It’s OK to feel stuck during your senior year and I promise you are not the only one.

It’s happened to all of us. We’re having a great time our last year in college; meeting new people, making our last college memories, traveling all over the world, until the dreadful realization occurs. I have no idea what I’m going to do after graduation.

Well… okay I have somewhat of an idea of what I would ideally like to do, but realistically, I have nothing lined up. With monthly freakouts last semester to now weekly moments of panic I try to remind myself… it’s okay to feel a little lost right now!

Sure it might seem like “everyone” you know has their life together and have everything lined up and ready after graduation, but the truth is, a lot of people don’t. Just because someone has that one job lined up doesn’t mean it’s going to be something they stick with or something they even end up enjoying. Just because you don’t have something lined up, doesn’t mean you won’t find what you’re looking for.

Yes, it’s absolutely important and necessary to plan for your future and apply early to positions you’re interested in, but it shouldn’t consume your thoughts constantly. Everything will work out in the end. As long as you’re doing your best and putting the work in, you will find something that works for you, even if it’s not right away.

The best thing you can do senior year is to take a deep breath, continue to do everything you can to reach your goals, and enjoy this last year of college before graduation!

Hi all, I’m Sam Donnelly and I am a Communication and Social Interaction major with a minor in English here at SUNY Oswego. As a senior with a particular interest in media representation, the Social Media internship offered through the Communications and Marketing Department serves as an excellent opportunity to branch into some real world applications.

Upon entering my freshman year in Oswego, I had not declared a major. Luckily, I was drawn to a course titled Foundations of Communication and found my academic calling. The opportunity to learn more about how individuals perceive one another, in addition to how they perceive themselves, has proven to be an incredibly useful skill as I continue to explore my interest in the realm of identity and diversity. Naturally the declaration of my English minor came about from my desire to be articulate when discussing these often sensitive areas. On campus I am an active Volunteer with Students Helping Oz Peers, which is our Food pantry that is open to the SUNY Oswego Community. Additionally I am Vice President of the Communication honor society Lambda Pi Eta.

In my final semester, I am actively trying to utilize my time here to build upon my communication skills for future endeavors. In September following graduation I will be spending my time in Orlando Florida as a cast member in Walt Disney World, as part of the college program. Until then I’ll be enjoying my remaining adventures here in Oswego!

Hi everyone! I am Kendall Padovani. I am a second semester senior where I am currently studying Public Relations. I am very excited take part in my last undergraduate internship as a social media intern for the Communications and Marketing Department here at SUNY Oswego.

I began my journey at SUNY Oswego Fall 2015 already having declared my major as Public Relations. I had been pretty set on declaring this a major since I was a sophomore in high school even though I had no prior knowledge of what it really consisted of. After my first year I declared my minor as human development because I wanted to learn more about the development of humans and how this affects their judgement and decision making. I thought it would complement my major in understanding more about the public. My second semester freshman year I became a sister of Phi Sigma Sigma which is a National Sorority here on campus. Being a member of this amazing organization has introduced me to several leadership opportunities and where I served on my organizations executive board as their Member Recruitment Chair. My first semester junior year I had the amazing opportunity to study abroad in London. Here I took part in a semester long internship at a boutique PR agency in Kensington. During this time I also traveled to ten other countries expanding my horizons and love for traveling.

During my last semester here at Oswego I was elected to the role of VP of Programming for our National Panhellenic Council which oversees all four national sororities. So far this position has given me so many opportunities and strengthened my relations within the Greek community. As college graduation is quickly approaching and I am determined to capitalize on the rest of the time I have left here while bracing through my last Oswego winter.

Hi! I am Abigayle Shaw, Abby for short. I am so excited to be one of the SUNY Oswego social media interns for the spring 2019 semester. My time at SUNY Oswego is sadly coming to an end in May but, I am eager to share my time, memories, and experiences in my blogs throughout the semester.

I started my time at SUNY Oswego fall 2015 as a public relations major. During my sophomore year I realized I wanted to learn more about the business and marketing side of PR. After researching my options, I picked up a marketing sequence along with a minor in business administration. By adding the sequence and minor, I’ve had many more opportunities when it comes to internships.

Fall of my sophomore year, I joined Delta Phi Epsilon which is one of the four National Sororities here on campus. Being a member of this sorority has given me leadership experience and has motivated me to be the very best version of myself. This year I was elected for the role of VP of Recruitment for National Panhellenic Council. It has been an honor being on Panhellenic E-board and helping organize/run formal recruitment. Being apart of a National Sorority has opened so many doors and has strengthened my social network.

This last semester is bittersweet. I will be cherishing every last second of it.

Throughout my life, I’ve always dreamed about the prospect of working with creative people in the performing arts industry. As a Theatre major, live performance and the process of creation have always been huge parts of my life. However, I’ve also leaned towards the more scholarly and detail-oriented side of everything, which is where my Public Relations degree has come in handy. It wasn’t until my time as a Performing Arts Administration Intern at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (more commonly known as MASS MoCA) that I was finally able to put a name on what I wanted to do; company management.

MASS MoCA’s internship program at times can be completely surreal. At no point have I ever felt like just another intern coming through to work temporarily. The staff at MoCA truly take the time to personalize your experience at the company and appreciate people for who they are. With a $150 stipend per week and provided intern housing with included utilities, the museum does the best they can to provide the interns with everything they need during their time working at the institution. This summer we have interns coming from all around the United States, so the benefits allow people from all over to take part in the experience. Located in the artistically saturated region of the Berkshire mountains, home of Williamstown Theatre Festival, Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, the Williams College Museum of Art, and the Clark Institute, MASS MoCA is a non-profit that truly invests not in itself but in the development of the arts industry. I found myself in the process truly feeling like I was contributing to the creation of something.

I loved walking into work every day not knowing what my day would look like. I had a wide range of responsibilities including stocking green rooms, shopping for artist hospitality, transporting performers in company vehicles from the airport, writing programs for upcoming arts events, and acting as house manager for large-scale events. I learned so much about company management and event logistics. The first time I was able to read artist riders and contracts, I spent probably an hour just flipping through the binder. Them giving an intern those kinds of responsibilities and experiences was truly more than I could’ve hoped for. Not only that, but I got to interact with the educational aspect of the museum as well. As an intern at MASS MoCA, you are required to give museum tours to the public. The first few weeks were full of curatorial training with museum staff, where we were taught the fine details about the work of Sol LeWitt, Louise Bourgeois, Jenny Holzer, James Turrell, Anselm Kiefer, and so much more. While the beginning had me stressing about these public tours, by the end of the summer I was being asked if I was an art history major.

My absolute favorite part of the internship was working with the artists and getting to talk to various musicians about their work. I had the pleasure of meeting artists like Ray LaMontagne, Courtney Barnett, the guys from Grizzly Bear, and Debbie Harry as well as the rest of Blondie. Through Bang on a Can Summer Music Festival, I developed not only professional relationships with renowned musicians but friendships as well. My work helping implement elements of the festival fostered a creative environment where art and compositions could be created. Watching it all come together during the Marathon, a whopping 6-hours of orchestral music, was the best reward.

Grizzly Bear playing live in the Hunter Center on June 16, 2018

Courtney Barnett playing live in Courtyard C on July 12, 2018

My summer at MASS MoCA will stay with me for the rest of my life. There are so many people in that organization I cannot thank enough. I highly recommend that intern experience for anyone that hopes to pursue a career in the arts. My biggest takeaway that can be passed along: Don’t be afraid to create new experiences. If the opportunity is allowing you to relocate for minimal cost, go for it and see what you find. During internship interviews, be the most authentic version of yourself you can present. I read in an instant that my future colleagues had a sense of humor and a genuine nature to the way they operated, so I reciprocated that. Not only did it prove to be a good interview, but I couldn’t stop smiling the rest of the day because of how the interview went. In the professional world, you shouldn’t be afraid to be who you are.

Hello!

My name is Luzelena Cespedes, but that’s a mouth full so you can call me Lanie. I am so excited to introduce myself as a new social media intern for SUNY Oswego. To tell you a little bit about myself, I from Westchester, New York which is just 45-60 minutes outside of the New York City. When I first came to Oswego I was a freshman Broadcasting major but now I am a junior and I am majoring in Public Relations and minoring in Business Administration. This year I am hoping to gain so many more skills within both PR and business which is why I am eager to begin this journey as an intern. As well as focusing on school, I am sister of a national sorority called Delta Phi Epsilon. This semester I gained a leadership position in Delta Phi Epsilon. My position as National Panhellenic Conference Delegate means I attend weekly meetings with sisters from all national sororities on campus and report important discussion we had within these meetings to my chapter. I am excited to conquer these new tasks in my college career as well as gain the proper experience to benefit my future.

Now that you know a little bit about me, I hope to learn more about this new community I just became a part of. Everyday you learn something new and that is what I am looking forward to most this semester!