CCU hosts Communication alumni

Many questions about life after graduation for communication students were answered at the Communication Alumni Panel. On March 20, the communication honors society, Upsilon Eta hosted a panel made up of past communication majors. The panel consisted of eight alumni, Adrianna Seals, Jessica Stevens, Andrea Sperduto, William Clark, Alyssa Chaplin, Jenna Damron, Jesse Uzzel and Megan Foster.

Some of the alumni didn’t sugarcoat the realities of life after graduation, reminding those in attendance that it isn’t going to be glamorous.

“My first job I was making $10.25 an hour, I was an admin, I mean I felt super overqualified,” Andrea Sperduto, event planner, said.

She also wanted to warn students about enjoying their summers while they can.

“Enjoy your summer after you graduate because guess what, vacation, spring break, holidays... depending what field you go into like holidays, vacations are not guaranteed, that’s a privilege, not a right,” Sperduto said.

The panel also emphasized that students should weigh their options after they graduate.

Adrianna Seals, a former broadcast journalism student, says that after she graduated, she got a job that wasn’t paying enough so she kept her options opened and applied to different jobs.

Eventually, she got a job that pays more and is currently the News13 at 5 and 5:30 Producer for WBTW, the CBS affiliate in Myrtle Beach.

The panelists also gave advice on furthering your education.

Megan Foster, a teaching assistant at University of North Carolina-Charlotte, says that she sees many students go into a master's program who are unsure of what they want to do.

She says if you are getting master's degree be sure you really like what you are doing because it can be a huge waste of time and money.

Alyssa Chaplin, market coordinator, says that your job might pay for you to further your education. She needed to take classes on graphic design.

“I’m lucky enough where my first job sent me to classes for that,” Chaplin said.

The panel gave current students advice about the difficulties they might face after graduation. They also emphasized the importance of having fun while you’re in college because when you started working you won’t have as much free time.