J. Petersen is a Senior Communication Studies and Global Studies double major, with a minor in Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs. "Being a COMM major has made me a much more effective communicator and diplomat, but it has also given me insight into how to tailor messages so that they are more convincing".
How did you find Communication Studies?
I was just scrolling through the list of available majors at UNL and opened all the interesting ones. The communication website has a very cool flow chart where you can see all the different career paths and the different combinations of courses you could take to get there. I really liked how versatile the major was and how many different things you could do with it.
What do you like most about being a Communication Studies Major?
I have absolutely fallen in love with learning more about how people communicate with one another and why. I have started to see theories and patterns in my real life relationships that I learn about in class. Being a Comm major has made me a much more effective communicator and diplomat, but it has also given me insight into how to tailor messages so that they are more convincing. There are just so many applications.
What is your favorite class?
I have had quite a few favorites, among them Theories of Persuasions, Gender & Communication, and Organizing for Social Change. Currently though, I am taking Communication and Social Identity with Dr. Jordan Soliz and it is really an incredible class. I like that I get to design my own semester project around my interests, and seeing how identity plays into my work with civic engagement is interesting and really illuminating. So many of my classes have been directly applicable to my life and my career, it's hard to pick just one.
What are some cool experiences you have had as a student at UNL?
As a Global Studies major I am required to do an internship, which I am completing this semester at the Nebraska Civic Engagement Table. I am learning so much during this internship, and getting involved in a lot of cool movements that I am passionate about. It didn't work out for me to study abroad while in my undergrad, but I did it in high school and I would highly recommend it to anyone. If not though, internships can be just as enriching and eye-opening in some ways.
What are your post-graduation plans?
I plan to move to west Tennessee to be closer to my parents. There is a brand new state Civic Engagement Table down there which I hope to be a part of getting off the ground. Beyond that, my wife and I are looking into Masters degrees at the University of Memphis as a possibility. Wherever I end up, I just hope to work in politics or non-profit work and keep trying to make the world a better place a little bit at a time.
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