching out to my parents and telling them that I should continue and stick with it. And I'm so glad I did because after that, that was when my love for dance really grew and I never looked back and it only became more serious as I got older through middle and high school and I sought out more advanced training. So that's like the background of my early days.

Andy: And then how did SMU Meadows kind of get on your radar and how did you ultimately choose to come here?

Chloe: Definitely! So speeding up a little bit throughout middle and high school, I knew that I wanted to continue dance in whatever way possible, but also obviously go to a really great college. Education has always been something that's important to me and I love school and I think I will always be someone who is really invested in education. I already know that I eventually later in life like want to go back to school and get a master's degree, maybe an MBA. So, I was really looking at schools that have a lot to offer in terms of academics and in terms of their fine arts and dance performance programs, which that combination is pretty hard to come by. And then this is actually really funny, but my parents met at TCU, and so, SMU was never really on my radar. I always thought I would go to TCU just like them. But then at one point early on in high school, we made a visit down to the DFW area to visit some schools and my parents decided to have me look at SMU while I was here just because it was convenient we were in town. And my tour guide that day ended up being a double major in dance and business and I really love seeing her get to combine her two passions with her majors. And that first day on campus, I just knew that this was a place I shouldn't overlook and I was only a freshman in high school at the time. So I ended up coming back to SMU I think for three or four additional visits from there and just learned so much more about the excellence of the Meadows Dance Program. All of the faculty here have had such incredible impressive careers with, you know, New York City Ballet and the Martha Graham Dance Company and extremely, extremely prominent in terms of the dance world. And I think what really ended up solidifying my decision to come to SMU was each time that I visited campus, there were people who worked in admissions and the faculty and the programs I was interested in who when they found out I was coming to visit would reach out to me and offer opportunities for me to meet with them, meet with current students, sit in on classes. And that sent the message to me that not only SMU has so much to offer in terms of its, you know, academic and dance offerings, but that there was a very clear place for me here and I would really find a home here.  I loved getting to talk to so many current students at the time and just learn so much more about their experience. And every time I visited; I just knew that this was the place I needed to be.

Andy: The campus visits are really important and that's generally where a lot of people make up their mind and I always hear similar stories of people just having such a positive experience when they eventually come on to campus and meet with people, meet with their division chair and other professors and teachers that it generally is the deciding factor is that campus visit.

Chloe: Yes, 100%! I even remember, I think it was the last time I visited SMU before I officially committed to the school. I came to visit, I ended up having a meeting with the Chair of the Dance Division, which was so productive and helpful in my decision. And I ended up getting a tour with a girl who was a current student at the time, she was a senior. And it's so cool because fast forward four years later, this past January, I was on the SMU dance senior trip that we always take to New York every year. And we have this alumni networking event. And I actually was introduced to her again this year, four years later. And it was so incredible just reconnecting and remembering how she made such an impact on my decision at the time. And now since we reconnected this year, we've actually been in touch about her career and what she's done and kind of figuring out my path as well. So it's really incredible the relationships that you make just in those early visits and how they are so long lasting.

Andy: So, you are a senior. You're graduating this spring just in a few months.  Um, so you're a perfect person to ask that what is your experience at Meadows been like now that you've been here nearly the entire four-year stint.

Chloe: Yes, I would not trade it for the world. I think that one of my favorite parts of my SMU experience is that I've had two majors that seem so different from each other, but because they're housed in the same school, I've really gotten to create so many meaningful relationships with people across Meadows, whether that's faculty administration, and just really take advantage of everything that Meadows and SMU has to offer. It's been just a really great place for me to grow and really challenge myself.  I think that's one of the best things about SMU is that it's a small enough school that teachers really get to know you and know all of their students so that they can push you to be your very best. I never felt like I was flying under the radar in any of my classes, so I've had a really great time and lots of opportunities to take risks and challenge myself with that safety net of knowing that I'm still in school and I can still ask for help and teachers and faculty will always be available when you need them.

Andy: So, you were drawn to dance from a very young age. How did you end up picking public relations and strategic communications as your second degree?

Chloe: When I was in high school, my junior year, my school required each student to do something that we called a shadow day, where we found a business or a profession in town and spent a day shadowing almost like an intern, but just for a day. And at the time I wasn't really sure what other professions I would be interested in just because I had grown up in this dance environment, but something that had really jumped out at me and it was very timely was there was a local branding and media agency that had just done a bunch of campaigns for my local ballet company where I was training. And I was really interested in learning a little bit more about that. And so I ended up shadowing there for a day.  And I learned so much about how they use branding and media and advertising and communications for this dance company and for other arts organizations as well. And so I knew I wanted to go into something that related to that. I've always been very passionate and curious about exploring the convergence of arts and media and how we can use media to promote the arts and make them more prominent in society. And so that was how I originally discovered the division of corporate communication and public affairs, but I didn't know exactly which route or track I wanted to take within that. And I was a little bit unsure as well with how I would fit both majors that are both very credit hour heavy into four years and graduate on time and graduating on time is something that was very important to me. So at the end of my first year at SMU, I ended up sending an email to the chair of the CCPA division and just asking if she could send me a little bit more information about the different tracks so that maybe I could then pick one to follow. And she, I'm still forever grateful for this, went so above and beyond and not only responded to my email immediately, even though I sent it to her over the summer, she proposed a time that we get on a Zoom call, similar to this one, and she personally walked me through each one of the tracks, the pros and cons to each, how she has seen students excel or be challenged in each one. And then we ended up together on this call making a decision that the BA in public relations and strategic communication would yield the most value for me.  I think because I was young at the time and I was very open, I didn't have an exact vision of one particular job I wanted to do after graduation. And she explained to me that with the PR track, it set students up to be the most versatile down the road and can go into the greatest number of industries and jobs using the PR degree. And even though I had this vague idea at the time that I wanted to do something connecting dance and ballet companies with media and maybe working in outreach or communications on the administrative side of a ballet company, my coursework through the public relations major has exposed me to so many other opportunities in a wide variety of fields, whether that's corporate, finance, politics, fashion, the arts, anything in between, that now looking back, I have realized that my horizons have just been broadened so much and I can see myself pursuing a communications role in so many different industries because of this program.

Andy: Getting a little bit more specific with your experience at Meadows, what are some of your favorite courses, projects, or professors that you've had over the last four years? Thank you very much.

Chloe: It is so hard to pick just a few, but the first that immediately come to mind, I would say I took a class called Business for Communicators my junior year, taught by Sandra Duet, who at the time was the chair of CCPA. And she actually wrote the textbook for the class, so she really structured it and tailored it to be a great service and tool for students to use. And it's really awesome because it kind of combines communication with business and corporate finance. So the class was basically centered around these case studies, and we would each do these case study analysis and then put together what we're essentially consulting presentations, specifically on how we can use our communications background and public relations understanding mixed with our knowledge of corporate finance and business acumen to communicate on behalf of these corporations' business objectives.  So for example, I did one case study on Nike's turn to digital revenue and its supply chain in the digital age post-pandemic. And it was really eye-opening because I think a lot of these major corporations undervalue the power of communication in their business and how there should be communication professionals advising the executive suite. And so it was just a really great way for me to realize how communication could come into a business setting and really, really sway stakeholder and public opinion. Along with that, some other favorite classes of mine were Boulevard Consulting, which is the capstone course for the PR major. And it basically works as a training ground for being in a public relations agency. We were partnered with a real small business in Dallas as our client and spent the entire semester creating a public relations consulting campaign that would extend this business through all of 2025. And so it was really great working with an actual business as a client. And while we were given supervision and guidance from our professor, a lot of it was up to us. This was a huge team effort and something that I think really prepared me for the professional setting.  And then on the dance side in Meadows, I mean, all of the classes are just amazing and I've loved the faculty just because of how much knowledge and understanding of the professional world they have to offer because of their experiences. I think one thing that was really cool was my junior year, one of our faculty members who joined the team, Silas Farley, was a very recent professional dancer with the New York City Ballet, which is just such a wonderful, renowned organization. And so having such close contact to really the centerpiece of American ballet in today's society has been super inspiring.  But those are just a few that come to mind. I honestly feel like all of my classes have been excellent. So I could go on and on about all of my classes in Meadows.

Andy: Right, of course. And I remember when Silas Farley, it was announced that he would be coming to Meadows and it was a huge deal. We did a lot of stories about it and everyone was incredibly excited, a huge feather in our cap for sure.

Chloe: Yes, it's really, really great connecting SMU, which is all the way in Dallas to New York City Ballet for sure.

Andy: One thing that people often don't think about, but not just the school you go to, but the city you go to also greatly affects both your artistry and maybe the business side as well.  And so how has the city of Dallas specifically influenced your education and time at Meadows?

Chloe: I think the fact that SMU is situated here has really made all the difference. As I mentioned a minute ago, this is just a very recent straightforward example, but in that PR capstone class that I was taking in the fall, since we were partnered with a real small business based in Dallas, that's just one example of how the city has fueled my academic experience. I think also with that, in the CCPA division we have an advisory board of professionals who work in communications in Dallas, and a lot of them are SMU alums, but not all of them, but they all hold executive positions at various companies across Dallas, whether that's Southwest, AT&T, different consulting firms, and they drive a lot of what CCPA does at SMU, and I've gotten to meet a lot of them. I actually was once granted a scholarship that was funded by the advisory board, so that's definitely made all the difference.  I think in some of my other previous classes as well, for example, my junior year I took one of my PR classes. We did a digital media and communications campaign for a company that was actually founded by the same person who founded Misero restaurants, which are obviously Dallas-based and everyone loves, and then Trey Dyer, the CEO and founder, actually came to our class when we presented at the end of the semester, so that was a really great connection. And then finally, one of my favorite experiences in the Dallas community was SMU Meadows windspear performance, which only happens once every four years, but it's four years, excuse me, but it's a collaboration between the dance and music divisions, and the dance division puts on a performance at the windspear opera house downtown, and then members of the music division perform in the orchestra, and so it's a really great collaborative event that is very well attended by people really at the helm of the Dallas art scene, which is so vibrant. I know it's a major opportunity for development and donor relations, just maintaining and everything on that front, so it's a really rewarding experience for students. It's a great opportunity for people in Dallas to come see all of this young talent, and it's just a great way for SMU to be more engaged with the community as well.

Andy: So, it sounds like you've had a pretty varied experience here, both in pursuing dance and also academically. So what advice would you have for incoming students?

Chloe: Oh gosh, for incoming students, I would say, first of all, say yes to everything within reason. I think that SMU has so many surprising and unexpected opportunities. And I've been offered so many opportunities that I've gotten to take advantage of just by going on a limb and saying yes to something that I really wasn't sure about. I think that you really don't have anything to lose.  Also, be willing to step out of your comfort zone, even if, like, if you want to go get involved with an organization or go to a lecturer, guest speaker on campus, just go do it, even if not all of your friends are going to do it. I think that that's just a really great way to engage with your learning outside of the classroom. And just utilize your resources. That's something that I think it took me a little bit of time to realize SMU's faculty and staff and administration want so much so to help their students, but students have to be willing to ask for help and ask for teacher's advice and ask to meet with them outside of class. And even though it may seem scary, and you may not think you're doing it completely the right way, there really is no right way to do it. Just definitely tap into your resources. Get professional opinions, get advice. If you have ideas for some project or something you want to start, talk to a professor about it. Also, I will say the Meadows alumni network has been incredibly helpful. I think SMU has one of the strongest alumni bases of any other school I can think of. Alumni are always so willing and eager to talk to students and by getting connected with the alumni office, you can contact and network with so many alums who are working at every organization you could possibly imagine and just learn about their path from their time at SMU to what they're doing now and how you can best set yourself up for success. It really is never too early. I'm not just talking to seniors, but those would be my pieces of advice.

Andy: Right. The Office of Alumni and Career Success is a big deal here. I'm going to do a short plug because Timmy Hathorne, who leads that office, was on the show just a couple of episodes ago. And that's a place where, like you said, students can come and connect with alumni, could seek out paid internships and join other alumni groups. And so that's a huge deal. Career development is something that Meadows is proactively trying to make sure they're doing.

Chloe: Yes, for sure. I'm actually going to brag on to me for a second as well, because she's been so helpful. One major highlight of the Alumni Office is something that I got to be a part of last fall. It was very exciting.  But in within my public relations major SMU has a chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America. And I've been really honored to serve as president for the past two years. And I ended up connecting with Tammy last fall and wanted to plan some type of alumni speaker panel event, kind of like a fireside chat. And I was asking for her guidance on if she had anyone in mind that would maybe be a really great speaker to come talk to students in PR communications, as well as journalism and advertising, because there's a lot of overlap between those majors and those professions. And she was incredibly helpful. And we ended up bringing in two Meadows alum. One who works in executive brand partnerships and advertising thing at Disney and then one from Paramount Pictures. They were both SMU communications and advertising alumni. And it was such an inspiring, informative and honestly just fun event. And we could not have put it on without to be an office of alumni. So always grateful for that.  And it really is amazing what SMU alums are doing these days, because I think Disney and Paramount are just such respected, amazing companies. And so it's really cool seeing how far SMU students are reaching.

Andy: So, as I've mentioned before, you're a senior, you're going to be graduating soon. What are your post-graduation plans? Are you looking to enter the workforce and start looking for jobs or maybe pursue a graduate degree, a graduate work of some sort? What do you have in store?

Chloe: Yes. So I'm navigating all of that right now. It's still in the early stages. So in process, I do think that I, I mentioned this earlier, but I would love to go to graduate school eventually. I don't know if I would necessarily do it directly from college, but I think a little bit later on, I would really, really like to get an MBA. I think that's just something that would further my corporate communications understanding, and I would like to gain more skills in the business area. For now, one of my major career goals, just for immediate and future, longer term down the road, is to blend the arts with my understanding of communications, media, and corporate business knowledge. I think that the arts are so essential to any advanced society, whether that's visual art or dance, music, theater, writing, anything in the entertainment realm. The arts really have the power to inspire us and unify us. And I think it's just something that is so essential that we can't forget, but too often they are not always considered as important as I think they should be. And I want to really expand their prominence and their reach to people who may not have access otherwise. And I think that's something that, given my public relations knowledge, that has fueled my ability to do that. Like I was saying earlier, I think that having communication tied in with a corporate understanding and business objectives is what allows organizations to thrive, and that's something we need to apply to the arts sector and everything in the arts industry as well. I think sometimes they get kind of severed from the business world, but I think that we need business understanding and business professionals mixed with communications and media to really promote the arts for their objectives for broadening their reach and just making them more prominent in society. And that's something that I would really like to propel forward. And I know that's kind of something that isn't already in place. So I guess if I was asked what my dream job is, I would say it's something that maybe doesn't technically exist yet, but that's something that I really want to work towards in my own career.

Andy: Right, and you never know what the future is going to hold, what industries or opportunities will pop up, you know, jobs that are available now weren't available 10 years ago, 20 years ago, and same thing in 10 years, we'll have jobs that no one ever dreamed of people would do today.

Chloe: Yes, exactly!

Andy: Well, Chloe, once again, thank you so much for being on the show. Can you plug the the dance showcase one more time?

Chloe: Yes, definitely. We actually have two this spring upcoming. First, we have our annual spring dance concert, which is a major show that happens every year. And there's one in the fall as well, if students are familiar with how the dance program's calendar works. And we are performing three full length works, one ballet piece, one modern piece, one jazz piece from renowned choreographers. I'm personally very excited because for the ballet piece, we are doing an iconic work by George Balanchine, who was really known as the father, the pioneer of American ballet. He founded New York City Ballet in the 1930s. And so we're performing one of his major works, which is something that I have had front of mind for about a year now, since we started planning this. So that's very exciting.  That will be the first week of April. And then finally, the senior dance concert, which is the seniors capstone performance when we have first years through juniors performing in our works will be the last week of April and first weekend of May, which is always a very exciting show. As an underclassman, it's always my favorite one to perform. So now it's very exciting being on the other side of it. You can follow SMU Meadows Dance on Instagram, where you can find a link in the bio to all of the information pertinent to that.

Andy: That sounds great, everyone be sure to check that out. Chloe Young, thanks for coming on the show!

Chloe: Thank you so much for having me!

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Andy: Thank you for tuning in to Meadows on the Mic, and a big thank you to Chloe Young for coming on to the show. You can see her perform at the Spring Dance Concert and Senior Dance Concert later this semester.  If you're interested in the dance or public relations programs at SMU Meadows, please visit us online at smu.edu/ Meadows. This podcast is brought to you by the SMU Meadows Marketing Department and is available on all major podcast platforms. For questions and comments, email us at meadowsonthemic@smu.edu and follow us on socials at SMU Meadows on all major social media channels.