International Affairs, BA

Hailing from the Bay area in California, Kathryn Williams transferred to JCU after three semesters at a large university in New York City. She is a senior majoring in Communications with a minor in Creative Writing. In Fall 2022, Kathryn interned at the JCU Web Communications Office.

Why did you choose John Cabot University?
JCU offers students a personalized curriculum that prepares them for the real world with numerous opportunities to jumpstart their professional careers. From the moment I transferred, I knew I had made the right choice. My previous school had a more theoretical approach, and professors hardly knew their students’ names. University is hard enough on its own, so it’s great to have that extra support from your professors and staff.

Why did you choose to study Communications?
I chose to study Communications because I was interested in learning various disciplines. I learned media theory and acquired technical skills for digital editing such as Final Cut Pro, Photoshop, and other skills like SEO marketing analysis that will be essential to my career. Writing is a creative passion of mine, and the minor allows me to explore it.

Read more about Kathryn's time at John Cabot University.

Megan Dhlamini, who hails from Johannesburg, South Africa, graduated from JCU in 2021 with a B.A. in Communications. She currently works as Coordinator of Northeastern University’s Italy program at JCU.

You have a B.A. in Communications. What classes and/or professors impacted you the most and why?
The three Communications professors who impacted me the most are Professors Peter Sarram, Kwame Phillips, and Antonio Lopez. In one of Professor Sarram’s classes, we discussed media theory and its application. We watched the documentary Enjoy Poverty (2008) by Dutch artist Renzo Martens, and it brought me to tears because it shows you a world that screams that we all are equal while we are really not. With Professor Phillips, we watched a short film by Arthur Jafa called Love is the Message (2014). Jafa showcased police brutality in the US and how pervasive it is. It made me investigate police brutality within South Africa and that paved the way for my thesis. Professor Lopez, who focuses on media and the environment, helped me see how big companies alter their message to the general audience to make it seem as if they care for the environment. So, customers buy products, and they think that everything that says recycled is in fact recycled, while in reality it’s just shipped to a developing country. These three professors really helped me see the world through a different lens.

Read more about Megan's time at John Cabot University.