(L to R) Theresa Carmichael, Noelle Foye and Joseph Bernard

Finding Careers in the Arts

Posted on October 13, 2009 - Permalink
Audiences: Alumni Current Students Faculty and Staff HomePage Prospective Students Trustees

Successful alumni art majors offered professional advice to students as part of the Career in the Arts panel held last Tuesday in the Horace Mann Auditorium.

The panel's aim was to show students enrolled in, or interested in, the art program the various career opportunities that come from earning a bachelor's degree in art.

The panelists were: Theresa Carmichael, '82; Noelle Foye, '99; and Joseph Bernard, '03. They all agreed that when they first joined Bridgewater's art program they did not have a career in mind, yet they shared a passion for art and a desire to put a lot of heart into their creative works. Based on years of experience in the art world, each had words of wisdom to share with the students.

"Push yourself beyond what you think is possible and doors will start opening for you," said Ms. Carmichael, who traveled Europe, earning her graduate degrees after attending Bridgewater. She laid out her entire career path to allow students to take notes and ask questions.

Some advice offered by Ms. Foye was: "Find what you are passionate about." She went from working as a full-time nurse to becoming a full-time art student. She now works at the Fuller Arts Museum in Brockton.

Topics covered included: different career paths; how to set and achieve goals; and the importance of education, networking, internships and campus involvement, among other things. (Story and photo by Shawn Mullins, '10, Institutional Communications)

Dr. Amatalrauf Al-Sharki

Words of Wisdom

Posted on March 16, 2009 - Permalink
Audiences: Alumni Current Students Faculty and Staff HomePage Research Trustees

Bridgewater State College was proud to host Dr. Amatalrauf Al-Sharki (also known as Raufa Hassan), who visited campus recently as a Fulbright Scholar from her native country of Yemen in the Middle East.

Dr. Al-Sharki came to BSC at the end of January and returned to her homeland in early March. During her six weeks here, she lectured extensively both on- and off-campus, sharing her thoughtful discourse on such topics as women's rights, ending global violence, freedom of the press and human rights. Her opinions are forthright and forged from sometimes difficult and intense personal experiences.

A professor of gender, social change and development, and development communications at Sana'a University in Yemen, Dr. Al-Sharki hopes her scholarship will help facilitate increased dialog between her university and BSC, resulting in mutually beneficial international projects, a goal shared by BSC faculty and administrators.

Dr. Edward Minnock, vice president for external affairs, emphasized the importance of global exchanges. "Increasing our students' awareness of global issues through exchanges like the Fulbright Scholarship personalizes our communications. At the end of the day, everyone who was touched by Dr. Al-Sharki's insights and humanity has gained a deeper knowledge and understand of the other."

Those touched by Dr. Al-Sharki's visit include not only BSC students, but also area middle and high school students, members of regional Rotary Clubs, the members of the Ousamequin Woman's Club and students at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, to name only a few of the many venues where the scholar shared her insights.

Dr. Jabbar Al-Obaidi, professor of communication studies and coordinator of the Middle East Studies Program, said of Dr. Al-Sharki, "It was an outstanding opportunity to have Dr. Al-Sharki with us. She contributed a lot to the intercultural communication, pedagogical discussion and interfaith dialog, and illustrated to our students, faculty, librarians and community the ways and means to connect with other cultures and communities outside our own comfort zones." (Story by Karen Booth and photo by Rob Matheson, both Institutional Communications)

Panelists for the Careers in Communication Workshop were, from left: Elizabeth Meagher, Lynda Sylvia, Sara Chaudhary and Megan Caprarella.

Dr. Jabbar Al-Obaidi, chairperson, Department of Communication Studies, welcomes audience to Careers in Communication Workshop.

College Hosts Workshop on Careers in Communications

Posted on October 15, 2008 - Permalink
Audiences: Alumni Current Students Faculty and Staff HomePage Research Trustees

Students seeking careers in the field of communications heard from those on the front lines during a Careers in Communication program held Wednesday in the library's Heritage Room. More than 55 students attended the panel discussion, and listened to the stories of alumni working in the field discuss their work and career paths.

Panelists from television, event planning, public relations and graduate work in the field provided information about their work in an effort to help students build or increase an understanding of their own career direction. Each panelist described a typical day on the job, experiences in the field, and the issues within the industry that students should be aware of. Each also shared with students some words of wisdom gleaned from the working life.

Elizabeth Meagher, '01, segment producer of the Fox25 Morning News, described her day as "non-stop and hectic," explaining how she is constantly screening outside news sources for the latest updates on the economy and other issues. Amanda Fountain, '08, a graduate student in Communication Studies at Eastern Illinois University, explained how she opted to delay moving into the workforce to concentrate on research in the field and build additional experiences before eventually moving into public relations.

Each panelist stressed internships as one of the most important factors in finding a position in the field of communication. Lynda Sylvia, '05, said she benefited from internships at both Reebok and Morton Hospital and Medical Center in Taunton before taking a full-time position at a global public relations firm, the Racepoint Group. Meanwhile, Megan Caprarella, '08, interned at BSC's Conference and Event Services Office, which played a key role in helping her land a full-time position in the office. Sara Chaudhary, '97, recommended communication studies students look beyond their backyard for experiences, citing her internship at VH1 in New York City as invaluable, providing her with a broad vision of the industry.

The program was sponsored by Communication Studies, Career Services and Alumni Relations. (Story submitted, photos by David K. Wilson, '71, Office of Institutional Communications)