Annie is a 2016 graduate of Southeast.
She majored in corporate communication and minored in business administration. She
is now pursuing an M.S. in student affairs in higher education at Missouri State.
At the same time, Annie works as programming graduate assistant for the Office of
Student Engagement at the university, principally working with Student Activities
Council. In that capacity, she advises five of the 13 executive members and oversees
final approval of the organization’s graphic designs, reviews advisees’ proposals
for upcoming events, and purchases supplies and other requisitions.
Annie’s area of study is ideal for her future plans. Student Affairs is a unique division
in higher education. Areas under this division include (but are not limited to) Admissions,
Conduct, Study Away, and TRIO. Through her program, she studies topics such as diversity
and inclusion, finance and governance, and student development theory. Research and
assessment are integral parts of her program as well. Her research (current and future)
is part of a partnership with various departments and offices within student affairs
at Missouri State University. Her involvement within student affairs at Missouri State
includes participating in the student affairs’ honor society—Chi Sigma Alpha, serving
as the Cohort 11 representative to the Student Affairs in Higher Education Program
Advisory Board, and as a member of the marketing subcommittee for the Graduate Recruitment
Weekend committee. Annie hopes to participate in a summer internship program through
NODA, the professional organization related to orientation. She hopes to continue
to build relationships with her students and peers. She aspires to help students recognize
and fulfill their potential, discover their passion, and create a sense of community/belonging.
At Southeast, Annie chose Corporate Communication because of her experience in the
Honors’ section of Fundamentals of Oral Communication, which introduced her to the
field. She appreciated how the skills and material she was learning in the classroom
could be applied in any industry. She enjoyed the diversity of classes in the interdisciplinary
degree and how the courses challenged both her creativity and intellect in an engaging
environment—in the Department of Communication Studies as well as the Department of
Management & Marketing. In the Summer of 2015, Annie interned with the License and
Title Team at Enterprise Fleet in St. Louis.
During her time at Southeast, Annie served as president of Lambda Pi Eta and was an
active member of COMMrades (known now as Collegiate Communication Organization).
She was the first “concierge” for the department and the first recipient of Gw’s Achievement
& Service Award in Communication Studies. Outside of the department, she was an active
participant in the Jane Stephens Honors program, participant of the Center for Strategic
and International Studies (CSIS) partnership program, and orientation leader for the
Office of New Student Programs.
Recalling her days at Southeast, Annie writes:
"The Department of Communication Studies provided me a sense of belonging and a support
network on campus. I cherish the relationships built with faculty and classmates and
the numerous opportunities the department provided me, such as serving as concierge.
My favorite memories include Dr. Williams riding out of class on a miniature bicycle
(donning full safety gear), the first years of the Santa Express (with Professors
Harris & Holley and my fellow COMMrades), and Dr. Kodish bringing chocolates to class
to celebrate Valentine’s Day. My favorite classes from the Department of Communication
Studies included Honors Fundamentals of Oral Communication, Persuasion, Organizational
Theory, and Experiential Learning Projects where I assisted in the Speaker’s Lab for
one project and created a manual for COMMrades and Lambda Pi Eta executives as another
project. Thank you, Comm Studies!"