Bessie McManus

School/Division	Division of Communication & Creative Media
Class	2018
Pronouns	She/Her/Hers
Hometown	Sutton, VT
Study Abroad	Buenos Aires, Argentina

Internship

Development & Communications Intern at Steps to End Domestic Violence in Burlington, VT

Post-Grad Job

Hotline & Volunteer Manager at Steps to End Domestic Violence in Burlington, VT

Have you had the chance to study abroad?

I studied abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina, which was a life-changing experience. As a Communication major, it was fascinating to live 5,000 miles away from a familiar face and realize that my knowledge of how to communicate effectively is only based on my experiences as a U.S. citizen. When it comes to intercultural communication, I have so much more to learn!

What drew you to the Communication major?

I wanted a major that would allow me to experiment. I didn’t know what field I wanted to go into, but I knew I wanted to work with people and hone my interpersonal skills. As a Communication major, I’ve taken all sorts of classes—Marketing, Audio Production, Public Relations. It’s so nice to test the waters and think about what I might want to do, and what I definitely don’t want to do.

What has been the best part of your Champlain experience?

I feel so grateful to be a part of this community. The faculty’s support has given me the confidence I need to not only be successful in my career, but to really reflect on and stay true to who I am. It sounds heavy, I know, but the support I’ve received from my professors has warmed my heart. I have learned to celebrate myself, but also what I still need to work on. Class projects have set me up to have a killer portfolio, and my internships have helped give me insight as to where I could see myself in the workforce. You probably won’t realize as it’s happening, but Champlain changes your life for the better.