Being a Communication major, I get asked a lot of questions about my major. "Oh you're a communication major, so you learn to talk to people?" "So what do you want to do with that degree?" "Oh you're lucky that major sounds soooo easy. Do you even have to study?" These are the questions Communication majors are tired of hearing. No, it is not a bird-course major that is easy. No, it's not just learning to talk to people. And yes, the world is your oyster when it comes to finding a career. In everyone's defense, I can understand why they would hae these misconceptions about being a Communication major. I wanted to be in the health sciences when I first came to Carroll. When I realized that it wasn't for me, I had to scramble to find what would suit me best. My Orientation Mentor was a Communication major and she seemed to enjoy it so I thought why not? Making that change was one of the best decisions in my college career. I decided to talk with some of my Communication professors so I can see why they personally went into Communication and what they decided to do with their degree.

Dr. King, who is an associate professor and one Chair of the Communication Department has a very detailed definition of communication. "Communication is the ability to manipulate symbols in complex ways--is at the heart of what it means to be a human being. The study of communication dates back to ancient Greece when philosophers like Plato and Aristotle were teaching rhetoric. Today;s communication students are equipped to think critically about and effectively prepare messages---skills that are crucial to one's professional and personal success." Dr. King studied Communication at Carroll with an emphasis in journalism. She worked in her field of choice after graduation, but felt as if she was missing something, that spark. She decided to go back to school to get her Masters in Communication where she found her passion for teaching communication courses and other forms of academia. She spent some time on a sabbatical where she looked into the communication styles of children who are adopted and returning to their native countries.

Dr. Zukas an associate professor for the Communication Department has an entirely different journey through communication: "I think I came into communication the same way that many people gravitate toward a career. I tried to figure out how I could profit from something that I enjoyed doing. I have always enjoyed writing and am a social person. I love using my imagination and creativity, which is well-suited for creating content-based communication products such as news, advertisements, press releases and other types of communication materials. Many communication skills are transferable to various types of jobs, so I was able to work in various sectors of communication such as in journalism at a newspaper, public relations at a book publisher and advertising at a magazine.

Over time, my reasons for continuing in communication changed from being more self-centered about my own happiness to how I could affect people's lives in positive ways. The media industry has so much influence over our society, and I wanted to be a part of that. Whether educating citizens through the news and books, or informing consumers about products that could improve their lives - I felt like I was not only satisfying my own career needs, but also simultaneously making a difference for others as well. Communication is a very satisfying field to work in.

But my career trajectory is really just one of many paths someone can take with a communication degree, which is why so many people enter the field. Folks can go into event planning, social media, human resources, management and many more areas. Many students also really enjoy relational communication, which can lead down a completely different path toward counseling, health communication, or intercultural communication, for example. This is a field that can be very rewarding personally.

When someone asks what they can do with a communication degree, it's almost easier to tell them what they can't do, because the possibilities are really endless. The degree requirements provide a solid foundation in both breadth and depth to prepare you to be successful in the broad field of communication. You can then take classes for the particular industry you are interested in to build your skill set. From there, you can specialize in the industry of your choice, which is very appealing to many people. Sometimes a field like communication can seem uncertain for students because they don't have a fixed label for the job they will be performing. That's because as you work in the industry your job title will likely change over time, and that's a good thing. Someone's first job at a news station might be putting content on the website. Next, they might be a field reporter and then move up to a news anchor. It's actually another great thing about the communication - that as you move up through the industry you aren't just doing the same job with a few more responsibilities added with each promotion. You really move up into a new role.

We are living in what many are calling the information age. The United States is no longer investing in the production of goods, but rather the production of intellectual property. Someone has to create these information products and get that information out to the world, which is why communication skills are in such high demand. With this new media revolution of the 21st Century, now is the perfect time to join the ranks of Carroll Communication alumni."

Just reading these two stories of those who made a difference with their degrees is inspiring to us in communication. Communication prepares you to be a better version of yourself and to help you accomplish your professional and personal goals throughout your life. I hope this opens your eyes to the unlimited possibilities of being a communication major and help you understand the true alue in it.