Lecturer Mary Sterenberg was recently featured on The Digital Skillscast, a podcast created by Nate Riggs. Riggs is the founder of NR Media Group, an inbound marketing consultancy and HubSpot Gold Partner, and he is an adjunct professor at Ohio University. 

In this podcast, Sterenberg discussed her experiences with the Ohio Hospital Association and her transition to higher education. When asked about her opinion on the value of independent certifications from companies like Hootsuite and HubSpot, Sterenberg said it can supplement students' experiences and serves as a way to build their resumes and skill sets. 

"I am a proponent of anything that makes students better prepared for the workforce," Sterenberg said. "I think my job as an educator is to put them in the best possible position to pursue whatever future they want." 

Riggs asked Sterenberg to elaborate on her plans to develop course materials using the Affordable Learning Grant (ALX) grant she received. Her goal is to replace the textbook with a series of videos highlighting local professionals that outline the key concepts for the course. These videos will also expose students to different career paths they can take upon receiving a communication degree. In addition to a hands-on classroom experience, Sterenberg believes student involvement outside the classroom is necessary for students to succeed after graduation. 

"Students need more than the classroom," Sterenberg said. "To graduate and be competitive in our market right now, they have to have a pretty robust resume and skill set when they graduate, and I think pre-professional student organizations are a huge way they can get themselves to that level."