School of Communication Studies Welcomes New Fall Interns

The School of Communications Studies introduced two new Public Relations and Marketing interns for the fall of 2014. Hillary Walker and Shannon French are seniors in Applied Communication Studies working towards Bachelor of Arts degrees from Kent State University.

Walker and French's duties include writing news stories, press releases, and blogs about the faculty and the students' achievements and accomplishments. They will assist with other projects for the School of Communication Studies, including updating the school's website and working on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter to promote the school. They will also assist with preparations for Homecoming for experience in special events planning.

Walker describes herself as a small town girl from New Philadelphia, Ohio. "Many have never heard of the small town pretty much in the middle of Amish country," Walker said.

She will graduate this December with a major in Applied Communication and a minor in Organizational Communication. She also is a member of Kent Communications Society (KCS) and assists David Trebing, Ph.D., of the School of Communication Studies faculty with freshman recruitment. In her spare time, Walker enjoys reading, cooking, listening to music, meeting new people and exploring new places.

French is from Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio and is graduating in the spring of 2015 with a major in Applied Communications and minors in Marketing and Media Literacy. She was also honored with a scholarship last semester, the Michael Dubetz Endowed Scholarship in Rhetoric and Communication.

"I am pretty involved on campus," French said. "I work at the Student Recreation and Wellness Center, and I am a member of the Marching Golden Flashes, Flasherbrass, Kappa Kappa Psi and SPICE. I also enjoy participating in Super Service Saturdays."

French enjoys swimming, listening to music, playing the trumpet, reading and playing Euchre.

Both new interns are very excited about working with the School of Communication Studies. "This is a wonderful opportunity for both of us," Walker said. "We are learning all kinds of communications, writing, and organizational skills that will strengthen our resumes and portfolios as well as prepare us for job interviews."

POSTED: Wednesday, September 17, 2014 04:32 PM
UPDATED: Friday, March 29, 2024 05:59 AM
WRITTEN BY:
Hillary Walker and Shannon French

Strong written and oral communication skills are essential to the practice of law. Communication Studies is one of several majors that students at Kent State can choose for the university’s 3+3 partnership with area law schools. We caught up with three alumni from the School of Communication Studies to explore how an undergraduate communication studies major prepared them for the study and practice of law.

The class, Global Perspectives Book Club, has become a refreshing classroom experience for students; it’s structured as a student-led, seminar-style class, so the students have an important role in deciding the course content and discussions. In addition to expanding their reading library, they’re gaining exposure to new cultures and learning how to empathize with those they are reading about through a storytelling and communication lens.  

As a Kent State student, Michael J. Houser, ’11, learned the value of good communication, and those lessons have propelled him throughout his career.

"From the first class to the last," he says, "you are assisted in learning the necessary skills to advocate and organize."