When I first transferred to St. Norbert College, I was not sure what major to consider as they were differently categorized at UW - Green Bay. The options to study Communication and Media quickly became the most intriguing options to me. I transferred to St. Norbert College right as Covid-19 pandemic was infecting the United States very hard. With the pandemic many of the courses were offered online or with limited person-to-person interaction. As the threat of the pandemic waned, I was able to attend classes in person and work with groups allowing me to communicate more broadly in the classroom environment. The most valuable learning I acquired in my study of Communication and Media at St. Norbert is related to my coursework and also influenced by the pandemic. I learned strategies for persevering through tough communication, how to professionally tailor communication for diversity and audience, and how to skillfully communicate when meeting and working with new people.
Through Covid-19 I really think that every student had a huge barrier to overcome to successfully learn and complete coursework, especially as a Communication major where courses are designed to provide the strategies and skills to communicate effectively. The process of trying to communicate effectively in digital platforms such as Zoom or email was very frustrating at times. But I believe being unexpectedly thrust into a digital world of communication taught me many skills. With reflection, I can analyze how valuable effective digital communication skills have been to my successful tenure at St. Norbert College. Skills such as writing clear and concise emails, employing proper digital etiquette on voice or zoom calls, and managing technical difficulties with calm and professional demeanor, are all skills that I have learned as a result of the merger between the pandemic and course work. I consider myself to have been fortunate to be studying Communication and Media at such a time in history. The authentic challenges of daily, effective communication with professors, peers, and staff that we conquered as students were authentic opportunities to practice the learning from our courses in real life and real time.
When student life resumed to a more normal route, I reflected on the communication skills and strategies that I was able to learn through in-person courses. In particular, I appreciate the many opportunities that I had to work in small groups as a learning strategy. Through small group practices I learned how to communicate well with others as we discussed class content and planned presentations. The communication and media studies major really pushed me, as a student of communication, to become more vocal, more articulate, and to be a better listener. It is clear during reflection that while learning about professional communication strategies and skills, we were using those same strategies and skills to communicate with others in our classes! The opportunity to be metacognitive about the application of skills and strategies during small group work and class discussions made the skills and strategies more meaningful and now more useful.
The substance of my learning, all of the course content, and the soft skills from the St. Norbert College's professional learning environment, overall supports me to be a more confident and educated person when moving into the working world. I would not have the communication skills I have today without studying the major I chose at St. Norbert. I am proud of my studies and skills I have learned.
My concentration in the Communication and Media studies major was Communication. The focus of the articles and expositions I tended to study in class were qualitative research and studies. Qualitative research was interesting to me because these expositions are not solely about data. Instead, qualitative research studies concentrate on the characteristics of communication and inquire into the why instead of the what of communication as a human experience. Qualitative studies use theories and observations to collect their data. I feel like I engaged in both critical and social sciences while taking classes in the communication and media major. Understanding the depth of the human communication experience along with the motivations and social construct of communication, helped me to better understand communication as a science and therefore as a tool. I enjoyed learning through social scientific research because it challenges the way that I think about communication and society.
Post graduation I will be continuing my education at St. Norbert College in the SNC Masters of Business Administration program! I am very excited to join this prestigious program starting early fall. It will be an opportunity for me to transfer my communication knowledge to a wider and deeper scope of business administration. I will also continue playing for the St. Norbert College women's soccer team while studying at SNC. In addition, I will be interning for Kohls for the summer of 2022. Following the St. Norbert College soccer season, I will begin the Managers in Training program for Kohl’s in January of 2023. Kohl’s has made arrangements for me to work in a part-time corporate capacity during the soccer season. After the 12 week training program, I will be placed in a corporate role for the company. I am excited to work my way up to a really impressive role working for Kohl’s Corporation.
Outside of the classroom, I was able to participate in Women's Soccer, Multicultural group, and Student Alumni Ambassadors. I also had a communications internship for the Village of Bellevue, working in their Park and Recreation department. The bulk of my responsibilities during the internship was to create and implement social media platforms as an outreach to the community. This internship position offered me the opportunity to apply my learning from my communication coursework in an authentic manner. I learned the value of the social media side of communication for a business and how apps and sources can be used as tools to communicate with large audiences in a meaningful and timely manner.
Every ‘bump in the road’ during my college career, such as transferring school and Covid-19, have shaped me to be the student, professional, and person I am today. I am proud of how far I have come, what I have learned, and that I am graduating with my Bachelors Degree in Communication and Media Studies with a minor in Graphic Design in three years, from St. Norbert College. I cannot wait to begin my communications career and to continue my education at St. Norbert College, pursuing my Masters of Business Administration.
