Every college student knows the painstaking question that goes through his or her mind, “What am I going to do after I graduate?” Kent State University and School of Communication Studies alumna, Arianne Gasser, has found success after graduation.
While looking into colleges Gasser chose Kent State University because it wasn’t far from her home in Canton. She was originally accepted into the musical theater program but changed her major to communication studies in her sophomore year, on the organizational communication track. She chose the organizational track because she was interested in studying business as well as communication. She became fascinated by how people communicate in organizations and how to make that communication more effective.
During her time at Kent State Gasser was a member of the Kent Communication Society (KCS) where she served as president as well as the Relay for Life team captain for two years. She was also on the 2010 Homecoming Court representing KCS.
Gasser joined one of the first Personalized System of Instruction (PSI) internships offered in the School of Communication Studies.
“I wanted to be a mentor to students in the Introduction to Human Communication course and to see how things work on the teaching end of the classroom,” Gasser said.
This internship prompted Gasser’s decision to earn her master’s in communication because she enjoyed teaching and helping students. Gasser hopes that a master’s will help her teach communication at the college level.
Gasser will finish her Master’s in Strategic Communication at Villanova University this May. She now works as the Academic Course Manager for Getting More, Inc. in Center City, Philadelphia.
“I truly believe that my resume, which was filled with all my activities and experiences from Kent State, was critical in me getting this job,” says Gasser. She cites classes such as Interviewing, Business and Professional Communication and her countless visits to the Career Services Center as integral in her education.
Gasser advises recent alumni and current students to “make the most out of the opportunities that are open to you at Kent State. Professors and other staff will open doors for you, but it’s up to you to walk through and take full advantage of them. Go out and look for what you want!”
Gasser suggests that students and recent graduates find people who have careers in areas that interest them and ask questions. She advises students to reach out to alumni for valuable information and practical advice, as Gasser did the summer before her senior year.
Gasser met with an alumna Deb Easton who is a communication skills consultant in Northeast Ohio. Easton suggested that Gasser get her master’s degree and gain experience before going out on her own as a consultant. Gasser is following Easton’s advice and feels that that meeting was critical in establishing her career goals.
“College goes by so quickly,” Gasser said. “Take time to soak it all in and truly love what you’re doing.”