Some observations on how life works, from a guy who still hasn't figured it out.

Many people say that college changes you as a person, and to a point that is definitely true. I've looked back at the experiences that I've gone through, my successes, my failures, lessons learned. Yes, I look a few years back and on the surface I see a different Shane than I do now, but I also see a Shane who really didn't know who he was in the first place, and to be brutally honest I still haven't completely figured it out. But maybe that's not really such a bad thing...

I've come to the conclusion that our personalities are intrinsic. It's our habits, our thoughts, our feelings, our priorities, dreams and obsessions, that make up our identity, and our identities can be very fluid. I feel that identities are damn hard to figure out. Significant others, the people you live with, friends, family, all can influence your identity if you let them. Figuring out your identity can be damn hard. And then on top of that you have to be able to harmonize your identity to your personality, and that, I believe can take a lifetime.

I know there are people out there who may have figured all this out, they are perfectly comfortable with who they are, or they are just good at making it appear that way, I don't know. But I have to think that each and every one of us, to a point, we're still trying to figure ourselves out. We have so much more to learn about ourselves, professionally and personally. That development of learning, and consequently changing, is one of the most vital processes in our lives.

College was a place for personal growth, and an environment where we were able to start developing and finding our identities. And the awesome thing about college is that your environment changes so often! So many aspects of my life changed during my five years at Bloomsburg, all the different places that I've lived, roommates, friends, girlfriends, classes, semesters passed, and semester failed (yes that was one of the bigger 'lessons learned'), teachers, mentors, and so much more. Through somewhat of a processes of elimination I've taken note as to what thoughts and feelings stuck around, and which ones came and went.

So, I will soon be walking out of Bloomsburg vastly more comfortable in my own skin than from when I first got here. And i'm proud of that fact. But for me whats scary, and exciting, is the fact that I will continue to grow change as a person, it's inevitable.

We can't get too comfortable with our ourselves and our lifestyles because whether we like it or not things are going to change. It's scary to think about how we as people will change once we move on to other things, it's not a comfortable process. But we have to be able to get out of our comfort zones and move on! In doing this, we are able figure out what works and what doesn't work, and thus grow and change for the better.

The more our identities change with our lives, the closer we get to the holy grail of figuring out how to make our identity work with our personalities, and maybe, just maybe, that's what life is all about.

-Shane Hallett

“You’ll never stumble upon the unexpected if you stick only to the familiar."

-Ed Catmull

Disney here I come!

As I type this post, I think back to freshman year and how I was so excited to be beginning a new chapter in my life. Now, as a graduating senior, I think about how that chapter is ending and another is beginning. Ever since I was in high school, I knew that one day I wanted to do the Disney College Program. Coming into college as an education major, I did not think that day would come. Halfway through my freshman year, it occurred to me that I was not loving the picture in my head of how my future would be. So I sat down with my mom and we looked at all the other majors Bloomsburg had to offer. We also talked about what my strengths and weaknesses were. I ended up applying and getting accepted into the Mass Communications department spring semester of my freshman year, and it was the best decision I ever made. A couple days after I got accepted, I met with my advisor Dr. Ganahl. I told him about my dreams to work for Disney and right away he sent me to a guy who works at the school store who did the program when he was my age and worked for Disney for many years after that. He chatted with me and told me that doing the program would get my foot in the door  with the company. At that time I did not know that college graduates could do it so I didn't think I was going to end up doing it because I didn't want to leave my friends and stuff here at Bloomsburg.

Fast forward to January of senior year. I applied for the program and made it to the phone interview stage. I scheduled my interview for 8:30 on a Sunday night. I was sitting anxiously in the living room waiting for the call. When it finally came, I was so nervous. This phone call could change the future and my life forever! Apparently the interview went well because about three weeks later I got my acceptance letter! As soon as I saw the "Congratulations!" as the email subject on an email from Disney, I started screaming and crying tears of joy. Finally, my dreams are coming true.

Less than a month after I graduate from Bloomsburg, I begin a new chapter of my life. It's a little bittersweet that my college career is coming to an end but I would never change the memories, friendships, and learning experiences I gained during my four years here. I will forever keep Bloomsburg in my heart.

Oh, the Future ...

As the last week of classes wrap up, the feeling of everything coming to an end for good is becoming clearer. I am very excited to graduate and move on to the next stage of my life. After five years of college, I'm ready. There are so many possibilities with Mass Communications that it is almost overwhelming.

Through this class, I have learned more about myself and what I want to do in the future. One of my biggest lessons through my job search is to not get too stressed about it or I start to drive myself crazy. I have learned to understand that I will end up where I am supposed to be, and every opportunity is another step to that dream job. All experience is useful.

Since I only entered this major three semesters ago, I feel as if I did not get as much as I could have in college due to not knowing what I wanted to do for a while. For example, I have discovered that what I really want to do is graphic design, but I have run out of time in my education to do so. However, I discovered a way to receive CEUs. I have noticed that Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign are the programs one needs to be efficient in for a position in graphic design. It only costs about $60-70 to earn a certificate in each of these programs. This will be my next step after graduation to become more qualified to get a design position preferably in an advertising/marketing agency. I want to be a part of a creative culture, as described in the Creativity, Inc. book we read. My dream job would be to work for an entertainment convention such as Comic Con.

As I receive these CEUs, I will just be working, while still looking for a job or internship relevant to my degree, to save up money to be able to not have to live with my parents too long after graduation. :P

My experience at Bloomsburg University has been great, and I will miss it. I have enjoyed being in this major with all the amazing professors and classmates.

 

I wish everyone the best of luck!

 

The best four years of my life

After being accepted into Bloomsburg University in the Summer of 2011 I felt a whole bunch of different emotions. I was excited and nervous at the same time. Being that I was accepted into the Summer Session program, I was worried that I would have trouble excelling in my major classes. After working hard at my first few months of college I was blown away at how well I did and how I achieved my goal of receiving all A's during that session. Since then, I have succeeded in my classes and maintained a GPA in order to graduate with cum laude. I am so proud of my accomplishments and hard work ethic and these past four years have been nothing but amazing.

My plans for after college are still up in the air. I have a job offer for a Country Club where I have the opportunity of being a Manager. I also have been working on becoming a Client Account Coordinator for Ashfield Healthcare and would be interested in working there as well. I am grateful for the opportunities that have come my way and I would not be where I am today without my Bloomsburg professors, classmates, friends, and family. Attending Bloomsburg University was the best decision I ever made in my life.

Journey of a Lifetime

        I started at Bloomsburg in the Summer of 2011. I was an extremely sheltered individual who was nervous yet very excited to be on my own. The first thing I noticed when I got here was how I had absolutely no idea what I wanted to do as a career. I went from major to major switching and deciding what seemed more interesting. The end of my Sophomore year I finally made the decision to be a Mass Communications major and to study Public Relations. This was the best decision I had ever made. I met the best people within this major and even joined an organization. Joining BUnow was the best thing that I had ever done. I met so many people and gained so many opportunities through it. The Mass Communications department is by far the best path to go. You have skilled professionals as your professors who are very knowledgable and willing to help you all the way to graduation. The professors are personable and make going to class into an adventure on its own. I can defiantly say that my time at Bloomsburg became memorable the moment that I chose to be a Mass Communications major. With the help of my organization and the skills my professors instilled in me, I landed a job right out of college. I will be helping in the marketing office at a Skirmish USA, Pocono Whitewater, and Pocono Biking. These companies are all under the same ownership and I will get to do the work for all three. This will give me so much room to be creative and to use my skills. I am very nervous about leaving college but excited and grateful about the journey that I have gone through to get to this point in my life. One day I know I will be running my own Wedding Planning company and maybe even working with my Idol David Tutera. I wanted to thank all the Mass Communications Professors, Liz our fabulous secretary, BUnow, and all the other Mass Comm Students who went with me on this crazy journey and I wish the best to all the graduating seniors! 

Congrats 2015 Seniors!

So now what happens?

      I came to Bloomsburg University as a summer freshman in 2011.  I had no idea where this journey would take me and where I would end up.  I started out taking classes geared toward becoming an early education/ special education major.  I enjoyed many of my classes but soon realized it was not quite for me.  In my Spring 2012 semester I joined the sorority Chi Sigma Rho as a freshman.  I went on to make lifelong friends and took on the positions of fundraising chair and assistant new member educator! I would not have changed this decision for the world.  I met my "big" and one of my best friends through Chi Sig and she is how I learned about the Mass Communications Department.  I realized I was interested in it and decided to take on the Public Relations concentration.  I also began taking classes to obtain a psychology minor!  I have learned a lot over these years with many PR classes with Dr. Ganahl and Dr. Byrum.  I wouldn't have obtained so much knowledge without these 2.  I would not change my experience here for anything!
     I am now continuing my search for a place in the real world.  I have applied to many public relations internships around Reading and the greater Philadelphia area.  I have come very close with two of these and had an interview with QVC.  We continued the process but unfortunately fell through.  Although this was discouraging it still allowed me to make contacts and work harder.  I am continuing to make progress with internships and applying to more.  I am still walking on May 9th and will continue the job search! Good luck and congrats to everyone!!

What I learned in Capstone is...

I went into Capstone knowing it was mainly a class about how to secure a job after school. I also went into Capstone knowing that I wanted to go to grad school. So, basically at that moment, I was only taking the class because it was required of me. Now that nearly 15 weeks have passed since then, I can say that I have taken so much more away from Capstone then I have expected. Last semester I learned about the Instructional Technology program offered here at BU and, with little idea of what else to do after graduation, decided that it was a good path for me. Although I adore Mass Comm, coming into my senior year I was no longer 100% sure of what I wanted to do with my degree. When I looked into Instructional Technology, I realized that it involved many of the skills I have already learned in my classes and internship. After that, I knew it was worthwhile to pursue my Master's Degree. Instructional Technology has the elements of writing, design, and structuring bits of information that I have worked at developing with every article I wrote and video I edited as an undergraduate student. Even though I am not going out into the working world immediately after graduation, I know that the things I learned in Capstone will follow me until I do secure the job of my dreams. Before this class, I had been required to make countless drafts of my resume and a portfolio for nearly every class. And how difficult could telling a company that you want to work for them in a cover letter be? Walking away from Capstone, I now have a strong and polished resume and I have an idea of how to write a proper and effective cover letter. It's also great that I am walking away with insight from some of those who actually hire employees and therefore know exactly what they want to see from job candidates. As my life as an undergrad ends, I'm excited to walk back on campus in a few months to study a new subject and broaden my resume. I'll always be updating my resume and fine-tuning cover letters with Capstone in the back of my mind. I had an excellent semester in this class and I wish future Capstone students luck in their job searches. My advice for anyone taking Capstone in upcoming semesters would be to take it seriously. A refined resume, a well-structured cover letter and solid interview skills could make or break your chances at a job! While you still have the chance, take advantages of the resources and people you have around you who can help you become stronger in this area.