This article was written by Austin Reichart, a senior public relations student and School of Communication Director’s Ambassador.

Television shows and programs are familiar to many, but their authors and writers, are often not. The story of Shantira Jackson, who graduated with a B.A. in Media and Communication Studies from FSU School of Communication in 2008, is a story that deserves to be told.

The school’s alumna is currently a writer for “The Amber Ruffin Show,” writer and consulting producer for the new “Saved By The Bell” reboot, consulting producer on CNN’s “She The People” and staff writer for the “Busy Tonight” on E!, NPR’s “Ask Me Another” and BET’s “50 Central.” Jackson recently found a few spare minutes to reflect on her rapidly growing career.

As guest of the school’s podcast, FSU COMMversation, Jackson recalled her time as a Media and Communication Studies major with fond memories of connections made and experiences gained. Some of her favorite experiences include her work with WVFS as a sports broadcaster and the strong connection she formed with her favorite professor, Dr. Jennifer Proffitt.

“Dr. Proffitt always said, when tasked with writing to a broad audience you must always be sure everyone, from every walk of life, can understand and react to your message,” Jackson remembered. “It shouldn’t matter if the person reading it has a doctorate in physics or never finished the eighth grade, they should be able to comprehend your main points and form their own opinion from there.”

Jackson quickly applied such writing principles in her career. After finding early on that journalism and broadcast media wasn’t the work she wanted to be doing long-term, she shifted her focus towards the entertainment industry to thrive into the accomplished professional she is today.

The FSU alumna recently accepted the position of Executive Story Editor for the award-winning Netflix show “Big Mouth.”

When asked to share her keys to success, Jackson underlined the necessity to be authentic and genuine. “You might want to be great like the Beatles, but nobody is better at being great like the Beatles than the Beatles themselves, so be great at being you,” she explained. “People want content that is fresh and authentic, and no one has ever lived exactly like you before. Leave your own mark on the world, not someone else’s.”

Throughout the rest of Jackson’s FSU COMMversation segment, she shared what it’s like in the writing room on a show like “Big Mouth” and even more behind the scenes insights on life in the entertainment industry.

Jackson’s full interview aired on Thursday, March 18 on all podcast streaming platforms. Use this Linktree to access the FSU COMMversation on the streaming platform of your preference.