Alumni Archives - Reynolds College Blog

Communication alumnus Luke Thomas enjoys growing San Antonio Spurs brand

June 2, 2026 by Lynn M. Lansdown

To hear Missouri State University alumnus Luke Thomas describe it, his job with the San Antonio Spurs professional basketball franchise isn’t just a marketing job. It is “storytelling in a physical space.”

“Every detail, from the environment to the messaging to the way a fan interacts with a moment, is communicating something,” Thomas said. “My job is to make sure that message is intentional, cohesive and something people actually want to be a part of.”

Thomas’ job title is Experiential Marketing Manager, Strategic Growth for Spurs Sports and Entertainment. He joined the organization in early 2026. His responsibilities include planning large-scale fan activations, community events and other activities that “connect the Spurs to new and existing audiences,” he said.

“In Austin, this work comes to life across a series of tentpole moments throughout the year,” Thomas said. These include Spurs Week Austin, SXSW, Austin City Limits, Formula 1, and the Spurs International Half Marathon. The activities are designed to grow the Spurs’ brand in Austin and expand its presence globally, especially in Europe and Mexico.

“We just did an event in Paris for the playoffs,” Thomas cited as an example of the Spurs’ global marketing campaigns. “We will be back in July, and then we are playing games in Paris and Manchester, England, in January.”

Before his current position with the Spurs, Thomas worked at Walt Disney World in Park Planning and Integration. In that role, he managed large-scale operational and event logistics at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

Missouri State alumni Carter Breaux and Taylor Hoos produce feature-length film

January 29, 2026 by Lynn M. Lansdown

Missouri State University alumni Carter Breaux and Taylor Hoos will premiere their new feature-length film, “Kings,” at the Alamo Drafthouse in Springfield, Missouri, Feb. 6-8.

Breaux and Hoos co-produced “Kings.” They both graduated from Missouri State’s Department of Communication, Media, Journalism and Film in 2019, earning degrees in media and film production. Breaux also earned a certificate in screenwriting.

In addition to his co-producer role, Breaux is the film’s director, editor and screenwriter. Hoos is the film’s director of photography and colorist as well as co-producer. The film stars Jachin Like as Mark and Ethan O’Neal as Dylan.

“Alamo Drafthouse has been a phenomenal partner in getting this film shown,” Breaux said. “They’ve gone out of their way to add new theaters, promote the film and connect us with other theaters that may also want to show ‘Kings.’”

Get tickets

Chess, poker and a box of money

Four young men sitting on set of film — On the set of “Kings.” L-R: Taylor Hoos, Jachin Like, Carter Breaux and Ethan O’Neal. Photo credit: Karson Knudsen.

According to Breaux, the story follows a meticulous chess champion and a scheming poker hustler who find themselves in a battle of wits after discovering a box of money in a dumpster.

“I first explored the idea for this story in 2018, putting pen to paper in early 2023,” Breaux said. “After sharing the script at a local table read event, we decided we wanted to move forward.”

“Carter approached me in early 2024,” Hoos remembered. “He mentioned he had a script he wanted to make. I read [it] and, like I always do with Carter’s writing, was like ‘this is awesome, yes I want to be a part of it.’”

With Hoos on board as director of photography, he and Breaux began outlining scenes, color palettes and grades. They also discussed how they wanted to tell the story.

“Carter is a very involved director,” Hoos said. “He sees everything in his mind already and has specific shots he wants. It’s just up to me to make that into reality.”

Theatre and Dance alum Claire Marshall now starring in “Chicago”

October 24, 2025 by Lynn M. Lansdown

Missouri State University theatre and dance alumna Claire Marshall has landed a starring role in the 2025-26 national tour of “Chicago.”

Marshall, who graduated with a BFA in musical theatre in 2024, plays Velma Kelly.

“I’ve always wanted to be in ‘Chicago,’” she said. “Truthfully, I did not think the opportunity would come this soon in my life.”

Marshall auditioned for the role while still touring with “The Cher Show,” which ran in 2024-25. For the “Chicago” audition, Marshall first sent in a self-filmed tape and then completed a second audition in person when she moved to New York City.

The “Chicago” tour opened Oct. 22 at the 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle, Washington. The hit musical, set in 1920s Chicago, tells the story of Roxie Hart, a nightclub dancer who murders her lover when he threatens to leave her. Hart and her cellmate, Velma Kelly, try to avoid conviction by hiring a slick criminal lawyer.

See Claire Marshall in “Chicago”

Glamourous role built on hard work

Behind all the glamour of show business is a lot of hard work. “Chicago” is a physically demanding show, Marshall said, and rehearsals were especially grueling.

“The rehearsal process is, in my opinion, one of the hardest portions of a long contract,” she said. “We are working more than we ever do on show days, plus learning a large amount of material in two weeks is daunting.”

Marshall added that during these times “it’s imperative to listen to your body.” Plenty of rest, hydration and good nutrition are essential.

Alum Sarah Lynne Skrzypczak thrives in law school

April 14, 2025 by Lynn M. Lansdown

Contracts, Torts, Constitutional Law, Legal Writing and Analysis…these are just a few of the courses Missouri State University alumna Sarah Lynne Skrzypczak has taken during her first year of law school at the University of Wisconsin.

Skrzypczak graduated from Missouri State’s Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Gerontology in 2021 with a degree in sociology and a minor in law and society.

Now, as she wraps up her first year in law school, Skrzypczak reflects on her time at Missouri State and how she got to where she is today.

Taking things one step at a time

When Skrzypczak first enrolled at Missouri State, she was an undeclared major. She spent a year and a half taking different courses, learning as much as she could while waiting to see where her path would lead.

“I was in no way sure of who I truly was or what I really wanted to do moving forward with my life,” she said. “I just knew I liked to learn.”

By her sophomore year, however, Skrzypczak knew her future rested with sociology.

“Once I had gotten into the program, [there] was never a doubt that I was happy to be where I was in terms of academic progression and my own knowledge,” she explained. “Sociology for me was fun, complex and intriguing to learn about.”

“Learning of other cultures, studying the past, learning about people in general, I’ve always just been curious,” she said. “Sociology was a great way to get a better grasp on those things I found interesting. It was easy to learn about because I had always found it so fascinating in the first place.”

From sociology to law

Studying sociology led Skrzypczak to choose law as a career.

“Other studies such as criminology, pre-law and political science are all great to study before moving forward in law,” she said. But for her, sociology was the best choice because it included aspects of all those other disciplines.

“In a sense they all intertwine,” she said. “Sociology kind of seems like a bit of all of them plus more and just gives you a broader look on things.”

Still, Skrzypczak tailored her studies to include specific law-related courses with her minor in law and society. This gave her “a nice foundation of legal knowledge before moving into law school,” she said.

Young woman standing at law library shelves. — Sarah Skrzypczak hits the law books again.

History alum Micaela Wiehe wins Fulbright-Hays fellowship

March 10, 2025 by Lynn M. Lansdown

Micaela Wiehe, a 2021 graduate of the Department of History at Missouri State University, has been awarded a Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad fellowship to study in Mexico and Spain.

She is now a fourth-year doctoral student of history at Penn State University.

Describing herself as a colonial Latin American historian, Wiehe explained that she specializes in the history of the Indigenous people group, the Nahuas, of the early colonial period in Mexico.

“My dissertation research explores patterns of Mesoamerican migrations rooted in political, social and environmental change during Mexico’s early colonial period,” she said. “I look at how environmental exploitation and the labor systems used to support it led to a variety of migration patterns with long-lasting effects.”

Wiehe’s doctoral work is an extension of her master’s thesis at Missouri State University. “My thesis examined the evolution of the Spanish colonial legal system from 1525 to 1820 by analyzing the way that the Nahua people influenced, maneuvered and commanded a powerful conversation with the Spanish king through interactions with and within the law.”

Research in Mexico and Spain

Young woman standing in archives — Wiehe conducts research in the Vasconcelos Library in Mexico City in 2023. Photo credit: Alejandro Leon.

As part of her Fulbright-Hays award, Wiehe will spend ten months researching in Mexico City, Mexico, and one month in Seville, Spain.

While in Mexico, she will work as a researcher in affiliation with the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM). She will also volunteer with PSYDEH (Psicologia y Derechos Humanos), a Mexican non-profit organization for Indigenous women. Finally, Wiehe will participate in an intensive Nahuatl language course taught by Indigenous instructors in Zacatecas, Mexico.

While in Seville, Wiehe will work in the Archivo General de Indias in affiliation with Pablo de Olavide University Sevilla (UPO). Many of the colonial documents pertaining to her research are housed in that collection.

Her efforts, Wiehe explained, will allow her “to produce a well-informed research project on the history of migration in Mexico.”

“People have moved and migrated throughout the Americas for centuries, long before any Europeans arrived on this continent,” she added. “It’s important, though, to consider why, how, when and where the migration patterns we see today came from.”

Fulbright dream becomes reality

Wiehe originally planned to apply for a Fulbright fellowship while at Missouri State. The COVID-19 pandemic delayed those plans, however. She thus waited until she was a doctoral student at Penn State to apply.

It took Wiehe nearly eight months to complete the Fulbright-Hays application. “The application process for the Fulbright-Hays is extensive, including a ten-page grant proposal, two language evaluations, letters of recommendation, a personal statement and letters of support from professors in Mexico, Spain.”

All the hard work paid off when she heard from representatives of the Fulbright-Hays fellowship program.

“When I read the first line of the email offering me the grant, my hands started shaking and I had to sit down,” she said. “I felt a combination of shock, joy and overwhelming relief. It was a moment I had worked toward for nearly five years. I was so grateful to finally arrive.”

The news came as no surprise to members of Wiehe’s thesis committee at Missouri State.

“I was not surprised at all,” said Dr. John Chuchiak, Wiehe’s thesis director. “These grants are extremely competitive, and her work is of the highest caliber.”

“She embodies everything that Fulbright stands for,” agreed Dr. Heidi Backes, one of Wiehe’s thesis committee members.