IMC Hawks Blog

Category: UNCW

  • Time Flies, When You’re In College

    I can remember kindergarten graduation like it was last week. I had on my white dress, frilly socks with my shiny, white shoes (I never understood this style) – big white bow in my curled hair, and lipstick. I remember being incredibly embarrassed when I walked across the stage to get my diploma; simply because when they announced my name and my aspirations of being an ice skater when I grew up: the crowd burst into laughter. My graduating kindergarten class of 1996 was full of future firefighters, doctors, teachers, policemen, and then there was me – the future ice skater. Needless to say, where I am from we do not have ice rinks; we barely even get snow every other year.  This experience at an early age, to realize that I was different and had an imagination, paved the way for how I would now approach my life. I branded myself creative. From this point on, I decided that I was going to be me – no matter how many people laughed at me.

    Fast-forward 15 years and here I am graduating college.

    It honestly feels like just yesterday I was moving into Cornerstone Hall on UNCW’s campus, a ‘fresh’ new student straight out of high school. When people say “time flies when you’re having fun,” they are referring to college. I cannot grasp the fact that in 10 days I will be a college graduate; time has definitely flown by. Before this semester began, I thought I had it all figured out, and that I was “ready” to graduate. However, I had it all wrong! My current feelings are similar to Peter Pan’s in that all I want to do is scream “I will not grow up! You cannot make me!” But, I realize that I am not Peter Pan and I do not live in Neverland; I am a Communication Studies student who is about to step foot into the real world. It may be scary, and I might not like it at first, but its life. I shouldn’t worry though – I am prepared for it. I have taken so many different classes at UNCW, have experienced so many different things, and have learned from all of them. I have dealt with my share of “crazy” roommates, the difficult realization that UNCW will never have a football team, and also a climate that is all but predictable. As I am about to graduate, I can honestly say that I am a better person after my time spent as a Seahawk. Although I am not 100% sure what I want to do with the rest of my life, I know that UNCW has prepared me for anything.

    An excerpt from Robert Fulghum’s book, All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten, is the list of things learned in kindergarten – with the insight I have gained over the past 15 years in parentheses:

    • Share everything. (but write your name on it, roommates sometimes steal from you!)
    • Play fair.
    • Don’t hit people. (it is against the law when you get older)
    • Put things back where you found them.
    • Clean up your own mess. (if you don’t, no one will)
    • Don’t take things that aren’t yours. (you will get caught)
    • Say you’re sorry when you hurt somebody.
    • Wash your hands before you eat. (getting sick in college is not fun- your mom can’t make you soup!)
    • Flush.
    • Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you. (but you should probably visit the Rec Center too)
    • Live a balanced life – learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.
    • Take a nap every afternoon.
    • When you go out into the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands, and stick together. (especially when you ‘go out’ downtown)
    • Be aware of wonder.
    • Remember the little seed in the styrofoam cup: The roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that. Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even the little seed in the Styrofoam cup – they all die. So do we.
    • And then, remember the Dick-and-Jane books and the first word you learned – the biggest word of all – LOOK. Everything you need to know is in there somewhere.
    • The Golden Rule and love and basic sanitation. Ecology and politics and equality and sane living. Take any of those items and extrapolate it into sophisticated adult terms and apply it to your family life or your work or your government or your world and it holds true and clear and firm.
    • Think what a better world it would be if all – the whole world – had cookies and milk about three o’clock every afternoon and then lay down with our blankies for a nap. Or if all governments had a basic policy to always put thing back where they found them and to clean up their own mess. And it is still true, no matter how old you are – when you go out into the world, it is best to hold hands and stick together.

    Some things change and some things stay the same but in the end we all have to grow up. But for the next week and a half that I have left as a student, and for everyone else that has time left here, and for the future Seahawks – I suggest we listen to the lesson that Jay-Z and Alphaville live by and stay “Forever Young.”

    — Jordan Hill

  • Talk of the town? More like talk of the nation: When Local News Goes National

    As we all know, the phrase “gunman on campus,” is nothing to take lightly.  Since the 2007 shooting at Virginia Tech, colleges across the country have made it a priority to ensure the safety of their campus.

    UNC Wilmington students were alerted late last night of a gunman on campus, fleeing from the nearby Hardees. The University continued to update students through email, phone calls and text messages in order to ensure all students were aware of the situation and safe.
    It seems as though UNCW took all the proper precautions; what they didn’t take into consideration was how the students were going to react to it. Within a matter of no time, students with Facebook and Twitter accounts were posting: “everyone on campus be safe!” or writing terms of endearment on loved one’s walls. According to Clay Shirky, author of Here Comes Everybody, the ability of people to share, cooperate, and act together is being improved dramatically by our social tools.With access to these social networking sites, students were able to publicly announce that there was a gunman on campus, which instigated a major concern.  News of the gunman on UNCW’s campus even reached popular media outlets, such as the New York Times and CBS.

    Using these social networking sites has united people all over the country.  Looking again at Shirky’s book, he exclaims, “a story can go from local to global in a heartbeat.” Without today’s social media sites, many news outlets would not have heard about the gunman. From an IMC perspective, we must look at how powerful these sites are and use them with much caution.

    -Stephanie Bakolia, Claire Outlaw, David Glaubach

  • The Greatest Lecture Ever Sold

    I remember the first time I watched “Super Size Me” and how impressed I was that someone would actually decide to eat McDonalds for 30 days. After watching the documentary, I was completely disgusted by the fast food industry but, Morgan brought an important issue about our society to attention and that is why I liked the film so much. “The Greatest Movie Ever Sold” is a great film. I really enjoyed watching it and Morgan Spurlock definitely made the film enjoyable. I think it is so important to notice the brands in your every day life and in the movies/tv shows you watch.

    Attending the Morgan Spurlock lecture was the icing on the cake after watching “The Greatest Movie Ever Sold” because in person, he makes the film come to life. It was so interesting hearing all about the little things that went into making the “docbuster” as he likes to call it. From the very inspiration that went into creating it (an episode of Heroes with overtly blatant product placement) down to the fact that he had a “Faken” – fake version of his son Laken in the final cut of the bathtub scene.
    I also really appreciated the time he took afterwards to make sure that everybody, and I mean everybody, had their questions answered. Even after Professor Fernando let him know that he would be going over his allotted time, he wasn’t at all worried about getting out of there. One student asked: “What motivates you to create movies?” Morgan answered: “If you can help, then you should. If you can change things, then you should.” He took the time out of his evening to stay with us and keep the conversation going. Overall, the lecture allowed me to take even more from the film, and to gain quite a bit of respect for Mr. Spurlock.
    I think what Morgan said to the student describes who he is exactly. He just wants to make a change and also to make a difference by putting light on subjects that need to be discussed.

    -Micaela Fouhy and Kacy Cox

  • Connecting to Potential Jobs

    When it comes to the big job hunt, there are a plethora of considerations that come to mind. Seeking out career fairs, perfecting your resume, and getting the right professional look all seem to be high on the list. However, there’s one tool we sometimes neglect when it comes to seeking out jobs in our field, whether it be Marketing, Advertising, PR, or IMC: social networking. Sites such as LinkedIn provide a huge leg up for those looking for a job in our current market. You will be able to get your resume out to multiple different audiences with the click of your mouse, while also putting your resume out to employers who you may have initially overlooked.

    Not only is LinkedIn important for initially creating new job opportunities, it is also useful in growing and cultivating new connections and relationships. Networking is extremely important in the field of IMC and every connection you get could be a potential for a new opportunity. Active use of this resource shows those you have connected with, what you are up to, how you are looking to grow professionally, and if you are currently looking for employment options. With the current economic state, we have to exploit every avenue we can to ensure that we are able to find a job upon graduating.  While it is necessary that we have a strong resume and good interviewing skills, we also have to remember that our potential job opportunity could be found through LinkedIn.

    – Lauren Phelps, Alaethea Hensley, Jessica Kingman


  • We Made It!

    Is this it? Is this really the ending of my time at UNCW? I can’t believe it. It feels like I was just in my first summer semester class with Coach Honeycutt, PE 101, the last “basic studies” class I needed to take before I could begin my journey of courses in the Communication Studies Department. I was a transfer student from Carteret Community College and although I was a Junior, my experience at a university was more like beginning as a freshman. I can remember the nervousness of starting that Fall semester 2009, I mean I had the experience of being on campus from the summer class but I had never been use to so many people. Especially COM 105, there was somewhere around 140 students (a number not so overwhelming now). I still am amazed at how well Dr. Weber commanded attention to the students and captured my interest, impressively it was his first semester teaching that class, and it wasn’t until the end of the semester that I found that out. I owe Dr. Weber a lot of respect and gratitude for how well he guided me that semester and continued thereafter. Without his direction and the many daily visits to his office, I’m not sure I would be graduating right now. After all, I did drop out of UNCG in my freshman semester. However, because Dr. Weber personally continued to remember my name throughout my time here at UNCW, offering leadership and advising, it allowed me to become more comfortable within the Com Department. And that’s the thing right there. Almost every professor in the Com Department can remember my name, that’s amazing! Especially with all the students that come through their class doors. Never before have I experienced such a large collection of professors who truly cared about me as a student and on a personal level. And I’ve attended 2 other colleges. They’ve made me feel very special and honored to be a part of UNCW.

    I owe a special and kind thank you to Dr. Brunson, who only had me in one summer class, but even so gives a friendly smile to me in passing and still calls me by name. Out of all the required Core classes I enjoyed her class, Communication Theory, the most. The warmth and kindness she has expressed really made me wish I could have  had her as a professor for COM 490, but I have tremendously enjoyed professor Kelly Dixon this semester. Kelly (as she likes to be called) taught Interpersonal Communication in my first full semester and the confident yet jovial attitude she expresses every single day, even now in COM 490, always makes me want to attend her classes. No matter how dry the lecture, Kelly always made the concepts and terms fun. I’ll never forget her fav. expressions like “devastated”. And I don’t see how I could’ve relaxed through all of COM 490 without her positive upbeat attitude.

    I also would like to recognize Dr. Persuit; and not because she’s my professor now and oversees this blog; and not because I want to flatter her and get some kind of bonus credit or something; but because I’ve never been so challenged at UNCW by someone who has not only such a hard work ethic, but is possibly one of the most intelligent professors I’ve ever heard lecture. And that’s saying a lot because all of our professors in the Com Department are highly intelligent. At the beginning of this semester one of our classmates said they were intimidated of Dr. Persuit (and this is someone who is very confident), and I can agree solely because I’ve never wanted to let her down or disappoint her. Ever. Yet I always feel like I will, or something. But I want to thank her not because of all of those things; but because she truly motivates me to do better. Back in the day, I had a high school teacher that once said, “Good, better, best. Do until your good is better and your better is best.” I’ve always wanted my best to come through in her classes, and in all the 3 classes I’ve had with her, I hope I’ve accomplished at least this much. But it’s such a relief to know that a lot of stress is almost over and that I will graduate. However, bittersweet. I have truly enjoyed my time at UNCW and the Communication Studies professors have made my experience here one of the best in my life.

    -JC Salter

    Holy shit, I’m graduating from college!  Not the most proper way to convey my feelings, but I can think of no other words that adequately describe my thoughts on this monumental experience.  A few short weeks ago, I uttered the same phrase with fear and uncertainty.  I’ve been a student for most of my life, and soon I wasn’t going to be.  What was I going to do?  The thought terrified me.  However, I now embrace graduation and I am SO ready for it.  I know I’ve been working toward this goal for the past four years, but now it’s a reality and I couldn’t be more excited and optimistic for what my future holds.

    During my time at UNCW I have grown and learned so much, both in and out of the classroom.  The people I’ve met have enriched my life in ways that I never thought possible.  It hasn’t always been a walk in the park (Com 200 memories anyone?), but I wouldn’t trade my college experience for anything.

    I came into UNCW with the intentions of being a Communication Studies major, and although I thought about switching, a few times I am so glad that I stuck with it.  I found the major that works with my brain; everything I’ve learned makes sense and I can see it applied in real life.  This is probably due to some of the awesome professors I’ve had.  Kelly Dixon made Interpersonal, Organizational and my Capstone classes that I enjoyed attending and has given me some of the best advice outside of the classroom.  Dr. Persuit fostered my love (and sometimes hatred) of IMC and corporate communications, and introduced me to the world of Public Relations, the field I have chosen to go into when I graduate.  Jennifer Chin further drove home the concepts of PR, and let me know how it was going to be in the real world.  These three women really made my time at UNCW something I loved and enjoyed, and for that I cannot thank them enough.

    -Eliza Wadson

    “I go back to the smell of an old gym floor
    The taste of salt on the Carolina shore
    After graduation and drinkin goodbye to friends
    And I go back to watchin summer fade to fall
    Growin up too fast and I do recall
    Wishin time would stop right in its tracks
    Everytime I hear that song, I go back, I go back.”
     
    “We all have a song that somehow stamped our lives
    Takes us to another place and time…”                                                                                                
                                                        -Kenny Chesney
       

    Graduation has snuck up much quicker than I had expected.  How is it possible that my college career is almost over?  Surprisingly, my attitude towards graduation is bittersweet.  The excitement and hype of graduating is unreal, but I wish I could experience college for a little longer.  I’m sure most of us graduating seniors agree, right?  This is the same feeling I had when I graduated from high school.  The idea of entering into another world, so to speak, gives me a broad range of emotions.  Where do I go from here?  What new people will I meet?  Will my friends and I stay in contact with one another?

    Only time will tell….

    I’ve changed immensely over the time I have spent at the University of North Carolina Wilmington.  I have met people from different areas in the country, had my fair share of long nights followed by early mornings, spent hours on end in Club Randall, and drank an incalculable amount of iced caramel macchiatos to say the least.  However, all of these things only led me down the path that got me to where I am now.

    I will leave UNCW with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Studies and a large amount of gratitude goes out to all whom helped me achieve this.  Yes, there were times when I just wanted to blow off a paper or do the least amount on a project, but my conscience wouldn’t have it.  If I would have done that I wouldn’t be graduating with honors and I would have more than likely let down members of my group.  To all my fellow COM majors, you know what I’m talking about when it comes to group work and how much time is spent in basically every COM class each semester with a group.  For those of you in COM 200 or on the verge of taking COM 200 (or whatever it is going to be called next year due to the renumbering of the course list), that is only the beginning of group work.  My advice?  Strap-in, work hard, be a team player, prepare for all obstacles regarding conflicting opinions and handle them the most ethical way possible.

    I know that in my future career of public relations and integrated marketing communication, I will look back on my time at UNCW and refer to the advice and knowledge that all of my professors bestowed upon me.  They are well-educated in what they teach and make an impact on the lives of their students.  I see myself a year from now in the workforce with a specific project thinking…what would Dr. Persuit or Jennifer Chin suggest that I do?  All in all, I know that I’ll find myself hearing a song or being put in a certain situation that will take me back to my days at UNCW and remind me of all the good times that I had.  These are the days that, although frightening, I look forward too.

    -Danielle Dorantich

  • The Life & Lessons of Communication Studies Seniors

    After four years I am ready to graduate and take the next big step in my life.  When I first came to UNCW I thought I wanted to major in Biology.  I learned after my first two semesters that it wasn’t a good fit for me.  That summer I took some communication classes and found my match.  Since then I haven’t looked back.

    I have been very fortunate to have such wonderful friends and professors that made my college experience amazing.  I have found so much support here that it will be very hard to leave.  But thanks to their help, I am truly ready to join the professional world. Between my course work and campus involvement I know I can balance a heavy load and I welcome the challenge.  There have been many times in my four years that a week has gone by and I realize how much I accomplished.  I have pushed myself and learned that I will meet my goals.

    A big part of my accomplishments can be credited to my classes.  I have tried to take a variety as well as advance coursework.  I want to thank the professors that have designed these courses and taught me all that I have learned.  A special thanks to Dr. Persuit who I have taken for many classes.  She has brought her experience to the classroom and showed us how we would use our skills in the real world.  A thanks to Professor Bollinger who taught us to work hard and never underestimate ourselves.  And another thanks to Professor Pezzuolo for providing a creative outlet in the classroom.  There are many other members of the UNCW team that deserve thanks.  Without them, my experience would have been very different.

    – Carissa Niederkorn

    As the semester comes down to a close, it’s hard to imagine that this is the end. For some of us, the thought of finishing high school and going on to the promised land (a.k.a college) was all that filled our young, scholarly minds. Now that we have gotten through this institution dubbed as higher education, some of us begin to feel nervous, anxious, scared, and even lost as to what to expect after this fantastic journey.  I for one forgot to think about what life might be like after college. I was so busy just trying to get here that I never even thought about what my life might be like after all of this was said and done.

    All of my experiences so far have been wonderful. Through all of the ups and downs, I can say that I will be graduating with my head held high and my future wide open. Specifically speaking, my professors have taught me so many invaluable skills that even I may not yet know to what extent these skills will help me in my future. Classes concerning speech, personal finance, integrated marketing, research methods, and more classes that talked about theories than I could handle, I can safely say that I am truly grateful for the time that I have spent here at UNCW. I am looking forward to what the next few pages of my life will bring, but I will always remember my studies, professors, the memories that I created, and the friendships that I will never let go of.

    – Deji Adeleke

    As the semester comes to a close, I can only look back at the last four years and wonder how it went by so fast.  I entered into UNCW with no direction and am now leaving as a confident, knowledgeable young professional.  I want to use this post give a little “Senior Advice” to those of you who may still have a couple of years.

    Write EVERYTHING down.  If I’ve learned this lesson I’ve learned it a thousand times.  You really do have the best of intentions on remembering that homework assignment or that group meeting but trust me on this one, if you don’t write it down (in a place that you’ll look back at), you will slip up eventually.

    Stop PROCRASTINATING! Seriously.  Stop.  Have you ever finished something a few days early and had that overwhelming feeling of accomplishment?  Okay, I can’t say that it’s happened to me very often but when I do, my life seems to be in much better order and I can focus on the other things that I’ve thrown by the wayside.  (Like laundry. Just ask my roommate.)  So use those time management skills you like to refer to during a job interview! Get it done now and be ahead of the rest.  You’ll just feel better.

    Get to KNOW your classmates.  Most likely, you will see them again so sit somewhere different in the classroom, set up a small group study session, and after you’ve finished a big project together, go celebrate!  These are the people who have been through the same stressful papers and projects as you.  Take note of what they may have to offer because you never know, they may be your boss one day.

    Get INVOLVED!  Whether it’s an academic club, sports, Greek life, or the other hundreds of activities offered on campus, this is your opportunity to branch out and network.  You never know who may stop in as a guest speaker or have a parent in your field of interest.

    Same goes with INTERNSHIPS.  Internships, internships, internships.  Enough said.

    I hope that my experiences can help guide those of you who are still living the good life.  Make the best of it!  Good luck to my fellow Seniors!  The end is bittersweet but I am confident that my education at UNCW as a Communication Studies major has prepared me for what lies ahead.

    -Tiffany Evans

    I’m a big fan of lists. I like To Do Lists, lists of funny animals, lists of the top songs of the radio. Put anything in list form and, chances are, I will read it. So, to wrap up my time on the IMC-Hawks blog and at UNCW, I present the Top 4 Things I’ve Learned At UNCW.

    4.) There’s a reason that you’re required to take the core classes in COM Studies. When you’re sitting in COM 200 or Communication Theory, you might be tempted to zone out or phone it in. Resist! Facebook will still be there after an hour and a half, I promise! Our professors have debated and discussed and voted on why these courses are required for majors and its because they tie into every single class we take as COM Studies students. So take listen up, take good notes, and, most importantly, see how the theories and concepts that you’re learning fit into your other courses. It can actually be (not to sound nerdy) fun!

    3.) Take Your Time Figuring Out Your Path Whether you need to take your time figuring out if you want to pursue PR or TV Production, or if you want to be a COM major or a Creative Writing major (or both!): Take Your Time! So often in our lives we’re rushed to make decisions and it can feel like everyone’s pressuring you to just make up your mind. Here’s the thing, those people won’t be the ones in your classes or taking your exams or, eventually, looking for jobs in that area. I have a friend who’s switched from Marine Bio to Biology to Nursing to Biology (again) and she’s one of the happiest, most well-adjusted people I know. This is YOUR life and it’s okay to slow down, take a breath, and take your time figuring out your next step!

    2.) You have the rest of your life! As graduation was looming in front of me and I had no job in sight, I started, to put it lightly, freaking out. After spending numerous nights losing sleep over it and having it act as a dark cloud over my last few weeks at UNCW, I finally had a revelation. For the past 21 years and a handful of months, I’ve been trained to think in terms of “summer vacation”, as in “What will I do to occupy my time for the next 3 months?” And, after thinking about it, I realized that after I leave UNCW, I’ll have the next 80 years or so to fill with amazing adventures and life-changing decisions. So, when your time comes to leave this wonderful place, take a deep breath and know that it’s ok to do something completely unique to you for a few weeks, months, or years before finding your next step.

    1.) Your Professors Are People Too! When I was in elementary school, I always had this idea that my teachers lived at school. If I opened the closet, I would find that it was actually a door to a nice apartment set-up where my second grade teacher resided. As a matured, my ideas of my teachers did too. If you take nothing else from this list, please realize this: The people standing in front of you in your classes are people with thoughts and dreams and goals. And, because they’re wonderful, a lot of these dreams and goals are focused on the success of their students (that’s us!) So whether it’s taking the time to tell a professor that you really liked how they taught a particular theory in class or even just asking how they’re doing that week, do it! I can not thank the professors I’ve encountered enough, both in the COM department and outside, for the guidance they’ve provided during my four years. So, do me a favor, and say something nice to one of your professors before the year is out!

    – Anna Kate Babnik

  • Communication Studies Family

    The countdown for UNCW’s Communication Studies graduation is getting smaller and smaller. Now the graduating seniors can see the “real world” at a distance, and the reality of graduating and growing up is causing stomach pains filled with nervousness, but excitement for the future. Personally, I find it so hard to say goodbye to my Communication Studies family. I have developed such great relationships with not only the students, but with the professors as well.These are the people that helped me become the motivated woman that I am today.  I’ve learned so many aspects of communication, from interpersonal to integrated marketing communication to negotiation and conflict management. Therefore, I want to thank the members of the UNCW Communication Studies faculty that taught me so much.

    I want to thank David Bollinger from the start in Introduction to Communication Studies. It was great traveling with you on the class trip to Greece and Italy. Most of all, the Direct Individual Study of communicating with women in a public health setting is what really helped me focus my career goal of communicating in the public health field. I also want to thank Tammy Bulger, it was great to have you in Interpersonal Communication and I learned so much from you in 490. I am so thankful for learning about the job search process and informational interview from you. I’ll miss seeing you at the basketball games. Although I didn’t have many classes with them, I still want to thank Bill Bolduc, Lauren Frye, Jerry Bagnell,  Dr. Olsen, and Susan Lanier. You all taught such different parts of communication and I know I will use these skills in the future.

    Most of all, I want to thank my fellow Communication Studies classmates. You all are so supportive and make a great family. I’m going to miss seeing all of you everyday.

    -Megan Canny

    I have had a great four years here at UNCW, and have been through some ups and downs. Unfortunately, I will not be graduating in two weeks like the majority of the best class of Seahawks to ever grace UNCW with their presence, the Class of 2011.  Instead, I will be officially walking across the stage in December. Though I would much rather be graduating now, it is simply not an option.  I originally came to the university as a NC Teaching Fellow, with plans to teach high school history. Halfway through my junior year, it finally occurred to me that I had not desire to teach. Nonetheless, I am looking forward to completing this “victory lap” as “super-senior” and entering into the real world. Yes, I am a rarity, as I am so ready to be out of college and into the real world on my own!

    I am so glad that I made the switch to communication studies. It has presented a world of opportunities for me and I have loved every minute of it. My future plans are to either have a career in public relations or IMC, we shall see where I end up at once I receive my degree.

    I would like to thank a few professors, who are so lucky to have to put up with me for one more semester. Dr. Persuit for giving me the override for this class after my countless emails and office visits begging you to let me in. It has been a great experience and has really been one of my favorite classes.

    Jennifer Chin for letting me into Intro to PR this semester so that I could take Advanced PR in the fall, which would allow me to graduate in December. I am looking forward to it.

    Tammala Bulger for answering my email in the fall of 2009, and calling me out for not properly calling communication studies the right name. You helped put on the right track to graduate.

    I can’t leave out my amazing group mates in Com 200, Taren, Sam, & Heidi. We made it through that challenging class, which I have to say, was much harder than any history class I ever took, including my senior seminar class.

    Congrats to all of the graduates….now go out and find a job so you can hook me up with one for January 2012!

    -Scott Burgess

    With my graduation date drawing near, I am forced to evaluate my life; where it has been and where it is heading. My time at UNCW has taught me a lot about myself and what I want to do with my life as well as other plans for my future. The classes that I have taken in my path to a degree in communication studies have taught me many things about many subjects that I will use in my future no matter what communication studies related job I take. At first when I was told to blog about my time at UNCW, I wanted to boycott. I don’t want to reminisce about my four years at UNCW and how I am now a big girl and have to face the real world. The most important thing I have learned since moving to Wilmington and attending college is to be true to myself. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life and didn’t know how to figure out what I wanted to do. So by taking the wide range of courses offered through the Comm Studies department I was able to try a little bit of everything. I think that the capstone course that is required before graduation is finally what forced me to choose.  I didn’t have a choice but to pick something and go with it. I decided that I want to be a wedding planner. There aren’t any classes in particular that made me choose this but a little of everything. I realized that it’s scary to choose a path and start down it but by staying true to myself  I know that I am making the right choice for me, not just because it’s time to be a grown up. It’s time to graduate and make a name for myself in the real world but my experience at UNCW has me fully prepared to jump off the deep end and straight into the pool of professionals. I want to thank every single professor that I have had the pleasure of taking classes from. Each one of them have made such an impact on my life and I am prepared because of their expertise and real world experiences. I am truly going to miss of them and miss this school, even though I will be very happy sleeping in before I get my real job!

    -Melissa Gagliardi

    This semester has given true meaning to the expression “time flies”, probably because I have been so busy with school and my internship. I want to thank Dr. Persuit, Dr. Fellows, and the Southern States Communication Association for letting us create an IMC Plan for them and guiding us along the way. I have enjoyed putting the lessons learned in the Advanced IMC class to actual use with clients. I also want to thank Lauren Frye, who taught me the joys of writing in Strategic Writing last semester. Honestly, I had no interest in writing before I took her class. Now, I write everyday in my internship using the skills Ms. Frye taught me in her course and I actually enjoy it! Lastly, another reason I have been so busy this semester is because I am the Community Outreach Chair of the Communication Studies Society. I want to thank Jennifer Chin for being a wonderful faculty adviser and for helping us make a difference in our Com Department and the community of Wilmington. I won’t be graduating this semester, so I look forward to new and exciting experiences this summer and next fall in Wilmington! Good luck seniors, I’ll miss you!

    -Allison Day