A variety of outstanding students particpating in the Communication program as well as graduated alumni have offered some information valuable to prospective students. Pick a person and read on! 
Tom Cataldo, student
Pat Doherty, student
Wilberte Paul, student
Andrea Piccarelli, alum
Steven Proulx, alum
Diana Rostowski, student
Jacqueline Bessette, alum
Lisa Freeman, alum
Andrea Piccarelli,alum
Students
 Tom Cataldo is from Milford, Massachusetts and plans on getting his MBA after graduating from Bryant. Why then, you might ask, is he majoring in communication? As Tom explains, “After I graduate, I plan on using my communication degree to get into either PR or Human Resources. After I receive my MBA, I would like to go into management consulting, where I will already be one leg up with my communication degree. As a matter a fact, I will always be one leg up in whatever career path I choose now that I have a strong background in communication.” When asked about his experience in the program, Tom said, “Bryant’s communication faculty members are some of the most best natured, caring, and educated individuals I have ever met. When you get into your junior and senior year with them, it almost feels as if you have known these professors your whole life. They really care about you and want you to enjoy what they are teaching… Bryant’s communication department is second to none. They work harder than anyone to make sure their students understand what they are teaching, not just memorizing information for exams.” |
 Pat Doherty is a senior Communication major and a member of the Media Production Club. “The first thing that sticks out in my mind about Communication as a major,” says Pat, “is the interaction with professors. Every professor that I have had for my Comm. courses has been willing to spend that extra time with me and my classmates in order [for us] to succeed in and outside of the classroom. I have talked with professors about everything from academics to soccer to possible career opportunities. The classes are very hands on.” Pat also appreciates the importance of his Business classes; in fact, that’s one of the reasons Pat chose Bryant. “Communication is my major but Bryant has a very strong and respected business program and I know that this will benefit me in the future. No matter what direction I head in after college, I know that having a core in business will benefit me greatly. There are thousands and thousands of jobs out there, but they are all business related and having a communication degree mixed with a core of business education will put me ahead of other graduates competing for the same jobs.” Pat is originally from Easton, MA where he attended Oliver Ames High School. |
 Wilberte Paul graduated from Bryant in 2007 with a degree in Communication, and received the Communication Award at Commencement. It is an understatement to say that Wilberte was involved with campus life at Bryant. She was President of the Multicultural Student Union, in the Alliance for Women’s Awareness, on the Diversity Council, a founder of the Diversity Advocates, a student ambassador, and a Vagina Monologues Warrior (just to name a few). Wilberte believes that Communication is a challenging major, but says, “My professors made it interesting and it’s different from any other classes you take at Bryant because you get the coolest, funniest, most personable teachers.” She has had three internships during her time at Bryant. The last one was at Macy’s in New York City — and led to her current job there where coordinates regional special events such as the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. “I loved it!” says Wilberte. “My experience here has been very good…The Communication and Business classes have prepared me to present myself well and to network.” |
Diana Rostkowski came to Bryant from New Britain High School in Connecticut, wanting to get involved and make a difference. And that is indeed what she has done! Only in her sophomore year, Diana has already served as the Director of the Northern Rhode Island Special Olympics Games, the Public Relations Chair for Boundless Playgrounds, and the Vice President of the Freshmen Class Committee. This year, Diana is the President of the Communication Society. She is majoring in Communication, she says, “because that is where my skills and interests lie.” She enjoys public speaking, writing, and interacting with people. Small class size and strong faculty support make the Communication majors a community within the Bryant Community, Diana explains, and the business core is giving her important organizational and managerial skills. “I absolutely love being a Communication major at Bryant… I enjoy working with other communication majors; we often work together, study for exams together, and complete assignments together. Thanks to the student-faculty ratio, approaching faculty at any level is easy and everyone is always supportive.” Diana is looking forward to a career as Public Relations advisor for a nonprofit organization.
Jacqueline Bessette is a 2006 graduate of the Communication program. Originally from Hampton, New Hampshire where she attended Winnacunnet High School, Jacqueline said she came to Bryant because she knew from friends and family that it had a great reputation and she loved the campus. When she first arrived, though, Jacqueline wasn’t exactly sure what she wanted to do. But, after taking her first course in communication Jacqueline knew “that was exactly what I wanted to study.” As she explains of her experience in the Communication program, “Every class was interesting and you actually get to participate and share your opinions. The professors encourage the students to express their minds and really push students to achieve excellence. Bryant is a great school and really geared me in the right direction. Through mentorship from professors and all my classes, I figured out what I wanted to do in the future.” And what is she doing now? Jacqueline is enrolled in one of the top Master’s programs in the nation, San Diego State University. From there, she plans to get her doctorate in Communication and become a professor. During her senior year at Bryant, Jacqueline was President of the Communication Society and encourages students to get involved to make the most of their Bryant experience: “As President of the Communication Society, I was really able to network and build strong relationships with faculty, students, and numerous companies throughout the area. I was also able to participate in community service projects that were related to Communication, which enhanced my overall experience at Bryant.”
Lisa Freeman graduated with a degree in Communication from Bryant in 2005. She currently lives in Boston, where she is pursuing a Master’s in Health Communication at Emerson College. As she says, “There are so many areas within Health Communication that I enjoy: patient-provider interaction, the media, and creation of awareness and prevention campaigns. But when I finish my Master’s, I want to do Health Communication/Risk Management for a cruise line.” Lisa sees her background in Business as essential to her success in the field of Health Communication. As she explains, “Studying Communication AND Marketing at Bryant gave me an extra boost to be prepared for graduate school. Since Health Communication is basically marketing for a health behavior instead of a product, it gave me a great foundation.” Lisa believes that her Communication professors were a “different breed…friendly, open, and down to earth, just the right mixture to make students feel at ease.” As for her time with us, she says “I absolutely loved my experience at Bryant and would go back there in a heartbeat. I made so many friends during my time there through classes, clubs, as a member of the Track team, and just by living in the dorms. One of the most important things I got out of Bryant was confidence. Not only did I learn more about who I was, but also what I was capable of.”
Andrea Piccarelli is currently the Human Resources Manager at a unionized manufacturing facility for Tyco International. As such, she is the lead spokesperson for all union interactions and negotiations and provides Human Resources support to the entire facility, including recruiting, training, discipline, benefits, payroll, policy implementation, community outreach, retention, wellness programs, etc. Andrea actually graduated from Bryant three times! In 2002, she received her Bachelor’s degree in Management with a minor in Communication. After earning her MBA in June 2004, Andrea decided that it was a good time to return to Bryant and finish her Bachelor’s degree in Communication. She graduated this past spring. Andrea finds that her understanding of both Business and Communication is a powerful combination for career advancement. “Being in the Human Resources profession, I need to have a high level of technical skills, people skills, and communication skills. The fact that I hold both a Business and Communication degree, shows that I do in fact possess the unique skill set required to function in my profession. On any given day, I act as the company spokesperson, write policies, negotiate contracts, discipline employees, facilitate training, etc. all of which require technical knowledge, but also the ability to be a strong communicator.” Andrea had three internships while at Bryant: one in Communication with Log On America, one in Management with The Massachusetts Governor’s Office for Brownfields Revitalization, and one in Human Resources with Filene’s. As she explains, “As someone who regularly recruits recent college graduates for my company, I can tell you that my internship experiences are the number one reason I was initially offered a job with Tyco.” Andrea says that when she looks back on her experience at Bryant, she believes the classes she thought were going to be the most challenging and have the biggest course load were actually the ones that she got the most out of. “It is amazing when you are pushed by a professor, how much you learn about a subject and yourself.”