Meet Our Students - Charmy
Year: |
Graduate Student |
| Hometown: |
Cauayan City, Philippines |
Major: |
Mass Communications |
|
Career goal: |
My career goal is to finish my Masters
degree with flying colors and go back to my home country- the
Philippines then apply and share my expertise. My job and my
community in the Philippines are waiting for my return. I am one
of the broadcast journalists of the number one radio network in
the Philippines. |
Did you get a scholarship? |
Yes, I got a full
scholarship grant from International Ford Foundation. |
List 3 things you love about Tampa, Florida, or the United
States: |
1. Way of life = it is
not a highly urbanized city like New York, and it is not very
country either. It is just a good place to study.
2. Florida’s weather = not so different from my country. The
temperature makes me (people) keep going. Extreme cold weather
in other states, I guess makes some people depressed/despondent.
However, summer sometimes gets too hot yet humid in Florida. Of
course we cannot get the best of everything.
3. Florida has a lot of attractions especially in Orlando and
Miami. |
3 things I love about USF: |
1. Diversity - I love to
see students and staff of different color/races around the
campus. This scenario makes me feel, I am not lost. I am in a
“global community”. Interacting with them especially to
international students broadens my horizon – my knowledge of
geography, culture, and humanity improves.
2. Amiability of faculty, staff and students- Being raised in a
very conservative family and country, I prepared myself to see
cultural differences in my coming to the U.S. I expected very
liberal practices that I might not be able to stomach, but it
did not happen. Southerners are not as liberally wild as I
thought and that popular culture as publicized in the media is
not a bucket of truth. I also expected alienation because of my
brown color and that I was ready to meet head on this challenge
and to bear out former U. S. President Abraham Lincoln’s
statement that “all men are created equal under God,” but again,
this I did not have to do. Faculty, staff, and students are warm
and accommodating. They made me feel I belong.
3. Student government support - Despite some controversies in
the student government in the past days, I still appreciate its
services afforded to students. Student organizations are also
being recognized and given special attention. As I am leading
one organization right now, the more I come to know about
student services. |
|
|
|
|
 |
Why USF? ...
I chose USF because I was attracted with the very comprehensive
program of the School of Mass Communications. Back in the Philippines, I
was asked to list my top four university choices. I had an advisor who
recommended universities in the U.S. for me to consider, but when I
checked them online, I did not have a glimpse of what courses will I be
taking and if my interests will be addressed and considered. The USF’s
Mass Communication graduate program provided the information I wanted to know,
hence, I included USF among my top three universities in the U.S. My
fourth choice was outside the U.S.
|
|
Student Activities ...
I am very much involved in a student organization as I am the
president of Friends of Internationals. As the president of this
organization, I had the opportunity to attend a dinner party with
University President Judy Genshaft. The occasion was exclusive for
student organization presidents and I cherish the experience having an
informal yet informative talk with the university president. I also had
the chance to speak before new students during the orientation sponsored
by ISSS this spring semester. Also, being involved with the
organization, I have the chance to work with North American students and
international students outside school/classes. The organization sponsors
trips, seminars, sports fests, and other activities for students. I am
so glad of being part of the team that plans and executes these
projects. This hones my leadership skills and open avenues for public
relations. Moreover, this gives me the chance to work with different
offices in the university other than my department.
|
|
Have you made new friends
at USF, please share any special experiences or stories?
I made new friends from my class during my first semester in USF.
I made friends with two students; one from France and one from Colombia.
We became very close. Both of them are no longer in USF but we still
communicate regularly and try to meet/party sometimes. Aside from them,
I have made other friends but outside of school. It is a little bit hard
making close friends with other graduate students because almost
everyone has his/her own world after class. |
|
Do you have any other
special experiences or stories to share about your time at USF?
It is a confirmation that most USF faculty and staff are very
supportive. Last summer, when I was working with the
Oracle, I encountered very
supportive and responsive officials, faculty and staff of the
university. They tried to squeeze their time to answer my questions as
they were aware of the deadlines a journalist faces. This made me able
to submit my first assignment for the regular issue two days before the
deadline my news editor gave me. Hence, my article was published a day before its supposed schedule of publication. The
coolest thing about this was that my article became the banner story of
the day. I was surprised to see my article on the front page, as I was
expecting it to be printed yet the following day. I received the same
support in the following weeks of my work with the
Oracle.
USF also was instrumental in making me able to do skydiving. USF has a
club called South Florida Skydiving Bulls. The club president invited me to
skydive. |
|
Most importantly, please tell us
why other students from the Phillipines should choose USF?
First, USF offer programs superior to other universities. Students, of
course should look into their respective field of specialization and see if the
university offer what they want. In this regard, I think I can only speak of the
School of Mass Communications. The School of Mass Communications in USF has
agreed to support me in my quest for knowledge in journalism. Even, the program
does not focus on journalism, the department made arrangement that my interest
in writing is enhanced. Last summer, I worked as a correspondent of the
Oracle.
This gave me hands on experience on how it is being a print journalist. If the
School of Mass Communications was able to attend to my “caprice”, I believe other
department would also be willing to grant the same so long as students lay down
their cards. For some others reasons please refer to my answers in item #10. |
|
