Tong Liu, Meghan Legassie and Monica Hewitt
Professional Communication and Journalism was recognized at UMPI’s annual University Day on April 11, through the perspective of three students in the program. The group of seniors shared their journey of the past four years they have spent at UMPI as PCJ majors. Monica Hewitt, Tong Liu and Megan Legassie shared their experiences and challenges with the audience through the projects and classes they had done. The trio expressed their story in a presentation titled, “How Did We Get Here?” These individuals have formed bonds and close friendships from their years working together in PCJ.
The first class these PCJ students took was PCJ 180, which is Introduction to Professional Communication and Journalism. The three students had no idea what to expect when they walked into class. As early college students, the group began to grow a strong passion for communication and journalism as they took the class. This class allowed Hewitt, Liu and Legassie to learn the ropes of communication and journalism. They spent time learning about communication and journalism and their purpose. All individuals in the class got the chance to pick a beat, which is a topic for them to focus their writing on. The class learned how to communicate and interview people in professional situations.
The next class the three took was PCJ 214, which is the next level of feature writing. This is where the group spent lots of time researching certain subjects for a long period of time. The class gave the students a chance to develop better writing skills and practice more challenging tasks. PCJ 215 Business Communication was the next class. This course had a higher number of students enrolled and students in the class focused on doing work with real-world organizations. “Lots of people were scared to take this class because of the name, but everyone needs communication, no matter what major they are,” Megan Legassie said.
The group of students then took PCJ 216, which was the editing course. This class gave the students more practice with writing and the use of AP Style. Knowing how to properly use AP Style in a career of communication and journalism is crucial to someone’s success. This style was designed by the Associated Press for many areas of communication to follow. This class allowed the students to expand their knowledge on AP Style through projects.
The three took PCJ 315, also known as the class entirely on Professional Communication, during the fall of 2016. This is where the class spent time on outreach for BEYOND LIMITS, a nonprofit built on the philosophy of when people blend their strengths, nothing is impossible. This was also the incredible journey of UMPI Professor Jacqui Lowman and a group of 10 other people as they hiked the Appalachian Trail in 2017. PCJ 315 spent time reaching out and making connections with everyone involved with BEYOND LIMITS. The class emailed and contacted people form outdoor organizations that could potentially be involved with the trip. The three talked about how this was one of the more intimidating classes. Monica Hewitt said, “That class was definitely an experience and it is something we joke about because we were so terrified of it.”
PCJ 316, a class on advocacy, worked on a project for Baxter State Park. The group members researched and learned about the park during their time in the class. Students got a chance to work with real-world people, including the executive director of Friends of Baxter State Park, who eventually came to the group’s final presentation of their work. Opportunities like these prepared PCJ students for their future careers. The next class was PCJ 318, a course for more work on BEYOND LIMITS. The students had to pick a specific role using evolving media and a task to accomplish during the semester for the Appalachian trip. PCJ 319 was a class on marketing. This is where the class spent time getting the word out for BEYOND LIMITS. During the course PCJ 396, the students performed their field experience in the fall of 2017. They all had internships and worked on behind the scenes coverage and media for Dr. J’s trip. The three seniors are currently taking their capstone class, PCJ 493. This is the last class where the students are pulling everything together and preparing for life after UMPI.
“I know a lot of students on campus, but not as much as these guys right here. We’ve all formed a bond and we all trust each other,” Monica Hewitt said. “We are getting ready to graduate and get out there in the real world, so this is looking back on how much we’ve grown and changed as an UMPI, PCJ family.”
