SMU Grad Goes from Mustang to Military

By: Ashley Craig

BANGOR, Wash. – What’s a graduate to do after earning a degree from SMU in communications with a focus in cinema. Head to L.A.

That’s what Corey Todd Jones did after commencement in 2003.

In Los Angeles, he worked in the entertainment industry but eventually wanted something more.

“I had a desire to do something significant in my life, to be part of a team and set myself up for success,” said Jones, now a lieutenant appointed earlier this year to serve on the Secretary of the Navy’s staff as deputy public affairs officer.

“I had a lot of debt from my first master’s degree, but when I learned I could use my communications skills and do film and photography in the Navy, and that they would help pay for my degree, it was a no-brainer,” he said.

Jones joined the Navy 12 years ago as an enlisted sailor, serving as a mass communication specialist (MC) for three years before commissioning as an officer.

 “The detailer at the Military Entrance Processing Station said MCs were the ‘rock stars of the Navy,’ because they receive notable assignments like aerial photography and documenting distinguished visitors,” Jones said. 

His photography was published in such newspapers as The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal. 

“Serving in the Navy allows me the ability to push myself, educate myself and surround myself with motivated people,” Jones said. “There’s a culture of physical fitness, which I really like, and I love the fact that the culture pushes you to exceed your own expectations for yourself.”