When I first declared the Communication major as a first-year student, I was overwhelmed with the different paths and opportunities one could pursue. From my perspective, the major has always been enticing because it provides students the choice to decide what areas within their studies they want to focus on based on their passions and interests. Towards the beginning of my time at Santa Clara University, I sought to keep my options open as I enrolled in a range of courses under film, journalism, interpersonal communication, and business communication. While choosing a broader approach to the major, I was still able to find a common thread that shaped my perspective during my studies and beyond. Whether it was demonstrated by creating scripts and editing films, reporting on community news and designing campaigns for organizations and non-profits, or researching the impact of media on culture and communities, each course asked me to think critically about who is being represented and how we can be ethical and compassionate in our roles. Under the major, I have learned the importance of storytelling and being a voice of change as we strive to represent and innovate with a purpose.
Courses like COMM 113A Media Psychology challenged me to innovate and design a project that was important to my area of study or I felt personally connected to. From my own experience, trying to maintain a healthy life, I always wanted to view fitness as a routine rather than a burden. I was always insecure going into gyms or workout spaces and not feeling welcomed. Being someone who alway fluctuated in their weight, working out or having a balanced lifestyle always felt impossible. Trying out exercises at home felt difficult because I never knew where to start or if I did find exercises, the people in the tutorials weren't representative to my body type. I didn't want to fit myself into one definition of what it meant to be healthy and rather aimed to think about how we can personalize our journey based on our own needs and goals. Wanting to shift the lens and take a more holistic approach towards how we perceive health, I wanted to make sure all body-types and people at various stages in their experiences were able to feel included in this type of space. Therefore my design allowed users to customize their workouts and other health suggestions based on their body types and what goals they most wanted to work towards. The project, along with other courses and subjects I've learned in my major, asked me to critically think about how we can make sure we are being representative and inclusive in all areas of our work starting from how we interact and think of problems to the development and outreach we hope to have.
Another thread embedded in my learnings is the ability to create and tell a meaningful story. For my research projects, I've had to find a balance of addressing a trend in relationships or media while at the same time guiding my audience on my findings and providing perspective into the topic at hand. Journalism classes taught me to narrow my focus on a current event, news story, or situation and take account various point of views to support the story needed to be told in order to inform and provide context. One of the most integral classes I took in regards to storytelling was COMM 135: Editing, where students were tasked with using various techniques, such as color correcting, music, sound design, pacing, matching shots, and perspective, are all critical to piecing together the type of story you want to be told. Artifact #4 demonstrated how we can characterize the life of a farmer and give the audience insight into a world they might have never discovered all in the way we brought together media and selected what was necessary for our documentary project. Vince McIntyre's love for his land and lifestyle may not have felt as heartfelt if we didn't edit his interview narrative and align it with b-roll of the landscape and Vince at work. When we are able to bring a story to an audience, we open ourselves up to new perspectives, diverse worlds, and connection as we develop feelings and can find relations between our experiences and what we may see edited together in a short documentary. It's important that in our work we not only write, develop, and produce from our unique perspective but also allow room for other perspectives to join the conversation and offer their point of view.
Looking at communication, it was important to understand that it wasn't just an avenue for someone to get their message across but rather to recognize there is a mutual exchange happening. People have various interpretations, so when we develop research, films, and stories, we have to understand the conversation does not end with us. Instead, there is the opportunity for others to provide commentary and their own feedback on what is created. In my COMM 145: The Business of Media class, my box office analysis report revealed that success for film and television is defined by various parties; advertisers decided which projects to support based on how they attributed success with viewership while viewers defined success based on what most appealed to their interests. The report also established how media companies decided which areas they would have the most success in based on their audience, brand, and standing within the industry. Through the analysis, I was able to see how each section played a critical role defining success in the industry and influencing one another based on their differing perspectives. Each individual point of view shapes how we interact with one another and make impactful decisions. Being a communication student shaped my own perspective influencing the person I have become over the course of time and will continue to be significant in how I chose to be post graduating.
Studying communication gave me the power to produce with a purpose and be an avenue for voices that may not have had the platform or support to be represented. In COMM 150B: Public Relations Theories & Principles, I learned how advocate, inform, educate, and connect through social campaigns, outreach, and being the bridge to both your constituents and who you're representing. By understanding the various roles and responsibilities one has working in PR, this made an impact on my own work as a Social Media, Marketing, and Public Relations coordinator for Kesem, a non-profit I had been involved in since my freshman year. In my work, it was my responsibility to spread the mission and purpose of Kesem, a non-profit focused on supporting children 6-18 through and beyond their parent's cancer journey. From my studies, I had to connect with the various constituents we worked with-- current and prospective families, volunteers, donors, and alumni--and develop social media campaigns and events that would increase awareness for our goals and engage everyone in the roles they could best serve.
As a college graduate, I find myself drawn to pursuing a career that allows me to work with others while also giving me the freedom to be creative and provide my own perspective. I aim to find a career that allows me to work with diverse perspectives and help them fulfill a need that is often unfulfilled or underrepresented. My project in COMM 113A: Media Psychology, provided me with the opportunity to both create and advocate for diverse body types when we look at how we view what it means to be healthy. The PR campaign my group was assigned for the COMM 150B course asked our group to research and understand the communities we were helping to hear their thoughts and concerns before we offer solutions to problems. In my work, I hope to give space for those underrepresented and listen to their needs so I will know how I can best support them. As I evaluate my relationships, I feel as though studying communication has also strengthened my relationships. As I've said upon reflection, I have a better understanding of what it means to connect with one another as we each offer an exchange of unique beliefs and attributes that can provide us with an outlook on life we might have never known on our own. In order to build community and maintain our relationships, we have to give voice to one another and show value in what others have to offer.