Katie Walsh
An Unexpected Find
My whole life I had one plan for post-high-school. No matter how many years passed by, how many times I changed what I wanted to do with my life, and how many different colleges I visited, there was only one school that I had my heart set on. I held onto that dream school until the last possible moment, but my parents were not having it. The financial cost for out-of-school tuition without any guaranteed scholarship for freshman year would be too much of a burden on my post-graduation life.
A visit like no other
My parents wanted me to attend Pace University and the more I crossed off other universities from my list, the reality of Pace was settling in. My heart was so set on another school that when I came for a campus visit I cried because I really did not want to attend. However, the tour I went on was a specific communications tour. At first, I didn’t speak at all throughout the tour or during the session. I can be very shy when I am in places where I don’t know a lot of people, but after time I often become more vocal. This time, as I began to realize I couldn’t really overspeak my parents’ decision, I made sure to ask a question to the Department Chair, Dr. Ziek.
Since middle school, I had my heart set on working in the sports industry. Therefore, my main concern was getting all the specific information I wanted relating to the industry. During my conversation with Dr. Ziek, he assured me that sports were a subject the department was specifically focused on growing over the next few years. Before I even committed to the university he promised me on the spot that he would make sure I would be placed in a Sports Broadcasting class during my first semester. Not many universities would even consider placing students in a course like that during their first year, however, I was already promised to be placed in it before I even committed to the campus. This situation describes the way all the professors in the MCVA department care about helping the students attain their career goals.
Ready for something new
After this first encounter with Dr. Ziek, I returned to the university for accepted students’ day and officially placed my deposit. Even though I still complained to my parents for the rest of the summer about how I planned on transferring to that dream school after a year or two, I was pleased that I had already created a connection with the department and was excited for some of the classes I would be able to take. During summer orientation I went up to Dr. Ziek because that course was not on my schedule and he, along with the incredible Dyson advisors, altered my schedule in a way that best suited my interests, as well as fulfilled core requirements.
During my first semester on campus, I was enrolled in three courses that were related to my major. Being able to be enrolled in courses that grasped my interest and allowed me to continue to work towards achieving my goals helped in making the high school to college transition easier. As freshman year continued on I had the opportunity to make close connections with faculty members, be a part of the student-run newspaper and was asked to help out the department during the accepted student’s days. As the days went by, I found myself loving my experience at Pace more and more, while my other friends who attended different schools, were constantly complaining about their universities.
Now as a second-semester sophomore, I have created even more opportunities for myself and my love for the university, specifically the MCVA department which grows each day. Throughout my sophomore year, I have been a part of the new public relations club Entrance One PR Agency on campus and have helped create, implement and promote a variety of department events such as Connections in Communications, an event for alumni and current students to connect, MCVA Jamborees, an opportunity for students to learn about course offerings, etc. These events increase the experiences, connections, and opportunities students within the department have on-campus.
It’s an exciting time to be a part of Pace University, as we are constantly looking at ways to improve the MCVA department. Over the past year we have launched: new clubs and organizations, a department newsletter, executed department events, and have added two new minors to increase the career/internship readiness of the students. Each student has the ability to create relationships with the professors that help guide them to find their passions and interests for their career field.
Bio:
Katherine (Katie) Walsh is a sophomore double major in digital journalism and public relations. In addition, she is attaining a minor in sports media and broadcasting. Katie is the current feature editor of The Pace Chronicle and treasurer of the Entrance One PR Agency club on campus. She is a current intern at Magas Media Consultants LLC. In her spare time, she enjoys dancing, cooking, sports and hanging out with her family and friends.