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Alumni Success Story: Chaz Mullis '21

Everyone has a story, and Chaz Mullis (’21) wants to tell them. He steps into local communities, into people’s lives, and learns how they live. “I work to grasp and understand the community and love it so I can write about it,” he said. “Right now, I’m working on a story about a man who wrote a memoir.” 

Mullis has always loved writing. “At one point, I wanted to be a creative writer – write books. But I felt like there was a better way to make an impact and journalism is most impactful,” he said. “I’m inspired by any journalist who is willing to get out on the ground, to get in harm's way to tell a story, and to tell the truth,” he said.

Mullis gives high praise to TFS journalism instructors Shelby Day, who introduced him to journalism, and Elisha Boggs, who helped him understand the ropes. Serving as editor for the TFS yearbook solidified his desire to pursue journalism as a career. “The journalism teachers at TFS build a strong foundation for those of us who choose to go into writing fields like journalism or communications.”

But there is more to Mullis’ story: “All of the classes I took at TFS yielded a lot of rigor. I struggled a lot in math, but I was glad to get the hard classes out of the way. I took so many college credits for math,” he said. With his college math out of the way before graduating, Mullis was ready to focus on core classes.

Mullis graduated from TFS in May of 2021 and began to pursue his dreams at the University of North Georgia. There, he has served as editor of the Gainesville branch of UNG’s newspaper the Vanguard and as president of the Vanguard Club. This summer, UNG helped place Mullis in an internship with the Oconee Enterprise. He is building a strong portfolio with three to four assignments a week. Mullis plans to graduate in May 2025 with a degree in communications with a concentration in multimedia journalism. 

Mullis has good advice for TFS students as they step into the new school year: Make five friends with people from around the world. Soak up all the opportunities you have at TFS  and be the best you can be.