The Department of Mass Communications at Alcorn State University brought together Mississippi’s broadcast media community and honored its most promising students during the department’s annual Media Day, held March 24, 2026, in the Clinton Bristow Dining Hall — Gold Room.
The event, which the department has hosted annually since the early 2000s, has combined with Mississippi Association of Broadcasters Day every year since 2018, featured a Lambda Pi Eta Honor Society Induction Ceremony, a panel discussion with representatives from several of the state’s leading broadcast news and radio outlets, and a Media Day Awards Luncheon.
Maxine Greenleaf, vice president of marketing and communication at Alcorn State University, delivered the keynote address.
Drawing from nearly two decades of experience in higher education, Greenleaf has led communications and marketing teams at all three of Mississippi’s public four year HBCUs — Alcorn State University, Jackson State University and Mississippi Valley State University.
Maxine Greenleaf, Alcorn State University vice president of marketing and communication, speaks at the 2026 Mass Communications Media Day.
Greenleaf challenged students to set themselves apart in an increasingly competitive job market.
“I am convinced many of my experiences would not have happened anywhere else but an HBCU,” Greenleaf told the audience. “I have been in rooms I could only dream of thanks to these institutions.”
Greenleaf began her address with a media law lesson rooted in a high profile defamation case. She reminded students that not verifying information before publication carries legal and professional consequences.
She then pivoted to a candid personal testimony, one that traced a non linear path from Tougaloo College to television reporting to the executive ranks of HBCU higher education, to underscore a theme she returned to throughout her remarks.
“Your path will not always be a straight line,” she said. “You will have bumps in the road along your journey. You will have to pivot and adapt. How will you respond when challenges arise?”
Citing recent federal labor data, Greenleaf noted that the share of unemployed Americans who are new workforce entrants reached a 37-year high in 2025, making the question of professional differentiation more pressing than ever for graduating seniors.
“I completed three unpaid internships before I landed a paid internship,” Greenleaf said. “I took on other assignments to fine tune my skills so I could enhance my resume. How will you set yourself apart from the competition?”
Greenleaf closed her remarks by urging students to lean on their communities and embrace the expanded landscape available to today’s graduates.
“It took a village to help me get to where I am,” she said. “No one travels this road alone. Never be afraid to ask for help.”
The media panel drew professionals from across the Mississippi broadcast landscape, offering students direct access to working journalists, radio executives and media directors. Participants included Lee Eldridge, WJTV; Malcolm Innis, WTYJ; Lance Fuller, iHeart; Jon Pollard and Carly Winter, WDAM; RaMona Alexander, FOX40; Keaundria Milloy, WDAM and Alcorn alumna; Amanda Fontaine, executive director of the Mississippi Association of Broadcasters; and Crystal McDowell, One Voice.
Alcorn State mass communications students celebrate with trophies and certificates at the 2026 Media Day Awards Luncheon in Lorman, Miss.
Toni W. Terrett, Esq., assistant professor in the Department of Mass Communications, credited the event’s longevity to the consistent generosity of industry partners.
“We are so thankful for the members of MAB and other media professionals taking time out of their busy schedules to share their insight with our students,” Terrett said. “Media Day provides a unique learning and networking opportunity. Over the years, many students have left the event with job and internship offers. It is an invaluable experience.”
The Lambda Pi Eta Induction Ceremony, held from 9 to 10 a.m., welcomed one new member into the national communication studies honor society. Layken Meadows, a graduating senior from Amory, Miss., was inducted into Lambda Pi Eta. The MAB panel discussion followed from 10 to 11:30 a.m., with the awards luncheon concluding the program from noon to 1 p.m.
The Media Day Awards Luncheon recognized 13 students for their contributions to the department’s student media outlets. Award recipients and their honors are as follows —
Kenaysia Stanton, junior, Pascagoula, Miss. — Best Student Radio Show, Entertainment Editor
Parys Ward-Wheeler, sophomore, Atlanta, Ga. — Advice Column Editor, Best Overall Student Interviewer
Michael Williams II, junior, Harbor City, Calif. — Most Improved Radio Show
Asia Windham, sophomore, Collins, Miss. — Staff Writer, Best Diverse Radio Show
Quashondra Addison, graduating senior, McComb, Miss. — Staff Writer
A’Zariannne Johnson, graduating senior, Minden, La. — Lifestyle Editor
Lillian Cogdell, sophomore, Sumter, South Carolina — Poetry Editor
India Stenson, junior, Tallahassee, Fla. — Sports Editor
D’Anthony Lilly, sophomore, Brookhaven, Miss. — Staff Writer
Landon Badon, sophomore, Hattiesburg, Miss. — Staff Writer
Alanna Johnson, freshman — Word on the Street Editor
Naleah Fullilove, sophomore, Aurora, Colo. — Entertainment Editor
Demetrion Duvall, sophomore, Akron, Ohio — Staff Writer
Jamyiyah Cotten, senior, Jackson, Miss. — Human Interest Editor
Johnathan Stewart, senior, Virginia Beach, Va. — Editorial Editor
Greenleaf, a native of Itta Bena, Miss., began her career in communications as a weekend anchor and reporter at WXVT, a CBS affiliate in Greenville, Miss.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in mass communication from Mississippi Valley State University and a master’s degree in journalism and mass communication with a concentration in public relations from Kent State University.
Join the next generation of media professionals. Learn more about Mass Communication at Alcorn State University at www.alcorn.edu.
