Overview

Communication: I understand the importance of communication in a professional setting. This means clearly and effectively understanding ideas being conveyed to me, asking questions when I am confused, and communicating my understand back to the team – along with the importance of communication in and out of the organization. I have experience with this from when I worked at Nordstrom Rack, which was a very fast-paced environment that required my effective communication with the rest of the team to ensure success. Outside of previous work experience, I have perfected this skill over the last four years at Gonzaga. Being a communication studies major means that in many of my classes, one of the main objectives is to able to communicate your ideas effectively and precisely. This is a skill that I have worked on through my classes that often ask for a presentation, speech, or another performance that highlights my ability to communicate my ideas. I feel confident in my communication abilities and look forward to applying these skills from the academic realm into the professional atmosphere. 

Teamwork: I understand the importance of teamwork in a professional setting. I am able to multi-task well in a face-paced work environment, along with using my communication skills to delegate responsibilities among a team. I have worked on many teams in the past, where success is only possible through teamwork. I was previous president of the Interact Club, where not only did I have to work with my executive board to plan events, but also interacted with the rest of the members of the club to put on volunteer events once a month. I recognized my position as a leader, and relied on my team for the success of each volunteer event. I also have experience of teamwork in the academic setting. I have had several classes that require group work for a final project, which has taught me to work in differing teams with many perspectives.  

Critical Thinking: I know how to use my critical thinking in a professional setting. I can communicate my actions and think creatively in my problem solving to include the perspectives and ideas of other communities. An example of this is comes from my studies of political science, which often requires me to think in a creative and critical manner. The classes I have taken have taught me to think carefully and critically about the world around me, and to be creative when offering solutions to problems I am passionate about. Outside of my academic experience, I have prior work experience that also required me to become a critical thinker. As mentioned before, I worked at Nordstrom Rack, which meant working in a face-paced environment. Especially around the holiday season, it could be challenging to work in retail. Since there was often such an influx of customers and often times a shortage of workers, this meant being assigned to parts of the store I may not have been trained in. I used my critical thinking skills to learn to be adaptative in the work environment which overall helped the success of the entire store.

Equity and Inclusion: I can effectively advocate for inclusion, equitable practices, social justice and empowerment amongst marginalized communities. I know how to think in this manner because of my time as a communication studies major in college. I learned to think with a differing lens, one that works to be more inclusive of those around me. I also am half Indian and half German - born and raised by two immigrant parents, which has made my experiences in this world different. I have learned how to communicate my perspectives and recognize the role that my race and gender brings into my own biases.