Tonya Forsythe (Agricultural Communication, ‘94) has spent the last 12 years of her career teaching the importance of public speaking to students at Ohio State. She also taught the first section of a new course, Career Development in Communication, this spring.
The new career development class prepares students to land communication jobs. It helps students create a resume, cover letter and LinkedIn and Handshake profiles. Students also research potential communication jobs and companies and plan networking opportunities. The final project has students create a digital portfolio to complete their online presence and help them market their skills and talents to future employers. For Forsythe, the most fun aspect of the class is the practice interviews, which gives her a better opportunity to get to know her students as the class it taught in an asynchronous environment.
Before working for Ohio State, Forsythe was the managing editor and director of communications for the Ohio Cattlemen’s Association where she did a lot of public speaking, particularly for banquets they held. She also worked for the Agri Broadcasting Network and handled both their broadcasting as well as their magazine, Ohio’s Country Journal. After having her children, Forsythe ran her own graphic design firm for some time. Still, when she stepped into this role at Ohio State, she knew it was a perfect fit for her.
She received her undergraduate degree in agricultural communication from Ohio State and later received her master’s in journalism at Ohio University. She always believed she would take the path of print media and has held various roles before becoming a lecturer that influenced her passion for public speaking and making a career out of it.
Forsythe said her favorite part of teaching is watching a student who is completely terrified at first go through the process of growth and end the class with total confidence. Forsythe realized during the pandemic that there is a need for more flexibility in the environments in which we communicate. Learning to speak publicly in a virtual setting has become just as important as learning to speak in a traditional, face-to-face setting. While the pandemic has been a challenge, it has ultimately helped her expand her students’ skill sets. It has provided a unique opportunity for students to present and interview better both in person and virtually, as both formats will be common going forward.
Forsythe believes that relevance must always be at the forefront of course planning. The goal is life-experience building.
“When I have that student several years after I had them in class reach out and say ‘I’m still using the tools and techniques you shared with me; I've excelled and was able to get this promotion or have has a successful speaking engagement’ that to me, reassures that what I’m teaching is relevant and continues to be relevant well after graduation,” she said.
Article by student Kaitlyn Harrison
