Officially Mastered It!

On July 19th 2025, I graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with an M.A. in Media and Communication (Strategic Communications)! This moment marked the culmination of years of hard work, hundreds of late nights and lots of personal growth. This degree is so much more than another line on my resume. This experience stretched my mind, shaped my perspective, and prepared me for what’s next in my career in ways I never expected.

Grad pictures at the iconic Old Well.

Why Grad School?

I chose to continue my education in graduate school simply because I love learning. I knew I wasn’t ready to finish my academic journey and graduate school seemed like a natural progression from undergrad. I chose the Strategic Communication program within the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media because of the school’s national reputation and for the opportunity to challenge myself as a student and professional. I went into this program with an open-mind, hoping to refine my communication skills, develop and nurture professional relationships and grow my confidence as a professional. All of which I did!  

First day of grad school at Carroll Hall!

Program Highlights & Projects

This graduate program was accelerated, taking place over the course of just one calendar year. During that time, I took foundational and elective courses, culminating in a final capstone project. Two of my favorite classes include Health Communication and Marketing and  Crisis Communication. Both were electives that challenged me to think creatively and strategically.  

Throughout the year I had the opportunity to work on some exciting projects, including :

• A multi-media campaign about the correlation between animals and positive mental health

• A case study analysis on Intuit Mailchimp’s “Guess Less, Sell More” campaign

• A LinkedIn blog series focused on establishing my personal brand and voice

• An original case study on Poppi’s vending machine controversy

• A real-life press conference simulation where my team and I represented the Federal Aviation Administration 

• A personal website to showcase projects I worked on and a creative blog 

• A capstone project: an original case study on AXA France’s Three Words campaign, complete with a written report and 10-minute presentation

  
  

Each project taught me something new about strategic communication, whether it was navigating brand storytelling, managing crisis response, or crafting multi-platform content. Safe to say, I made every moment of this program count!

Learning Beyond the Classroom

When I wasn’t in the classroom, I was actively finding ways to grow professionally as a strategic communicator. During this summer, while I was working on my capstone project, I interned at Well, a health technology company, as a Client Success Intern. Throughout the internship, I gained hands-on experience and learned not how Well’s health AI engine and platform operates, but how a client success team operates. Each week I shadowed the client success team and learned about the importance of effective external and internal communication. By the end of the internship, I had created a comprehensive 45-slide presentation deck and delivered a 30-minute presentation to groups of internal and external stakeholders, an experience that sharpened both my presentation and public speaking skills.

Interning at Well in Chapel Hill, NC.

Final Takeaway & Next Steps

To say this past year was formative would be an understatement. Whether I was learning about the importance of stakeholder relationships, what makes a campaign successful, how to develop digital content or how to navigate living in a brand-new state, I grew tremendously as a strategic communicator and as a person. This past year further reinforced key lessons I learned during my time as an undergraduate student, including resiliency, time management, adaptability and most importantly, teamwork. 

Since graduating I’ve been tackling my next big challenge, navigating the job market! I’m currently back in Florida and seeking career opportunities in strategic communications where I can utilize what I’ve learned throughout this past year. I’ve discovered a true passion for crafting clear, engaging messages that connects with audiences and drives impact. Although I already miss being in a classroom, I am grateful for my time at Carolina and am excited for all that the future holds!