SELF REFLECTION

My personal journey through the study of

communication

Senior Seminar

VERONICA
WATKINS
 Communication is something that has been in my life forever, the same goes for most

people. For me, communication was something special. Ive been known as a talker my whole

life. I am more inclined to leading a conversation than I am to sit back and listen. Sharing my

opinion and adding input is a part of who I am. Communication is not something you learn in

elementary, middle school or high school. So why would I decide to choose it as my college

major? This is question I asked myself when filling out the common application during the

process of applying to colleges. Adding to a total of 9 colleges on the wish list for higher

education. I was striving for a degree in communication and yet I had barely learned anything

about it in a classroom in High School. The question of why I chose to dedicate four years of my

life to studying this discipline arises.

Communication is a word that defined my family. Followed by Madison Square Garden,

another label stuck to my family. I grew up differently than most kids my age. My father was the

Chief Officer of Communication for Madison Square Garden for the past 20 years. Before this

role he worked in the communication department for the New York Rangers, for roughly 14

years. Communication was instilled in me since I was old enough to understand what my father

did for a living. He was always in charge of public relations. I was constantly fascinated by

learning about what he did at work. He taught me the importance of media influence and how he

would protect his company. He would explain how crucial it was to read the paper and always be

informed on what was going on in the world. Other lessons he gave me helped me in my life

along the way. When it was my older brothers turn to go to college he chose to be a public

relations major at Boston University. It was only right that I chose a similar career path. Public

relations is the career path I intend to pursue. It was a running joke in my family that I would be

amazing in public relations because I was great at spinning a story. Whenever I was in trouble, I
would somehow be able to put my own twist on the story to make it seem like whatever

happened wasnt my fault. Instead of majoring in PR, I wanted to explore other aspects of

communication that I wasnt as familiar with. This led me to Bryant University, where I had the

opportunity major in communication in general, allowing myself to get a well-rounded

education.

What I learned about communication from my family and life lessons growing up was

not the same as what I would learn in the classroom. My first communication class was

introduction to communication my first semester freshman year. I was not sure what to expect, I

had never been traditionally taught any type of communication. This class was not what I

thought it was going to be and I was not as successful as I hoped. I had no idea about all the

theories and principles that went into communication and was having difficulty understanding

them. This led me to be a little disheartened after taking this course and was not sure this was the

right major for me. I decided to stick with it and then took interpersonal communication the next

semester. This course opened my eyes to a whole new world within communication. I loved

learning about aspects of relationships and how people interact with one another. Although this

is not the career path I am choosing to take, what I learned in this class helped me in my personal

life. After that semester I was more confident in my path as a communication major. I thought it

was so cool to be able to learn things within my college classes that could help me with my

relationships. Not many majors will allow you to do that.

As I started to take more communication classes, my knowledge expanded. I also took an

internship at a fashion public relations firm in New York City after my freshman year. This

experience allowed me see that I wanted to pursue a career in PR. It seemed like a good fit after

seeing how a real firm operates and learning certain aspects of how to achieve success it in that
field. During my fall semester of my sophomore year at Bryant I took mass communication. I

really enjoyed this course, and learned all about the media and communication theories attached

to it. It was interesting seeing the academic side of the communication business and gaining

knowledge from a more scholarly point of view. My perspective about communication began to

grow from lessons both in the classroom and in the work force.

Writing is so important in communication. In high school I always found writing to be a

chore, as I did not enjoy it back then. I avoided completing writing assignments and didnt care

how my papers came out. Once I got to Bryant I took writing workshop and an introduction to

literary studies course. In the beginning I had difficulty writing my papers in an academic

format. Reflecting back from my freshman to senior year my writing skills have grown

immensely. I now love having writing assignments, especially when its a topic of my choice. I

enjoy being able to express my knowledge of communication and apply it to topic of my interest.

Taking mass communication in a global village allowed me to explore the media structure of an

outlet of my choice. I wrote about Glamour magazine. I read Glamour frequently and then got to

apply my classroom knowledge to critically analyze the outlet. I was able to write a thoughtful

and insightful paper and received an A for my efforts. If I was challenged with this task freshman

year, I would have never come up with something as academically sound and creative. Writing

will always be vital in a communication career and my time at Bryant has enabled me to greatly

improve my writing skills. Bryant University has given me a sense of confidence in my writing

skills, which allowed me to be successful during my internships.

The summer going into my junior year of college I worked at Sunshine Sachs. This is a

PR firm with a broad range of clients. While working the entire summer for this large company I

discovered my desire to work in social media. I was assigned a project involving putting together
a social media calendar. I realized that this is something I enjoy and something I can get paid for,

a dream come true. It may not be easy to secure this type of position, but I think it would be great

to critically think about a topic I genuinely enjoy. As my junior year got underway, I was

fortunate enough to accept the eboard positions for both my sorority and Her Campus to run their

social media accounts. In doing so, I was able to use what I learned in my internship and apply it

to these two organizations. I was completely in charge, which allowed me to created content I

felt our followers would want to see. This was a big responsibility for me and allowed me to gain

even more experience while still in school.

As my education continued I started to feel more confident to speak up in my classes and

in my internships. For example, when I took interpersonal communication I was only in my

second semester of college. Professor Berkos was my professor for this class and once again now

for my senior seminar capstone class. She expressed to me that she didnt even recognize my

voice from freshman year. As mentioned earlier, I struggled with the academic aspect of

communication and without feeling confident I did not want to participate in class discussions.

Looking at how I communicate in my senior capstone class is a perfect explanation of my growth

in my major. I love to participate and share personal stories and have learned to enjoy speaking

out in a classroom. I have evolved as a public speaker and now know how to incorporate my

knowledge and apply it to my personal life. My experience inside the classroom has given me

confidence to speak up while at my internships. I believe it says something about you as a person

if you speak up and have a voice, even if only an intern. It can show a boss or supervisor that you

care and have something to contribute or improve whatever the project is assigned.

My final summer working as an intern I got the opportunity to work at Mark Cross. This

was a brand I had heard of before but didnt know a ton about the company. I was the only
intern, which means I worked side by side with designers, accountants, marketing directors and

the CEO. The entire company is made up of 6 people. This was the most incredible and

enjoyable experience I had out of all of my internships. Being the only intern allowed me to

stand out and work on tons of projects. I was always fascinated by the fashion industry but it was

just a dream. This job allowed my dream to become reality. My goal was to show my supervisors

how professional I could be, how I could communicate effectively, and how driven I was. From

my life experiences and lessons in communication during my time at Bryant, I showed them

what I could do. I knew how to properly address executives, connect different departments and

speak with customers appropriately. Helping out with public relations projects displayed my

knowledge for mass communication, and confidently conducting myself in the office portrayed

my interpersonal skills. This internship highlighted my communication knowledge and love for

fashion. I will always remember this experience and use what I learned as I embark on the next

chapter of my life.

Fashion, lifestyle, and beauty have been my interests since I was a little girl. I used to

play dress up and use my moms makeup to give my friends makeovers all the time. I was

fascinated by the glamour of it all. I wanted to incorporate this into my life and make it into

something that I could turn into a career. Makeup artist and stylist were what came to mind first

but I wasnt sure if the industry would be right for me, and I wanted to do something more

academic. Communication is something that is always needed in any company. Working in the

field of communication for a company that reflects my interests is my goal. I am currently doing

all that I can to find an entry level communication or public relations job at fashion companies or

firms that have clients in this industry.

 As I sit here and reflect on my communication experience I cant help but feel emotional.

This communication journey that I have been on for a long time is coming to an end. I am a

graduating senior and will soon enter the workforce. I will continue learning as my career

develops but my traditional learning is going to soon be over. I have had ups and downs during

my time at Bryant, and communication is something that helped me along the way. Whether it

was in or outside the classroom, my college major has positively impacted my life. Im not sure

everyone can say that, so its something I am proud of. I have truly enjoyed my experience

learning the many aspects of communication that I had the opportunity to study.