Student Spotlight
Katie Rainwater
by: Greta Allen, PR student intern
Katie Rainwater is a senior communication major from Birmingham, Ala., majoring in communication with a concentration in print & digital journalism. Rainwater is currently involved in The Reflector, Involvement Ambassadors, Tri Delta sorority, and RUF. In the future, Rainwater plans to one day write for a newspaper, magazine or website. She is also interested in looking for a career in publishing or editorial.
Rainwater was nominated by her professor Josh Foreman, who said, “If you want to know Katie, you can start by reading her insightful, fun, and descriptive stories in the Reflector. In a recent restaurant review, Katie narrated a fun dinner with friends. Her descriptions of fancy drinks, well-seasoned Greek food, and boisterous atmosphere made me want to go experience the restaurant for myself. Katie has the skill and gumption to turn her curiosity into fun and vivid stories for her readers.”
Why did you choose communication?
I chose communication because I hope to tell the stories of my community, wherever I end up in my professional career. MSU Communication has not only given me the tools to chase this dream but an encouraging peers and professors who push me to dive beyond the surface.
Best memory in the Department?
Receiving my nomination for the Southeastern Journalism Conference Best of the South Contest, happening Feb. 9-11, 2023! I was nominated for my article about a Ukrainian refugee family in Starkville, which was not like any story I had done before. I am so excited to join fellow Reflector staff members and form new connections next week in Thibodaux, LA!
Advice for incoming communication students?
Find what excites you, angers you and amazes you early on. Though it seems scary, being able to invoke emotion is a powerful tool. Use the skills you learn through journalism, media studies, public relations and other Communication classes to bring awareness to victories and issues that define communities. Even as a young person, you have the power to make a change.
Best advice you’ve received from a professor?
"It's all in the details." The best articles emphasize the little things that take the story a step beyond!
Favorite class?
Mass Media Law
If you were singing karaoke, what song would you pick to sing?
Cowboy Casanova by Carrie Underwood. I sang it at Dave's Dark Horse Tavern one time, so I would return for the encore.
If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life what would it be?
Traditional breakfast! I have eggs and toast for dinner more than I care to admit.
What’s the most interesting thing that you’ve read, watched, or listened to lately?
I recently watched About Time for the first time, and I cannot remember the last time a film stuck with me in this way. It is a story about a man who discovers he can time travel. He begins by revisiting solely happy moments with the love of his life. As the years go by, he travels back to moments that invoke all emotions: the birth of his children, moments with relatives before they died, moments of fear and more. In the end, he returns to his childhood and essentially relives his entire life. The concept of time has always interested me, and how nobody ever feels they have enough time. Last weekend, I saw the Hamilton tour in Birmingham, and the whole preface of show is about how little time Alexander Hamilton had; from the opening number, audiences know that he lives a short, yet uneventful life. The show closed with "Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story," where his wife, Eliza, sings about how legacies are not linear. From About Time and Hamilton, I realized that we aren't given a lot of time, but what we do have is a gift.
If you didn’t have to sleep, what would you do with that extra time?
I would listen to every musical artist’s personal discography to find the best artist in the world.