senior – COM Ambassador Blog

Sydney: Time Flies When You’re Having Fun!

Four years ago, I came into BU confused and unsure of where it would take me. Fast forward to now, and I have been lucky enough to not only call Boston a second home, but studied abroad in both Dublin, Madrid, and next semester, Los Angeles.

Although I am sad my time in Boston is coming to an end, I am grateful for the opportunities I’ve had the past few years with some of the most amazing friends.

I came to BU undecided with my major; I had no idea what I wanted to study and where the major would take me. I considered communications, business, and even nutrition. I joined several clubs such as BUTV, Her Network, and Student Government. Communications became my main interest, so after taking COM 101 freshman spring, I decided to declare my major in Public Relations. Freshman year really taught me to be open to new things, new people, and a new environment.

The summer after freshman year I had the opportunity to intern at NBC New York. This was my first real internship and I had an amazing experience learning about what it takes to work in a newsroom, especially one as highly regarded as NBC. Working out of 30 Rockefeller Plaza was a dream. It also confirmed my confidence in my recently declared major; I realized I did not want to be a journalist and that PR was the right choice.

Coming back to school sophomore year was so exciting; I was eager to be back on campus and reunite with my friends who I hadn’t seen all summer. I joined PRSSA, learning so much about the field of Public Relations. I spent the year as a Victoria’s Secret PINK Brand Ambassador, when we came so close to winning a free concert on BU’s campus out of over 100 schools. I planned a free yoga class and other events for PINK, as well as was flown to New York to visit the Victoria’s Secret headquarters. I became a COM Ambassador and joined my sorority, Sigma Kappa, meeting so many new, amazing people!

The summer after sophomore year I decided to study abroad in Dublin. I had never spent more than a week in another country before this, so I was extremely excited to immerse myself in a new city, learn about their culture, travel, as well as intern at Ali Coffey Casting. Spending the summer in Dublin was a dream; I made so many new friends from the program, and traveled around Ireland and Europe. I became so much more independent, and I miss my time in Dublin every day.

The fall of my junior year I was a Communications Intern in the Department of Biomedical Informatics at Harvard Medical School. I found this internship on Handshake, and although it did not align with my career goals of working in the entertainment industry, I learned more than I ever thought I would about the medical field, as well as discovered a new area of Boston- the Longwood area. This was my first semester being assigned a COM Ambassador group, and I really enjoyed helping mentor freshman and serve as a resource with their transition into college. My second semester junior year I studied abroad in Madrid, which was an amazing experience. The Madrid program was so different from my Dublin program because for one, I lived with a host family (who I miss so much!), there was a different language, and I met even more new friends. I traveled so much around Europe during those four months, and fell in love with the city of Madrid. I interned at a magazine called HELLO!, learning more about the journalism side of the entertainment industry. Although they were different, both of my study abroad opportunities were amazing experiences.

This past summer, I found an internship in LA at William Morris Endeavor, where I interned with students from all over the country, and further developed my passion for working in the entertainment industry.

This semester, I have been enjoying my last few months in Boston as much as I could. I am interning at Boston Casting, where I have been able to be an extra for a TV show, as well as learn about casting for feature films. I am spending a lot of time with my friends, who I will not see for a while since I will not be in Boston with them next semester. I’ve also been trying to explore different parts of Boston one last time.

Reflecting on these past few years have made me extremely grateful and feel so lucky for all the opportunities I have experienced, and the friendships I have made. Every experience has helped me grow immensely as an individual, and I know I will always keep growing. Next semester I am heading back to LA, this time on the BU Study Abroad Program. I am eager to be back in La La Land, and am so excited for the experiences coming my way. Although I will miss Boston, I know the LA program will bring even more opportunities and friendships to my life.

I will see you at graduation, Boston.

Megan: Life Lessons from BU

After 7 semesters and 3 summers, my time at Boston University is drawing to a close. I will carry the memories and lessons I’ve learned long after I graduate in January, but it feels very bittersweet for my time as a student to be ending after such a wonderful experience! I’ve decided to go through and reflect on what I learned during the time I was a BU student.

Fall 2015
I was so nervous before I moved in about making friends and getting to know a city I had only visited for short periods of time. But, I was able to form a community by doing FYSOP my first week of college, befriending all of the people on my floor in Warren Towers (5C!), and joining lots and lots of clubs. It seemed silly to be afraid after meeting so many people I could relate to.

Spring 2016
This was the semester that I found my home at BU: COM Undergraduate Affairs. I really looked forward to being, and to stopping by whenever I was in COM. It was where I really found people with similar interests and passions. I also learned how much fun PDP’s are while I took a golf and swim class!

Summer 2016
I spent my first summer after college back home in Maryland, and it was the second-best summer of my entire life! It was so important for me after a school year of change to be able to come home and be with the friends I had grown up with, to nanny for the kids I love, and to sleep in my own room.

Fall 2016
This was undoubtedly the best semester of my college career. I became best friends with the greatest friend I’ve ever had, CA Claire, and realized what it meant to find a near-perfect friendship. I also worked harder than I ever had on Bay State, the BUTV10 show, and felt more confident than I ever had in my classes and what I was doing.

Spring 2017
I went from my best semester in college to my worst. Though I was doing lots of fun things, like being an assistant stage manager for BU On Broadway’s Legally Blonde, and directing on Bay State, I was doing totally too much and my mental health suffered. But, I learned how to prioritize the activities and friendships that matter, and to stick close with the friends that would be there for me through the tough times.

Summer 2017
Staying in Boston for the summer was an outstanding experience. The weather was great, I was working for Orientation, and I did my first internship. Claire and I did our fair share of cooking, and visited as many beaches as we could. We also took time to visit family in NYC and Maryland, which was super important after not being home for so long.

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Fall 2017
This was the semester that I had an hour long lunch break at my internship in the heart of Boston, meaning I was constantly exploring and visiting my favorite place, the Boston Harbor. I also got to read feature film scripts for the first time, and made some really wonderful new friends as I took on bigger leadership roles.

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Spring 2018
My last semester in Boston was amazing because I interned at WGBH in their Children’s Programming department, and finally felt like I had found where in the entertainment industry I belonged. It was the best feeling in the world getting to go there, while also experiencing my favorite things in Boston for the last time. I miss Regina’s Pizzeria in the North End every day.

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Summer 2018
The BEST summer of my life! I got to go abroad to London and explore England, Ireland, France, Belgium, and Amsterdam, and learned what it meant to really fall in love with a city. I had never felt so clearly that I belonged somewhere, and I miss it every single day. I also got to teach a bunch of Europeans how to make s’mores, and changed their lives forever!

Fall 2018
My final semester of college has been devoted to “studying abroad” in Los Angeles, and preparing for a post-college world. I have had the opportunity to intern at what I think is probably the best place in the world, DreamWorks, and feel ready to enter the workforce and begin to make the magic I always dreamed I would.

There are so many opportunities I haven’t gotten to mention in my final blog post, but I would be remiss if I didn’t mention how much being a COM Ambassador has meant to me. I have been able to make wonderful friends, meet amazing prospective students and their families, and share my love of BU to thousands of people. That’s craziness, and I am so so thankful for COM. I’ll miss college very much, but I know it has helped me get right where I need to be.

Dany: Hello and Goodbye

First of all, a big congratulations to all of you newly accepted COM Terriers! I’ve already met a few of you guys in our admissions office for Admitted Student Visits, and I can’t wait to meet the rest of you at our Open Houses these next two weeks.

As a senior, this is my last blog post as a COM Ambassador which sadly means I won’t be around campus next fall to help you guys adjust and watch you grow into amazing professionals. I know you must all know exactly how I’m feeling, being seniors yourself in high school. It’s time for your next big chapter, and that can definitely be a little overwhelming.

So here a few final pieces of advice, from one senior to another:

1. Sign up for everything. Your freshman year is about jumping out of your comfort zone. The great thing about BU and COM is that there’s no hierarchy or requirements for joining clubs and organizations. Go to meetings, get on email lists, talk to the E-Boards. This is your chance to try a little bit of everything. And when you find something that sticks, dive into it heart and soul.

2. Explore the city. I cannot stress this enough. Don’t wait for the weekends to make plans. Grab dinner in the North End on a Wednesday night. Have a picnic in the Common on a Monday afternoon. The weather gets cold quick so take advantage of any free moment. Let yourself be a tourist. Because it’s amazing how you can live somewhere and never visit it.

3. Be nice to people on the way up. You might meet them again on your way down. College isn’t a straight line - it’s a roller coaster. And along the way, you’re going to meet some truly remarkable people. People who will go out of their way to help you. Always look for the next opportunity to return the favor. The most valuable thing I’ve learned is that COM isn’t a competition. It’s a community.

You are all part of our COMmunity now. Even though I’m graduating this May, please don’t ever hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns. You guys are in for a phenomenal ride. Make the most of it!

Congratulations again, and welcome to Boston University!

Jason: Just Go For It

Just go for it.

This is the message I’d like to leave you with for my last COM Ambassador blog post.

Over the course of my four years at Boston University I’ve monitored planetary nebula at BU’s observatory in Flagstaff, lived, worked, and studied for four months in Madrid, and produced content for a national sports event. I’ve taken a number of classes outside of my major: Spain and the European Union, Sociology of Deviance, and Controversies in Public Health, just to name a few.

The experiences I’ve had in my last semester speak to everything I’ve learned thus far. Working on my own startup app, proposing social media strategies for airline companies, and joining the ski team are all ventures I never would have considered to have any value. But opportunities arise in places where you least expect. Because of the people I’ve met through my business class, for example, I’ve taken on three new freelance jobs and am now connected to an entire network of creative professionals.

There’s not much else to it. There’s certainly something to be said about managing your workload and how many projects you involve yourself with—not to mention spending time with your friends, practicing your hobbies, and other activities—but as they say, “YOLO.” Or in this case, YOLICO, you only live in college once. So maybe that’s the message I’d like to leave you with for my last COM Ambassador blog post. Take on projects that will foster your success, build meaningful relationships and YOLICO.

PEACE!

Jason: Countdown to the Finish!

It may be snowy here in Boston, but things are heating up for me at BU! As I mentioned in previous post this is my last semester-- so anyone who knows of any job openings... Just kidding. But I've started to solidify my post college plans and so far things are looking pretty good.

Right now the most exciting thing in the way of what I'll be doing after BU is my recent acceptance for an internship at CBS News! I still don't know my placement in the big world of CBS but it's still very exciting to have been offered this opportunity.

This semester I'm going a little out of my comfort zone and taking a couple business classes. One class, TV to Tablets, focuses on how the television and film industries are using new media to promote their products. The second class, Media Entrepreneurship is very unique class. I'll actually be creating a business plan and a pitch that could turn into a real business!

For now I'll end with a little self promotion. If you're interested in some of the work I've been doing check out my new website, jasonkashdan.com. Comment at the end of this post if you guys have any feedback. I'd love to hear it!

Thanks and stay tuned for more later in the semester! And as always make sure you're checking up for the newest episode of COMlife.