Looking Forward…Looking Back

A professor here at UNCW told me on the first day of COM. 490 that we as students are a lot like the Sankofa bird. ”The Sankofa” teaches us that we must go back to our roots in order to move forward. That is, we should reach back and gather the best of what our past has to teach us, so that we can achieve our full potential as we move forward.” This resinates even more now that graduation is practically upon us. I am reminded of the student I came here as during orientation and the professional I will be exiting as during graduation. Moving 12 hours away from my family, friends and everything I knew was hard; it was the most difficult thing I had ever done. I knew no absolutely no one. Would I fit in? Would I be happy with my choice to up root my life half way down the east coast? The answer to these questions are YES. As graduation is rapidly approaching I find it only appropriate to looking back at the university that made me who I am today in order to be secure in where I may go in the future.

Entering as a freshman I was undecided on my major. A friend I met in the dorms told me she was a Communication Studies major so I looked into it and decided to try it out. It ended up being one of the best decisions of my life. I finally found where I was supposed to be. As I got deeper into the major I found to love what I learned even more, I feel that earning a degree in Communication Studies will not only help me professionally, but personally as well. I have learned to take a look at all the relationships in my life, both personal and work related and be aware of the communication among them. How can I be more supportive? How can I be more effective in presenting my ideas? I have learned life lessons which I will carry with me wherever I chose to go in the future.

IMC has opened my eyes to the fact that I don’t have to settle on just one aspect communicating in the marketplace. I can focus in on my attention to detail through event planning, while still using my creativity and research skills for marketing and advertising. It has made me more aware of the close relationship that now exists among pr, marketing and advertising, which some people in the work force now are not even aware of. I feel lucky to have been given training in IMC prior to entering the workforce.

As the days countdown to May 8th a rush of emotions come along with it. Like most of my fellow graduates I am nervous to leave the home  I have known for the past few years, but  excited to see where life takes me. Each of us is confident in our ability and knowledge of what this major has to offer each and every one of us. I will be taking a paid internship this summer in Wilmington  while job searching in multiple locations as I am open to wherever a job may be. Where ever I end up may it be California, New York or North Carolina, I will always remember the impact UNCW, the Communication Studies Department and the students had on my life.

Jess Smith