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Communication creates connections through language, interactions and media. Yesenia Maldonado, a current dean’s list student majoring in media design and production, and minoring in digital media marketing, recognizes the critical part media plays in influencing and disseminating news around the globe.

Maldonado wanted to be an elementary school teacher growing up. Then in high school, she had the opportunity to experiment with video editing and discovered her passion. During high school, Maldonado started researching what university she wanted to attend because the “communication track” differs depending on the school. After receiving a scholarship to ������ϲʿ�����, her search ended, and her education path was clear. The communication track at ������ϲʿ����� would enhance her writing, make her video and podcast editing crisper, and introduce her to event planning.

During Maldonado’s time at ������ϲʿ�����, she learned the value of ethics and leadership and how it ties into service and humility. “Interactions with others and the support we give to one another matters and leads to a better community and campus environment,” she states. As a peer mentor, she interacts with people by building relationships and developing a safe space for those on campus. This “allows students to support each other because all parties can open up about experiences and be active listeners.

This past summer, Maldonado interned at Berks County’s community media platform BCTV, now located at ������ϲʿ�����’s John R. Post Center at Reading CollegeTowne. Her firsthand experience and technical training led her to see how media impacts the world. She participated in “studio tapings, off-site filming, video editing, and creating graphics for their social media account and channel.” The staff at BCTV treated her as one of their own and made the internship experience one she will never forget.

Maldonado’s “wow” moment during her internship was, she was scheduling and producing a Berks Latin Festival program. She served as the host and producer, allowing her to be part of the creative management process of preparing, scheduling, and interviewing guests. The challenging part of producing a show is worrying about time conflicts, coordinating schedules, and reliability.” But Maldonado values new experiences and will take advantage of future opportunities because “experiences and opportunities shaped and encouraged me to keep trying new things.”

The relationships she built and her involvement on campus helped grow her confidence, noting that being an introvert can be challenging on a larger campus. The smaller class sizes and family atmosphere are among the main reasons Maldonado loves the campus community. The university offers a plethora of support, and the professors are not only educators but open to assisting students because they want them to succeed. She is never afraid to reach out to a professor with troubles or concerns to maintain her dean's list status. When faced with hurdles in the classroom, she suggests going to professors first because they are experts in their field.

Maldonado advises prospective students to “stay open-minded and be patient with yourself” when attending a university. Since college is a big adjustment, it is essential to know that “everything will work out in time, everyone finds their place whether they are extroverted, introverted or somewhere in between.”