Presenting Communication Research in Boston

This past weekend my fellow researchers and I presented our research for the second time at the annual Eastern Communication Association Conference. This year it was held in Cambridge Massachusetts...a very long nine hour ride from Mercyhurst University but it was well worth it! Alicia, Kelly and I were joined by two other groups of communication researchers, the nine of us represented Mercyhurst University in a great way, we were all very fortunate to have been accepted to the conference and it was great experience to have. 
This is one example of the ways that Mercyhurst students excel in and out of the classroom. It is one thing to have our own professors tell us that we're good at what we do but it's always a great feeling when people outside of the gates tell us too!


We left Mercyhurst on Thursday and returned on Sunday...in between those days we presented our research at a poster session in which communication scholars from several graduate programs from the East coast walked around and asked us questions about our research, all of them were very impressed by our hard work- can you believe we have been researching Muslims and America for nearly TWO YEARS?! 
After we presented we had some free time to explore the city, I had never been to Boston so I was super excited to see everything. While I was there I even had a chance to visit my friend Kacie who was a fashion merchandising major here at MU and she now lives in the Boston area, using her degree as she works for T.J. Maxx! I think my favorite part of the weekend was visiting the Cheers bar, the bar that the famous sitcom is based off of - so so cool!


So the moral of the weekend's story is - our education is leading us in so many directions and opening up many doors of opportunity. It was fun to get off campus for a weekend but SO good to return home to Mercyhurst. I hate to say it but there are only two weeks left...bring on the graduation excitement and celebrations...and tears!

The End is Near...30 More Days of Fun!

The end is certainly near and this is becoming more and more prevalent as fun activities take place to round out the end of the year! My roommates and I have not let the "one month until graduation" mark get us down, we have simply declared that instead of only having 30 more days together, we have 30 more days to have fun!!

Communication Senior Showcase

The Communication department, a subset of the Walker School of Business and Communication, has dedicated the hallway to senior majors and minors who have spent a lot of time working vigorously writing, researching, working on projects, working for LakerTV and writing for the school newspaper, the Merciad. 

Biographies of the seniors!

The "Senior Showcase" displays each senior prominently and it was so nice to be included even though I am only a minor in the department. 

I have always felt at home in the communication department, the professors are all experienced and have a lot of knowledge of the field. If I had another four years, communication would definitely be an area that I would have liked to have pursued further!

Wearing our graduation cords!

Another fun event that I went to was the induction ceremony for Mercyhurst's Leadership Certification Program. The program is a three level process that I was not involved in this year because I started the program as a freshman and completed it last year. 

It was a great group to be in because I was able to grow confident in my leadership abilities as well as learn more about how to be a good and successful leader. After completing two levels of the program, students are accepted into Sigma Alpha Pi, the National Society of Leadership and Success. This year, I was invited back and I received cords to wear at graduation since I am a member of the society! 

Danielle, my freshman roaster!

My friends and I ended the week with the Ambassador Club's annual "Senior Roast." Although it might sound mean, it was a lot of fun. Basically, the newest members of the club pick a senior, find out really embarrassing things about them and "roast" them! It was really fun to hear all the stories about my fellow Ambassadors! I can remember being a freshman as I roasted a senior...my own roast seemed so far away, but it was plenty of time to do really embarrassing things but I had SO much fun doing them and spent my time with some of the greatest people- what more could a girl ask for?!

Picture of the Week- Summer is Coming!

It's the picture of the week! Sara's, a local favorite just recently opened for the season! This is surely a sign that summer is JUST around the corner! My boyfriend and I stopped by for dinner and of course ice cream at the 1950's-style diner. It is located right on Presque Isle, about a 15 minute drive from the Mercyhurst University campus! Pretty soon it will be summer, I cannot wait to go to the beach and for that warm summer weather! 

The Next Step - Admission to Graduate School

With my acceptance letter!

While graduation is quickly ... when I say quickly, I really mean O MY GOSH IT'S APRIL AND I GRADUATE NEXT MONTH WHERE DID TIME GO?!! 
Wow. Back to where I was...while graduation is quickly approaching, I of course have been thinking about and planning the next steps. Just today, I received in the mail, (similar to Rory Gilmore, the star character of the television show Gilmore Girls) the BIG package from Mercyhurst University. Yes, the big package means acceptance!!


I was super excited to receive the news of my acceptance in the mail, my mom was sitting with me saying "open it, open it!" The letter reads:
"Congratulations!
You have been accepted into the Master of Science in Organizational Leadership program at Mercyhurst University for fall term 2012."

My acceptance letter

I am VERY happy, excited and proud to say that I will be extending my time as a Mercyhurst University Laker next fall by entering into the Master of Science in Organizational Leadership program and pursuing my dream of working in higher education. I have loved every moment of my undergraduate experience and I am so lucky that there is a perfect master's program that suits me. I am thrilled to be staying for another two years. I have received a very strong foundation in my undergraduate program in the Walker School of Business at Mercyhurst University and I look forward to everything that lies ahead as I begin my graduate studies next fall!


Now...back to the reality that graduation is only about 6 weeks away! Cue the Pomp and Circumstance!