Strategic Communication Major Finds Degree Tailored to Her Talents

When Sydney DeMedeiros enrolled at Rhode Island College, she was in the midst of an identity crisis.

“I was completely undecided on a major because I didn’t know what I was good at,” she says. “I knew I was good at talking to people and I knew I was skilled in social media because my generation grew up on it, but I didn’t think I could make a career out of it.”

It was her older brother, who graduated from URI with a degree in communication and sports marketing, who suggested she look into communication. One year out of college and in a great job, he said, “The field of communication is so wide – so open – you can literally do anything.”

“I decided to declare a major in strategic communication in my junior year and I literally love it,” she says.

Her first class was “Intro to PR” with Professor Giselle Auger. She also took public speaking with Assistant Professor Kimberly Martin.

“They made me fall in love with this major,” says DeMedeiros. “I found I was getting 100s on my papers and projects and excited to go to class. ‘Wow,’ I thought, I guess I am good at something.’”

“For the first time, I was also making friends,” she says. “The professors structure their classes so that you have to get to know each other. For instance, there’s a lot of in-class discussions. And though I used to dread group projects, with each group project, I immediately made friends. I’ve met lifelong friends in this major. My classmates are amazing.”

This semester, DeMedeiros, now a senior, is interning for a PR agency focused on beauty, skincare and cosmetics for influencers. She researches new brands, contacts the company and offers them PR services.

“My dream, since I was little, was to work for a big cosmetics firm. It’s been a full-circle moment for me to find a job in something I love,” she says.

DeMedeiros explains that when posting a brand on social media, she’s looking to ensure it is reaching her target audience. She looks for how many likes it is getting, how many comments it is getting, is it moving or is it standing still, are her followers growing or is she losing followers.

Working for a PR firm has been fun, she says, and quite busy. Though it ends this December, DeMedeiros intends to apply for another internship next semester, hopefully working again in the area of social media.

She notes that “the benefits of going into a major like strategic communication is that you’re almost guaranteed a job after you graduate,” and the professors, she says, work hard to make sure you’re successful.

“Rhode Island College has been great for me,” says the 21-year-old. “Though I struggled to find my way those first two years, I’ve learned that success is not based on a timeline. People start majors at different times. People end majors at different times. And age doesn’t matter when it comes to education. Some of the most successful people started on their path later in life. What’s important for me is that I spend my life doing what I love.”
 

For information on a degree in strategic communication, visit Strategic Communication B.A.