Messages from Students

" Being at Fresno State was the best four years of my life and having Professor Stephens as my mentor was the cherry on top of an already perfect cake. As a child, I would always watch her on TV every single morning before school, she helped me fall in love with journalism before I even knew what it was. When I saw her on campus and learned she was a professor at state, I was over the moon wishing to be in her class and throughout my time in college her classes were always the ones I looked forward to. The way she teaches with passion, commitment, and just an overall sense of care for her students’ education is how I got to where I am today... in the field she prepared me for. She always goes out of her way to make sure everyone in class has all the tools they need to succeed and her teaching never stopped in the classroom; Professor Stephens has always helped me whenever I needed it in and outside of school. It’s the fact she goes out of her way to make a personal, but professional, connection with all her students shows me the drive and perseverance she has as an educator to make sure we are succeeding at Fresno State and even after graduation. Professor Stephens has been someone I’ve looked up to and will continue to be someone I look up to and thrive to be… Fresno State is lucky to have her." Connor Matteson, Reporter, KOTA-TV

"""I would like to say thank you, Professor. You have seriously been my favorite professor so far in all my years of college and it has greatly affected me. You made class exciting. You were always so positive and encouraging and I can tell you care a lot about teaching. You seem very genuine and you care about your students, it’s clear to see. This semester was particularly difficult because of online classes, but you were understanding with us, and it relieved a lot of stress I had from other classes. It was a pleasure being in your class this semester. " MCJ 126 Student, Fall 2020

"She puts her students through real-world scenarios and she helps the students understand what is expected from them once they enter the industry. During my time in her classes, she always treated me as a professional. She always treated my classmates and me as colleagues and not as students. She was always there as a mentor, of course, and taught us the basics. She challenged me more than I wish she would have but without her methods of teaching, I would have never been able to land a job straight out of college and be able to impress my employer. The thing I appreciate the most of Professor Stephens is that she makes sure that her students are headed in the right direction and are well prepared for the real world." Hector Mendoza, Reporter/Producer KIEM-TV

"Kim has demonstrated the skill to talk to and help students in the way that students understand her. She makes sure that every student understands the topic or subject, whether that be a lecture or going out into the field, anchoring at the desk, producing a show, or even using camera equipment. She also provides many extra resources for her classes that help prepare a student for future classes, real-life, and the media industry. Kim is the biggest reason I am in my first job as a TV News Producer. In college, she helped teach me how to write and produce. The way she taught it made me fall in love with it. I had never thought about being a producer until one day after the first Fresno State Focus show I produced, she leaned over my shoulder and asked me if I’d ever thought about being a producer because she could see I’d be a good one." Brittney Steele, Producer, KNDU-TV

"She not only was an amazing professor with fresh experience that is extremely vital to the MCJ program, but she is also a mentor who will go above and beyond. There were times I didn’t believe in myself and felt behind the curve because I didn’t have internships under my belt. Kim always believed in me. She pushed me to my full potential, even got me to try giving the weather forecast during a Fresno State Focus show. She made each opportunity in school a learning experience and always gave constructive criticism. Without that experience giving the weather in college, I never would have applied to my current position. Kim is the driving force that the broadcast journalism/ MCJ department needed. " Elizabeth Christian, Reporter/Weathercaster KBAK-TV