Wayne State University

From a high school summer program to the White House and Capitol Hill, Tim Carroll's career in journalism, public affairs and communications has been shaped by opportunities that began at Wayne State University.

Carroll is a senior press secretary for the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, where he works with national media to communicate research and policy related to climate and clean energy. But his path there began on Wayne State’s campus, when his grandmother spotted an advertisement for a summer journalism program in the College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts.

Before his senior year at South Lake High School in St. Clair Shores, Carroll was on campus in Midtown, gaining hands-on reporting experience, visiting newsrooms and learning from professional journalists across Detroit. “It was pretty game-changing for me,” Carroll said. “I got a crash course in what being a journalist really means and what kinds of opportunities there are.”

The program also showed him how a Wayne State education could prepare him for success after graduation.

“I saw very quickly this incredible value in being in Detroit, being around these prominent journalists who were willing to help young, budding journalists,” Carroll said. “It was very clear that Wayne State was going to offer the immersive, real-world journalism education I wanted.”

Once enrolled, Carroll found a community through Wayne State’s Journalism Institute for Media Diversity (JIM), which connected him with peers, mentors and opportunities before classes even began.

“The Journalism Institute creates such a community,” Carroll said. “Having that built-in network of friends and colleagues right away was really important.”

Carroll also wrote for The South End, Wayne State’s student newspaper, as part of his coursework. He quickly took on additional assignments and eventually became editor-in-chief, an experience that sharpened his reporting and leadership skills.