I am a Communication/Media Studies and History double major at St. Norbert College. For my Communication/Media Studies major, I chose to concentrate in Communication, taking courses such as Principles of Mass Communication, Interpersonal Communication, Social Identity and Intergroup Communication, Conflict Communication, Communication Research Methods, Business and Professional Speaking, Media Psychology, and Communication Theory. In these courses, I have focused on research topics pertaining to interracial families, parasocial relationships, problematic internet usage, and Communicated Narrative Sense-Making Theory. Furthermore, I have engaged in a variety of scholarly perspectives, primarily focusing on social scientific research.
As a Communication/Media Studies major I have learned various skills that are applicable in the real world. Most notably, I have developed the ability to critically analyze social scientific research and disseminate information via diverse forms of media, including academic papers, brochures, infographics, presentations, and research posters. One of the most formative courses I have taken as a Communications/Media Studies student has been Business and Professional Speaking. In this course, I have worked to build professional presentation skills in the context of impromptu, informative, and persuasive speaking. Additionally, this course has helped me develop professional life skills such as negotiation, resume building, and interviewing, which will help me succeed in the business and professional world. Overall, studying Communication/Media Studies complements my History major, strengthening my research skills and ability to disseminate information to a wide variety of audiences.
During my time at St. Norbert College, I have been able to utilize the valuable skills I have developed as a Communication/Media Studies major and apply them to contexts outside of the classroom. In the Spring of 2023, I had the opportunity to work as a research intern at the Heritage Hill State Historical Park. For this internship, I researched Tank Cottage, one of the oldest buildings in Wisconsin. The primary goal of this internship was to research Tank Cottage and disseminate information via an interpretive manual, tour script, and magazine article. This internship provided me an opportunity to combine the knowledge and skills I have obtained from both of my majors, as I worked to conduct historical research and find ways to communicate findings to those visiting Heritage Hill. I look forward to continuing to develop my communication skills during my internship in the Summer of 2023 with Schneider National, where I will be working as a Driver Recruiting Intern. After graduating from St. Norbert in December of 2023, I plan to find a job and attend graduate school.
