Everything in life is a learning experience and if you are open to new experiences you

will learn a great deal throughout life. Being an open minded individual myself, I am always
learning as much as I can through my daily experiences and the people I interact with. This
attitude has carried me far in the study of communication; it allows me to learn a great deal from
the classroom and not to mention conversations I have with professors and other individuals of
expertise. From my courses here I have learned to become a better communicator as well as a
better visual designer, as well as a more rounded person taking classes from economics to
philosophy. At Kent State my thirst for knowledge has always been met and my internship here
was no exception.
I have always been a creative person through writing short stories or books, as well as
visual arts: Drawing, sculpting, graphic design. I have always excelled in Art and English classes
so I felt my writing and artistic skills along with my skills as an adept communicator has led to
the major in Applied Communication. Coming to Kent state with these basic skills I was able to
build a foundation on this with the knowledge I have gained through the classroom. Through the
Applied Communication major, a practicum is required to showcase the skills gathered through
the three departments within the College of communication Studies: Journalism and Mass
Communication, Visual Communication Design, and Communication Theory. While it was more
difficult than I had thought to find an internship with these requirements, I found an internship
here at Kent State.
I was lucky enough to work a practicum through the Kent State University with the
Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, as the Communication and Marketing Specialist.
With this opportunity I went in with an open-mind and an eagerness to gain real world
experience in my career of choice. My primary responsibilities would be the graphic design work

needed for the Kupita Transiciones orientation program as well as any other graphic work needed
for the department. I was also was given the task of creating and managing the social media sites
for the department. Aside from these primary duties I perform a variety of other task for the
department tasks such as helping with PowerPoints or other basic graphic needs.
Under my supervisor Avery Danage I have learned much about the organization of a
business in general as well as the way business at Kent State is handled in its administrative
processes. Traces of Webers bureaucratic theory can be seen in practice in daily operations, with
a clear system of hierarchy within each department and even extended throughout the university.
There is a clear line of command and I saw how dealing with various levels of administrative
members differs; when speaking to your direct supervisor as oppose to speaking to the head of
the department. This has truly help me learn more about the communication studies, as I
developed a more professional approach not only in face to face meetings but, via email and
phone as well. The second part of Webers theory speaks of a set of rules to govern the group of
workers. This is the case through rules surrounding the way you present yourself at work as well
as specific requirements for the design of the Kent State logo. I have seen this communication
theory in practice in a professional setting and this will help me be more professional in the
future.
A new level of professionalism is not the only thing I gained in my time spent within the
practicum. I also was able to learn a great deal through the various projects that I was privileged
to be a part of. As I mentioned above I was the lead graphic designer for the Kupita Transiciones
program and through this I was able to sharpen my skills through InDesign. For the program I
was given the chance to design a: program schedule, newsletter, updated the logo, name tags,
directional signs, and a social media banner as well as a letterhead. Through these various

projects I had a lot of time to gain better computer literacy through the use of programs like
Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop, and power points. These are all important skills to have
when moving forward in the design field and through exploration and research as much as
application I have a far better grasp on each respective program. Not only have I learned a great
deal from the application of these projects but the design process is another major factor.
In my Visual Communication Design class we had projects to practice the application of
the program, but you would turn it in and be graded on your ability and creativity. Something I
was not familiar with, was the continuous graphic process, what I mean by this is the ongoing
progress and setbacks that arise as the design changes and new ideas are mentioned. With a new
knowledge of this process I know how important it is to get the clients input and be sure that you
truly understand what they want in their design. With more questions in the initial consultation it
will speed up this process and make it easier to appease the client.
Questions are not only important when handling design work, they are critical in the
communication process as well so with a more developed sense for detail I have not only
improved my graphic process but my understanding of communication theory as well. As the
Marketing and Communication Specialist I was also in charge of creating and overseeing the
social media accounts. I created a Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and an Instagram page for the
Division of DEI, this includes adding photos and providing all of the information crucial to our
goal at DEI. Through a fine sense of detail, I was able to provide an image the sites needed and
got them ready to launch. As Kupita gets closer, the social media manager for Kupita
Transiciones has brought a ton of activity to the site and I have learned how to collaborate with
another person on such an exciting project.

We also started a new idea in the division and it is still in its early stages but each week I
will gather relevant information in the topics of education and diversity from several different
news sources and give a brief summary and link to each story. This project is so the division can
stay on top of current events and be pro-active as well as re-active to major events that effect our
divison. This has helped me improve my writing skills a great deal and my research skills as
well, through the search of new information as well as providing detailed as well as
professionally written summaries. The future of this project is uncertain but it is in its first stages
and if it is something that takes off as a weekly occurrence I will be proud to know I was able to
work on some of these first copies.
Having a lasting effect on my alma mater and a place I was developed into a professional
and well-rounded adult, is a very big accomplishment for me. Not only will there be the weekly
blog but I will be making updates to the symbol explanations to accompanying the new updates I
made on the Kupita symbol. The design is sure to have lasting effects and my changes made to
the design and description will be a part of the program for the next several years. The original
symbol has very deep meanings as to the shapes that were included and the orientation of these
shapes. With the deep meanings very closely held with the design, I did not make many
alterations, only the color and the symbols in the center to denote the 2015 year. With these
changes an explanation needed as to the meaning of the new design, while much of the old
meaning holds true now the colors bear a deeper meaning of unity of the teams of Kupita and
each color bearing its own meaning in representation of each team. An explanation of the Mayan
number in the middle as needed explanation as to its orientation and the several elements that
represent the year.

Through my time at Kent State University I have learned a great variety of skills and
knowledge that will help me in my future marketing career. While on my journey here I have met
several interesting professors, students and administrators that have helped me in some capacity
or another. I have become better versed in all of the areas in the College of Communication
Studies, not only through the classes from each respective college but through real world
experience of these lessons at my practicum. The practicum has help me the most in the graphic
design area, because learning how to use the software in a classroom is one thing but learning
more in the field allows you to develop and add more tools and techniques to my skillset.
Through the use of communication theory I have become more professional and detailed in my
communication and I am more deliberate and refined with my words. Seeing the way a hierarchy
interacts and how to address those who hold positions higher than my own. Finally, I have
learned of Journalism through my addition to the symbol explanations, this will be displayed for
years to come so I saw how important it was to be meticulous and detailed in my information.
Overall my time at Kent State University has not only been a very enjoyable experience but very
fruitful not only in knowledge but experience and the ability to leave my mark on the university
in some way.