IMC Hawks Blog

Category: Wilmington NC

  • Finding My Way to the Top

    Finding My Way to the Top

    My college career has consisted of four different schools. Carson Newman University, Sandhills Community College, Milligan University, and now UNCW. It’s a long story as to why this is a thing, so I won’t get into any details. But, I can say that a big reason for my scenic route through college was that I had trouble finding a school that felt like home to me. The past three schools were great schools, but I did not fall in love with them like I had planned. It wasn’t until I came to Wilmington that I finally was able to call a place “home” and truly mean it. I transferred here the second semester of my junior year and haven’t looked back.

    Newly-renovated entrance to the UNC Wilmington campus along South College Road. UNCW / Jamie Moncrief

    When I came to UNCW, I was a business major with an emphasis in marketing. Honestly, I was struggling. I had this idea that if I wanted to get into sales and the business field, I needed to be a business major and get a degree in business. This is where I was wrong, and I paid the price for it. I went through that one semester here at UNCW, and I’ll be honest with you, I was not a fan at all. I was struggling in all of my classes, I was stressing about how long it was going to take me to graduate, and I was beginning to tell myself that I was a failure. It wasn’t until the fall semester of my senior year that things started to turn around for me, and that was because of this little thing they call COM.

    I came to the conclusion that the road I was going down was not the road for me. I swallowed my pride and went to my advisor’s office in hopes of creating a plan for myself and my future at UNCW. After a small discussion, my advisor brought up communication studies and began to brag about the department here at the dub. After some consideration, pulling some strings, and a bit of prayer, I decided to change my major to COM. I understood that because of all the transferring that I had done in the past, I would have to spend an extra year in college to finish my degree if I switched. At times I had thought of myself as a failure because I did not complete what I had started in my business education. I even thought that I might not be able to have a business career because I was not getting my degree in it anymore. All of these thoughts were completely wrong and I found out very quickly that everything I was telling myself about my decision was completely wrong.

    Here I am, in my last semester as a COM major, about to graduate from the great University of North Carolina Wilmington. I currently hold a full time, “grown up” job at Cellular Sales, the number one Verizon retailer, a job that I thought would not be possible at first because I was not getting my degree in business anymore. That was another thing that I quickly learned – COM studies allows you have a wide range of careers to pick from. You can nearly choose whatever you want to do! After learning that COM broadens your horizons instead of minimalizing it, it was like a huge weight being lifted from my shoulders. Here I am, in a sales job, a goal of mine that I had written down for years, all because of COM. Could I have done something completely different to start off my career? Of course! That is the beauty of COM and everything it has to offer.

    In days, I’ll be graduating. Because of COM, I’ve improved my skill set more than I could have ever imagined. Because of COM I have new friends who I will be friends with for the rest of my life. Because of COM I have complete control over the rest of my life and the rest of my career. Because of COM, I found my new home in Wilmington and no matter where I go from here, the Dub will always me home to me.

    Brady Childers is a May 2021 graduate. His father inspired him to pursue a career in business. Brady loves meeting new people and solving their problems.

  • COM Studies: A large major but a close-knit community

    COM Studies: A large major but a close-knit community

    If someone would have told me going to UNCW would be the most eventful three years of my life I would have probably rolled my eyes. Eventful is quite an understatement. Between hurricanes, being locked in Randall library in the middle of a COM 200 test because someone got shot in the apartment complex next to campus, and a global pandemic… who would have thought this would be our college career. My roller coaster experience of college started in Fall 2018. I had decided right away Communication Studies was the route I wanted to go; this was decided after taking a public speaking class and learning the many avenues that you could go with a communication studies degree. Because who doesn’t like options? Little did I know COM was one of the largest majors but one of the closest knit communities I would be a part of.

    Trust me, walking into Dr. Weber’s COM 105 you wouldn’t think this major would be so close. As the courses go on you start to meet new people, see the same people and learn how to navigate through the major and find your way. My biggest struggle for myself was figuring out which route to take within the major. In the beginning I was just floating. Taking random COM courses here and there. I tried out IMC and felt like I didn’t fit a certain mold, but the more IMC classes I took, I soon realized there isn’t a mold to fit. When you are on campus you can clearly determine who is a nursing major or who is in Cameron. COM has such a wide array of students. You could talk to any person in your class and not feel awkward or feel like you asked a dumb question in COM 301 Rhetorical Theory because no one knew what was going on.

    “COM has such a wide array of students”

    After dealing with Hurricane Florence and surviving COM 200, I was finally assigned my advisor. Lucky me, I got Professor Rick Olsen as my COM advisor. Though I had him for 200 I would get so nervous to talk to him about advising. Which I learned after our first interaction I was crazy for being nervous. He was always transparent and encouraging whenever we spoke. There was always ‘tough love’ advice. I remember telling Dr. Olsen I wanted to begin my career in Wilmington and he was pretty honest and told me ‘Wilmington is very competitive, good luck.” At first it felt like a dig but as I thought over it several hundred times, I realized because of his transparency I was able to be honest with myself and push my expectations so I could compete in Wilmington. The transparency and tough love is seen throughout COM. Though higher education is seen as professional or refined, the professors in COM have managed to hug the line of professionalism while being themselves which is a blessing. Having professors who are approachable makes a huge difference and I am forever grateful that I got to experience professors who are passionate about their field of study and ensuring COM majors are meeting as well as exceeding the expectations.

    As we are inching closer to graduation, I am relieved and sad. I am relieved that we all survived a global pandemic, hurricanes and life and managed to make it to the finish. I am personally relieved because I have been enrolled for a year straight with no break. I am relieved because this hard work has helped me land a position before graduating so I can begin the next phase in my life. I am sad to close this long, eventful chapter out. My time with UNCW and the communication studies department has been amazing. I am thankful for the colleagues, connections and professors I have met during my time. If I was to give any advice to PCOM and current COM majors, please get involved. Whether it is Communication Studies Society, an internship or a club. Take this time to build your portfolio and your network! I am involved with a non profit organization that advocates, unites and builds a community amongst small business owners in Downtown Wilmington and I have built an amazing relationship with Wilmington locals, my mentor has become a guide during the job search and I am currently helping plan an event with a colleague! Make sure you are doing what makes you happy, that will best suit you and your career path!

    Nicole Delgado is a May 2021 graduate and is adaptable, intellectually curious, and hungry for great results.

  • Farmers’ Markets Galore

    Since Wilmington is a rather large city with hundreds of businesses, the small local businesses can sometimes be overshadowed. However, in my opinion, it is important to support local businesses to show your appreciation for the town you live in live in. One of my favorite ways to support local is to shop at farmers’ markets. Now that the warm weather is here and summertime is quickly approaching, farmers’ markets are back in business and ready to serve their community!

    One of my favorite markets in town is Port City Produce. This shop has two locations, one on Market Street, five minutes from campus, and one on the way to Carolina Beach, fifteen minutes south of campus. They both feature an abundance of fresh fruit, vegetables, and other local goods such as honey, peanuts, and jam. Personally, I love to stock up on the watermelon, peaches, and strawberries. Nothing says summer to me like fresh fruit and PCP is definitely the place to go. Not only are you supporting a family business when you shop here, but you are also supporting the various farmers that source to the locations. You can check them out on Facebook, Instagram, or by visiting their website.

    Source: Port City Produce on Instagram

    Another one of my favorite farmers’ markets is the Riverfront Farmers’ Market in Downtown Wilmington, which is held every Saturday from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm. The 2019 season has already begun, but the market will stay open until November 23rd. It changed locations from last year and is now located on Dock Street on the block between Front and 2nd Streets. The market features a variety of vendors that include local farmers, producers, and even artists and crafters. What I like about this market is that it gives you the opportunity to speak directly with the people who grow or craft their goods. This market is the opportune way to support the town of Wilmington, as it features vendors from all categories. Also, the items change weekly so there is always something new to explore. Learn more about the market, including the weekly vendors, on their website.

    Riverfront Market

    Source: Wilmington-NC

    There are many more farmers’ markets to explore in Wilmington besides the two listed here and they all offer something unique. If you have never shopped at a local market, I highly encourage you to visit at least one, as it might change your perspective on how you buy your food. Supporting local businesses, whether that be a farmers’ market or a clothing store downtown, is essential and will keep money in the community. I would love to know your favorite local spots around town and what they have to offer. Get out there and visit somewhere new everyone!

    –Colleen Worrell

  • IMC-You Later

    As I reflect on these past four years at UNCW, so many memories come flooding back to me. I remember my first day of class, when I quickly learned that Physical Anthropology was not for me. I remember my first ever basketball game, and the first time I ever tried Jole Mole. I also remember my first COM class with Dr. Weber, my first exposure to the Communication Studies major here at UNCW. As a Film and Communication Studies double major, I often toggled back and forth with the idea of dropping my COM major, that is, until COM 105. I am forever grateful for the piece of advice Dr. Weber gave us one afternoon: “There’s nothing a COM major isn’t capable of. If you study COM, you will be successful in almost all areas of your life.” I wrote it down, and took it to heart, and I’m forever grateful for that lecture. Without it, I might not be here writing this blog post. So thank you, Dr. Weber.

    I’m also taking some time to reflect on another course that significantly changed my life: COM 231-Intro to IMC. While I knew documentary was my passion in film, I had yet to find my Communication Studies passion. Enter Dr. Persuit, who taught me about all things advertising, branding, public relations, and marketing. It was as though something had been unlocked inside me, and suddenly a whole new world of exciting career possibilities opened up before me. Without her support and guidance, there’s no way I would be pursuing the careers I am after now, or interning as a public relations and marketing specialist in Wilmington. My only regret in college is that I wasn’t able to take more of her classes. So, thank you, Dr. Persuit, for pushing me outside of my comfort zone, and always believing in us IMChawks.

    Although graduation is a bittersweet time, I remind myself that it’s not “goodbye,” it’s “see you later.” Communication Studies has opened doors for me that allow for a career in the field I love, in the city I love, and I can never express how grateful I am for that. Here’s to the best four years of my life so far, and the even better years to come.

    -Audra Bullard

    see

  • Where Did the Time Go?

    Where Did the Time Go?

    As I sit here, trying to gather my thoughts to write this blog post, I find myself constantly switching between writing this post and looking at my photo album from the time I transferred to UNCW, back in 2016, to now. I’m still in shock and disbelief that this semester will be my last.

    During my first two years, and still to this day, there would be times that I would walk up and down Chancellor’s and just smile because I worked diligently during my freshman year to get into UNCW. When I received the rejection letter from UNCW my senior year of high school, I knew that I would miss out on the first-year experience. However, I knew that attending Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC) during my first year would provide me a solid foundation for me to continuing being successful once I transferred to UNCW. CPCC also introduced me into the major that I’ve enjoyed for the past four years, Communication Studies.

    Although the transition from a two-year institution to a four-year university was without a doubt one of the hardest changes that I went through. The people and the professors that I’ve met made the transition more relaxed as the months passed on. I would like to pay tribute to Dr. Weber and Dr. Persuit. Dr. Weber made the “gateway to COM” course enjoyable and gave me the confidence to succeed in any COM class that I take. Dr. P’s Intro to Integrated Marketing Communication class started my journey into the IMC world. Without COM 231, I wouldn’t have enjoyed COM as much as I do now.

    As for the friends that I met, the adventures that I embarked on, and the endless amounts of memories, I hope to remember it and hold on to it for as long as I live. To the person reading this post, know that you should cherish every moment that you have, never regret something you once wanted, and remember that the six core skills are not communication skills.

    –Kristian Worthy ’19

  • Aliyah and The Sweetaholic Factory

    IMG_8961

    For most college students, including myself, Friday nights are the best times to look forward to. On these nights, we are able to put aside our college stresses and get ready for the fun surprises the weekend holds. Some of these surprises could include spontaneously traveling to another state to see your best friends, partying, or using your free time to catch up on some verrrrrry much-needed sleep. For me, this Friday night included a delicious surprise! I discovered THE sweetaholic’s (someone who is obsessed with sweets) paradise here in our city of Wilmington called Kilwin’s Ice Cream, Chocolates, and Fudge!

    Kilwin’s Ice Cream, Chocolates, and Fudge is a sweets shop located on 16 Market Street in Wilmington, NC. The business started in Petoskey, MI by founders Don and Katy Kilwin in 1947. Since then, Kilwin’s business has spread all across the U.S. with 120 stores opening in 23 states. Kilwin’s also has gained a reputation for selling high-quality chocolate, ice cream, and homemade waffle cones. According to Entrepreneurs Magazine, Kilwins was listed as #68 for their 2019 Franchise 500 Ranking for the amount of money they make. From my visit to Kilwin’s this Friday, I can understand why they are ranked so highly!

    Upon approaching their Wilmington shop, there was a long line of hungry customers outside wanting a piece of chocolatey heaven. I, myself, was in line for about 30 mins for their ice cream, but the beautifully decorated place made the wait worthwhile. Through the store windows, I was able to see a worker hand making Kilwin’s delectable fudge by massaging and cutting them into huge, thick brown slices. On the other side, I saw another worker making homemade waffle cones by carefully taking them out of a machine and rolling them into their notable shape. Just by watching this and smelling the sweet rich aroma made my mouth begin to water.

    Once I was finally able to enter the store, I felt like I was Charlie and that I had won the golden ticket to the Chocolate Factory! The store was decorated with their fancy logo and photos of different ice cream flavors. Along the aisle where the customers and I stood in line, there were stations filled with Kilwin’s wonderful sweets.

     

     

    One that caught my eye was their station filled with their Sea-Salt Chocolate Bark and All Milk Sea-Salt Caramels.

    IMG_8957

    Placing these sweets along the buying line was a great marketing strategy for Kilwin’s. It would let the customers gain more brand awareness as they were directly seeing the brand with the Kilwin’s logo along with the extra sweets they sold. By having the stations there, it encourages the most likely hungry customers into buying more things while they wait for their ice cream or fudge. Luckily, Kilwin’s couldn’t fool this IMC student. Aliyah: 1, Kilwin’s: 0!

    Along with the sweet stations, towards the back of the store was the ice cream bar which I was waiting for. There were all kinds of flavors: Key Lime Pie, Georgia Peach, Fudgie Brownie, Cake Batter, and tons of others! Besides their endless selections of flavors, what also made their ice cream desirable was that they were made from Kilwin’s original recipe. Now, THIS I was dying to try!

    In the end, I decided to get one of my all-time favorite flavors, Cookies and Cream, in a waffle cone bowl. With that delicious recipe, I was over-the-moon happy and had to take a picture of that moment.

    IMG_8960

    Overall, I would say that Kilwin’s has definitely gained themselves a new customer and her name is Aliyah!

    To learn more about Kilwin’s and their endless sweets, check out their website!

    Also in the comments, let me know what you think about Kilwin’s, their ice cream, and their branding!

    – Aliyah Harris

  • Spring Cleaning, Kondo Style

    After Wilmington suffered a rainy fall and a chilly winter, we have finally reached spring. The first official day of spring was March 20th, 2019 and we “sprung forward” on March 10th, which means more daytime! Even though we technically lost an hour of sleep, we have more daylight to do much more than we could during the end of Daylight Savings Time. Since we have more opportunities to tackle responsibilities during the daytime, one chore that may seem daunting to some, but rewarding to others is spring cleaning.

    blog4

    Spring cleaning is the act of decluttering places that you use the most often; whether it be your house, car, office, or any other areas that need some tidying up. Tidying up doesn’t mean just cleaning your dirty bathroom or your smelly car. It could also be the act of putting away those heavy coats and other winter clothes and replacing those clothes with your spring wear! People who usually start spring cleaning, give up because there are too many areas to tackle or realize that there is always next year. However, one woman has made an impact on several lives that not only have organizational issues but can share with the world that tidying up may not be so daunting after all, Marie Kondo.

    If you binged watch any Netflix series, then you’ve possibly come across the popular Netflix series, “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo.” In the hit series, Kondo is invited to step into the lives of people who suffer from organizational issues or have a difficult letting items go that give them “joy” even though the items may be a doorstop. Kondo explains her method to her clients and reassures to them that it’s more than just throwing out the things you no longer need; it’s about choosing joy.

    blog1.gif

    So how exactly is the method broken down? The KonMari Method™ encourages that people should tidy by category, not location. Starting with clothes, then moving to books, papers, komono (known as miscellaneous items), and, lastly, sentimental items. To complete the KonMari Method™, Kondo explains her six basic rules of tidying:

    Rule #1: Commit yourself to tidying up.

    Rule #2: Image your ideal lifestyle.

    Rule #3: Finish discarding first.

    Rule #4: Tidy by category, not by location.

    Rule #5: Follow the right order.

    Rule #6: Ask yourself if it sparks joy.

    If the item doesn’t “spark joy,” to the client, Kondo asks them to thank them for the joy that they did give them, and then let it go the item that they wish to discard.

    Although the KonMari Method can’t organize certain aspects of your life, it can undoubtedly tackle those areas of your home that you’ve been procrastinating for the past year or so. Get started on your spring cleaning, Kondo style.

    -Kristian Worthy