Where are you from and what were you doing before enrolling in graduate school? 

I am originally from the Los Angeles area. Just before I enrolled in graduate school, I was an undergraduate student at Whittier College in Whittier, California. As an undergraduate student, I participated in a degree program called the Whittier Scholars Program, which allowed me to design my own major to best fit my professional and academic interests. I combined my passion for learning languages with my interest in communications to graduate with a degree in East Asian Languages and Marketing. 

How did you learn of the degree program and why did you choose USC Annenberg? 

My undergraduate senior project was a marketing plan for an international airline. This was the first time I worked on a formal research project, and it was a very positive experience. Thanks to my research project, I knew that I wanted to build upon my experience in international and intercultural communications. When researching graduate programs, I found that USC had quite literally the perfect program for me — the Communication Management program. It appealed to me because of the ability to personalize one’s curriculum. Additionally, one of the areas of focus is International and Intercultural Communications, which is exactly the type of program I was interested in. 

What have you enjoyed the most about the degree program?

I like the wide variety of classes offered; there are so many different topics to choose from, so I think anyone in this program can not only take classes associated with their academic focus, but also classes that are outside of that focus and can offer a new perspective. The professors are very knowledgeable and are always very willing to help students in and out of class. I also love interacting with other students. In-class activities are enjoyable because it seems that everyone is very willing to participate, and it’s always nice to chat outside of class and make some great connections.