The term “lifelong learner,” used often in academic branding, is truly personified in Susan Masucci '00 and her decades-long relationship with Jacksonville University.
What started for the Jacksonville native as a performing arts camp destination at age 6 became a home for middle school piano lessons and teenage camp counseling experience, and ultimately grew into a four-year college experience that taught her the value of being constantly open to learning new things. As an alumna, she serves on the College of Arts & Sciences Advisory Board.
As Susan explains, “I knew when I went to JU that I wanted to pursue communications. That didn't mean it had to be my only focus though. What I really valued about JU was the ability to explore. I was immersed in the Communications department but also took dance nearly every semester. I went to the business college for economics and marketing classes, and took psychology and sociology — even weight training! JU always allowed me— from the time I was a child all the way through college—to really explore and learn about who I was and to feed all of my interests.”
That exploration and her experience forming relationships with peers whose life experiences, ways of thinking, and future aspirations were vastly different from hers instilled in Masucci the deep desire to continue cultivating an expansive worldview. Following a career path that included positions at top-rated local and international communications agencies, Masucci is now the founder and principal of ruckus, a full-service integrated marketing agency in Jacksonville dedicated to supporting and “transforming brands that care less about themselves and more about humanity.”
At ruckus, Masucci seeks values alignment with clients, prioritizing working with brands who similarly appreciate the importance of learning and growing together.
“I love that there is a stronger drive for empathy and the connection to our shared humanity with a lot of different organizations. There is a force moving people to a greater understanding of injustices that persist along with the role we each play in either accepting them, endorsing them or determining to break apart systems that sustain them. Communication plays a key role in that work. Together, we are beginning to directly confront those things.”
