Reflection: My Studies in Communication

When I was first admitted to SF State, I was registered as an International Business Major. After my first semester of classes, I realized that I was naive in choosing International Business. I wanted to be able to do my own business on a global scale, but couldn’t seem to align myself with the motives and processes behind the business models and practices that are currently in place in America’s present-day version of a capitalistic socioeconomic structure. After struggling to find passion and motivation, I stopped taking business courses and began on a quest to find my niche within higher education. As a lifelong dancer, I enjoyed taking part in the dance program at SF State for some time, and considered a double major, but I concluded that I could always continue to dance and wanted to explore other areas of myself academically. I decided to use those dance courses toward completing a unique set of complementary studies that have surely enhanced and nuanced my educational experience at the university. Still, I continued to search for a major that truly spoke to my passions and interests, my personal values, and my strengths.

I have always loved public speaking, performing arts, team environments, and group collaboration; I have found success in leadership roles and my personal career, and wanted to understand more about why that was and how I could keep running with it. Going into my third year at school, a few of my close friends introduced me to a major that seemed to fit with my passion for people and interaction--Communication Studies. I was very excited about this decision and was open to what it could offer. I knew, going in, that I would be challenged to think in new ways about communication, tools and methods, and deep subject matter, but I could have never anticipated the one-of-a-kind experiences that will add so much value to many areas of my life as I move forward.
As I dove into my upper division major courses, it fascinated me that the way we look at communication can be scientific and quantifiable, but also cannot exist without a human element of relatability or a strive for change and progression. I began to engage with the material, instructors, and other students in my courses, and consequently learned how to implement theory, scholarship, ethics, and application. SF State’s approach to Communication Studies spoke to the power of using one’s authentic voice. Through my course material in every class and assignment in the major, I was called to find my most authentic self and package it into something that is digestible for others to receive and act upon.

Prior to adapting a fuller understanding of Communication Studies, I had always been very interested in the sharing of public information, social media, and communication in the digital space on a larger scale. Having been born in 1997 and being part of a generation that grew up with the rise of the internet has provided me with an underlying understanding of short-form social media and professional networking sites such as Instagram or LinkedIn, long-form information-sharing platforms such as YouTube or Reddit, and ultimately, a place to represent myself and my own authentic voice. I now see value, and maybe even deeper value, in active communication and positive interaction in our own communities. Simple, valuable communications with one or a few people can sometimes be more impactful and effective than a less thoughtful communication to the masses.

I am now armed with an arsenal of ways to foster positive communication through mediation, dialogue facilitation, public performance, and visuals across many contexts such as politics, professional organizations, familially, and internally. At the end of my Communication Studies Major, I have developed a more well-rounded understanding that communication is inevitable and that the ways in which we choose to communicate matter more than we often accredit. Even the choice to not be deliberate and intentional is a decision being made about how one communicates. There are many ideas from this major that may not have definitive answers, that I will continue to ponder, discuss, and question. Some examples are finding the most effective way to deliver a message because of the idea that timing, delivery, tone, and mood have so much impact on a communication’s outcome, or how to appropriately and pointedly couple the chosen format with the topic and its cultural context.

In early 2020, when we were hit with the effects of the pandemic, everything needed to shift. It became apparent that our ways of communicating prior to the pandemic were not necessarily realistic or safe anymore. Although disruptive to our perceived ‘normal’, this posed an inimitable opportunity for us to submerge ourselves in new ways of communicating. The SF State Communications Department and myself and peers were successful in being flexible and creative, finding innovative ways to continue making connections between people and ideas. I have so much appreciation for the safe spaces that were created to develop shared understandings around the important intersecting issues of our time: government and politics, leadership ethics, systemic inequalities around race, gender, and sexuality, socioeconomics and accessibility, health and safety, loss, and struggle. I was impressed by the openness and determination of these groups, even in a virtual setting. This gives me both hope and confidence that the students of SF State will go on to make positive waves in the ways our society behaves and is structured. In our present-day culture, post the climax of the pandemic, a remote or hybrid workplace and lifestyle seems more realistic and beneficial for many in regards to their physical and mental health, professional progress and deliverables, and relationships. Looking forward in my career, I will have experience communicating effectively in the virtual space by facilitating dialogues and discussing material, creating and pairing high quality visuals to support a verbal presentation, and working collaboratively through email, video, and shared media. This experience has not only been challenging and unexpected, but also serendipitously meaningful and significant to my journey within the Communication Studies Major.

Outside of school, I have already been able to apply what I have learned in many contexts, and know that I will continue to implement what I have learned into personal and professional areas of my life, for the rest of my life. My experience in this major has taught me to think critically, ask rhetorical questions, and always consider context, intention, and delivery. Throughout my time in college, I have had the opportunity and privilege of collecting unique job experience, including administrative work, social media marketing and community development, and what I am most proud of--working as a professional dancer, cheer coach, and youth dance instructor. Moreover, I have had the honor of holding leadership positions in a local, multicultural, and philanthropic organization on campus that aims to empower women, support victims of women’s abuse, and promote positive change in children’s education globally. Going into college, I did not see an avenue in working with women and children. However, in my time growing up at SF State and learning about communication through different critical lenses, I was able to see that I can carve my own pathway in how I choose to communicate. Today, I find the most value and fulfillment in using these tools to create safe spaces for everyone, especially women, children, and minorities to be able to vocalize their feelings toward their treatment and systemic oppression, as well as their needs and goals. Furthermore, it is vital that we instill healthy communication practices such as openness, intentionality, and participation in our younger generations who will carry these tools with them and continue to make waves in future iterations of society. I believe that when people feel safe to communicate, they will feel more inclined to share unique perspectives, nuanced information, and vulnerable truths that can lead to a fuller understanding for oneself and the audiences it reaches.

I am so glad that my adventure at SF State led me to complete the Communication Studies Major. I leave my undergraduate career with tools and knowledge that I can apply to my dreams of future creative, global business endeavors. I will be able to share with others and expand our views and understanding of how what we say affects what people do. I have the ability and the confidence to lead, follow, and connect with others through many forms of media and diverse settings. Through a rhetorical outlook and vocabulary, I have the power, the eloquence, and the concision to deliver succinct, yet meaningful messages to others in a way that may not make sense coming from someone else’s voice and perspective. My story, my experiences, and my opinions are influential. My ears, my interpretations, and my responses carry weight.