Alumna Adena J. White Turned a Career Crossroads into a Mission-Driven Future

Adena J. White found her way to UA Little Rock at a pivotal moment in her career. She realized that to grow professionally, she needed more than experience. She needed direction. That decision ultimately helped shape her path as a storyteller, strategist, and community leader.

Originally from Center Ridge and now living in Conway, White is the founder and narrative strategist behind Blackbelt Media. The venture helps social-impact organizations and community leaders tell stories with purpose. Blackbelt Media produces Blackbelt Voices podcast, which White said explores what it means to “belong to a place and shares stories that help us reimagine our relationship to the places we call home. We emphasize the importance of community, belonging, and doing what makes us come alive.”

Before earning her master’s degree in applied communication from UA Little Rock in 2012, she completed dual bachelor’s degrees in journalism (with a public relations focus) and speech communication at Arkansas Tech University.

White said her choice to pursue graduate school began with a simple but pressing question: What comes next?

“I was working at the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute on Petit Jean Mountain and reached a point where I needed to decide whether to pursue a new job or invest in graduate school,” she said. “UA Little Rock stood out because the program aligned with the direction I wanted to grow professionally, and the structure made it possible to continue working full-time. The tuition benefit through the UA System was an added advantage.”

A job interview unexpectedly sealed the deal.

“During a job interview with a PR firm, the interviewer, a UA Little Rock alum, spoke highly of her experience in the Applied Communication Program,” White recalled. “The job would’ve been a solid move, but I left that interview more energized about graduate studies.”

Later that same day, she met with Program Coordinator Dr. Gerald Driskill. Their conversation made her next step feel obvious.

“I withdrew my job application and applied to UA Little Rock,” she said. “The evening classes fit my schedule, the coursework felt like the right next step, and the central location made the commute from Conway easy.”

Throughout her time in the program, White found herself returning again and again to the heart of the Applied Communication Program’s mission: to foster the co-creation of better social worlds through positive communication.

“I’ve carried that mission into my work as a social-impact storyteller and consultant,” she said. “The degree strengthened my ability to understand how stories build connection with ourselves and with each other, shift narratives, and move communities forward.”

The flexible class schedule made the journey manageable, White said, adding that her graduate school experience was both demanding and deeply rewarding.

“The support of the faculty and the other students in my cohort made a big difference,” she said. “We spent two nights a week together for two years, and those relationships have stayed with me.”

One standout course was Organizational Communication Training with Dr. Kristen McIntyre.

“Each student partnered up to design a training on a specific communication skill, and Dr. McIntyre taught the class as a training itself so we could see the methods in action,” White explained. 

The tools she gained continue to influence her work, from storytelling workshops to public speaking. She said the Coordinated Management of Meaning theory was especially impactful.

“I’ve referenced its ideas about ‘stories lived’ and ‘stories told’ in speaking engagements to explain how we create better social worlds through better communication,” she said.

White credits her husband, Matthew, as one of the biggest influences in helping her complete graduate school.

“Even before we had our son, sharing responsibilities at home and having his encouragement made it easier to balance work and school,” she said.

Her professional accomplishments reflect the investment White made in herself. She has been inducted into the Arkansas Tech University Hall of Distinction (2021), earned the UA Little Rock Applied Communication Alumni Making a Difference Award (2022), and was named one of Arkansas Business’s 40 Under 40 (2023). She also serves on the boards of Create Conway, the Conway Public Schools Foundation, and the City of Conway Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board.

Looking back, White said the UA Little Rock Applied Communication Program fundamentally shaped the way she understands and practices communication.

“It strengthened my ability to think critically about communication, understand how people make meaning, and apply those insights in real-world settings,” she said.

Her work with community-focused organizations, including Excel by Eight, has shown how those strengths translate beyond the classroom. Executive director Angela Duran praises White’s storytelling skills. 

“Adena has a passion for storytelling, and she is quite a gifted writer,” she said. “As the communications director at Excel by Eight, she tells our story of improving health and education outcomes for young children by painting vivid pictures of families who are thriving across the state.”