Before coming to SPU, my high school drama teacher, Brenda Amburgy, was a huge inspiration to me. As a high school freshman I was utterly terrified of public speaking, so much so that for almost the entire first semester of my “Drama I” class I dreaded even standing up in front of the class when my name was called during roll.
I admire Ms. Amburgy not only for her technical skills (she also teaches public speaking) but also for her charisma. She is a confident woman who has expert command over her verbal communication and composure in her non-verbal communication, both on stage and off. She challenged me each day in class to break out of my shell and experiment with all sorts of communication, from stage performance, to school broadcasting, to communicating effectively in leadership positions within drama club.
My mom also had a huge impact on my decision to study Communication — she was the one who encouraged me to take my first class. When I first started at SPU, I intended to study economics, but the subject matter didn’t particularly interest me.
When I visited my mom over Spring Break, she noticed how much I was struggling and stressing over my economics classes and suggested that I check out a Communication class. She thought that Communication would better suit my skills and interests. The major had never crossed my mind, but that quarter I signed up for my first COM class, “The Public and the Media,” and fell in love with the major.
My faith has grown significantly since attending SPU, specifically through SPU’s emphasis on finding your calling and vocation, not just a career. This is very important to me because before attending SPU I saw my faith as only a part of my personal life, completely separate from my professional life. SPU has taught me many ways to incorporate my faith into my professional life and how to approach my faith academically as well.
My experience in the program has been wonderful. All of the professors in the department are very knowledgeable in their subjects and are eager to help the students learn. Professors I specifically admire are Bill Purcell and Debbie Pope; they care about students in and out of class.
Additionally, the professors are all very down to earth and personable, which makes class even more enjoyable. I think the major is set up to facilitate community and relationship among students; some of my closest friendships have come from sitting next to someone in a class for a quarter or two.