Hello! My name is Colton Doyen I am an English Major with a Minor in Communication and Media Studies at St. Norbert College. My hometown is De Pere Wisconsin.
Throughout my time at St. Norbert College, the development of my skills in communications has improved exponentially. A combination of real-world experiences and crucial reflection throughout my courses has provided me with unmeasurable knowledge in regard to understanding the social sciences.
What it Means to be a Student of Communication and Media Studies
To be a student in the social sciences one must understand and engage with the transfer of messages in our society. To also be competent in the ability to seek out patterns of communication through all forms of medium. That includes both skills in interpreting digital and physical mediums. The importance of having these skills is very crucial in terms of understanding constructs of society, patterns of people, and patterns of social utterances. The understanding of this knowledge dictates and predicts how to properly, and effectively, engage in the social sciences.
What I’ve learned
Through various courses that encounter communication research, mass communication, interpersonal communication, social identity and intergroup communication, health communication, political communication, and crisis communication I have developed the skills to navigate through these mentioned fields of the social sciences. Of the most important of these courses, being able to effectively research and engage with communication theory is crucial in determining my effectiveness in this study of social sciences.
How My Learning Impacted Me
Communication and Media Studies have made a tremendous impact on me and my behavior. Understanding the various theories and methods of communication, why we communicate, and with whom has made me rethink my values of effective communication. Professionally, I have developed skills to understand the fundamentals of formal communication through courses like Health Communication and Interpersonal Communication.
Experiences outside the classroom
The most notable and prominent of my experiences outside of my course is when I was employed as a journalist for my tribe’s newspaper. I was extremely prepared and effective at what I did: surveying the stories and events that occurred throughout the tribe both domestically and nationally. My experiences like interviews, various business ventures, coordinating with professional local business and event planners, coordinating with co-workers, ceremonial individuals, and many more have provided me with immeasurable experiences outside of the classroom that helped me, through my fundamental knowledge of social sciences thanks to St. Norbert College, navigate myself within my profession.
What I am interested in pursuing after graduation
I actually plan to immediately pursue this field after graduation, to insert myself into my tribe’s community using my proficiency in social sciences. My Communication and Media Studies have prepared me to encounter these experiences in my field of work.
Conclusion
In short, I have gained a tremendous amount of knowledge to prepare me for engagement in the field of communication and have designed me to be open and ever-striving towards mastering my skills as an effective and engaging individual. Growing up as a student in the Communication field I have so much gratitude to every single one of my instructors, for each course. Each instructor has contributed to me with an immeasurable amount of understanding both as a student and as a person, for which I will be forever grateful in my endeavors.
