When I first started attending Arcadia, I was an English major with a concentration in Creative Writing. For most of my life, I believed that that was the only thing I was good at. It was what I was known for, so I stuck with it.
I didn’t want to leave English behind when it had been such a defining factor in my life since I was a child, nor did I want to limit myself.
– Lashanna Bryant
At first, I enjoyed it in its singularity. I was okay with creative writing being the primary focus in my life. However, as time went on, I started to reconsider what I thought was a cemented academic path. I took a speech communications class during the second semester of my sophomore year, and everything changed. I was nervous to make speeches, but by the end of the semester, I felt like a pro. We did speeches on teleprompters, and I loved it. I thought, do I like communications more than I realize? My professor, and now advisor, Chris Mullin suggested I even join the Media & Communication major.
But I was scared. I didn’t know if I would be any good at it. I didn’t want to leave English behind when it had been such a defining factor in my life since I was a child, nor did I want to limit myself.
So, I made the bold decision to become a double major. It took a handful of signatures; a form stating why I wanted to double major and my intended courses; a talk with my advisor; and some other logistical to-dos. Within no time, I was approved.
Fast forward to now: I am taking communications and English classes at the same time. Thankfully, they are pretty similar, and many classes fall into both categories. Sometimes it can be a little overwhelming and confusing, but when you want to do something, you make every effort to get it done—and that’s what I’m trying to do.
If my own self-gratification wasn’t enough to justify my adding Media and Communication as a second major, it was the opportunity I got as a result.
– Lashanna Bryant
If my own self-gratification wasn’t enough to justify my adding Media and Communication as a second major, it was the opportunity I got as a result. If you are unfamiliar, the Emma Bowen Foundation is a program that gives minority students a head start in the media and journalism industry. They have many different partnering companies, like Comcast, Fox 29 News, etc. I applied as my new found love for communications was thriving. The process was very extensive—I had to apply online, do a HireVue Interview (recorded), receive notification that they were interested in sending my application to one of their partnering companies, receive an interview from said partnering company, and then…wait.
They expressed to me that they were interested in forwarding my application to Comcast. I was so surprised when Comcast invited me for an interview. I thought, “There is zero chance I’m going to get this, but I’m going to try my absolute best.” I, as stated in another article, work for the Office of Career Education. The skills I was taught there allowed me to have, what I deemed to be, a pretty successful interview. In the end, I felt confident that it could go in my favor.
A few days later I receive a phone call—I got the job! I was so shocked I couldn’t even muster up the right words. I just said thank you over and over again. So, because of my bold choice to make Media and Communication another major of mine, I now have the amazing opportunity to work as an editorial production intern for Comcast this summer (and I can’t wait to tell you all about that).
