Students

Letter to New Students:

May 1, 2008

Dear New Student,

Congratulations on your acceptance to the Cal State Channel Islands Communication department! My name is Katie Feddersen and I am only a few weeks away from graduating with a degree in Communication and an emphasis in Business and Non-Profits. I transferred from Moorpark College to CSUCI as a junior, and have had an amazing experience here at Channel Islands.

The Communication department at CSUCI is new; therefore there is a lot of student involvement in creating a student-centered program. Professors are dedicated to their students and want to provide them with the necessary tools to have a great future both personally and professionally. Communication is a complex field that will offer you several exciting career options. A few topics you will study while you are at CSUCI are interpersonal, cultural, organizational, and group communication. These courses will enable you to communicate effectively in large and small groups as well as on a one on one basis. The course work is challenging; however, when you graduate you will have confidence, life skills, and be ready for the professional world.

The next four years will fly by (trust me) if you want to be a well-rounded person and have a life changing experience than I strongly suggest enrolling at CSUCI. Make the most of your time here because you have the opportunity to be a part of something amazing and help create a stand out program. Congratulations and best of luck!

Sincerely,

Katie Feddersen

Alumni Profiles
Name: Lauren Julian
Major: Communication
Emphasis: Business
Minor: English
Job After Graduation: Working on it
Co-Curriculum Activities: Active Member of the Honor Society at CSUCI, Gamma Beta Phi
Experience: 3 and 1/2 years at Simi Children's Dental Group as an office assistant, 2 years at CSUCI as a student assistant in the Math, Physics, and Computer Science Department
Favorite Class: Speech Communication and Cultural Conversations

Name: Steven Puente
Major: Communication
Emphasis: Business/Non-Profit
Job After Graduation: Marketing Position with Sidney Frank Importing Co.
Experience: Working in Sales/Customer Service for the last 8 years. AA Degree from Moorpark College. Graduating from CSUCI after 2 years with BA.
Favorite Class: Cultural Conversations and Management of Organizations

Name: Monica Rottman
Major: Communication
Emphasis: Environmental Studies
Experience: Working in sales and customer service for 4 years. AA Degree from Santa Barbara City College.
Favorite Class: Hands down, Environmental Communication

Name: Jon Nelson
Major: Communication
Emphasis: Non-profit business
Job After Graduation: Traveling and working on my print business
Co-Curricular Activities: Charity events, traveling, and golf
Experience: 10 years of customer service and sales, 6 years as a golf assistant, AA Ventura College, and BA from CSUCI.
Favorite class: Cultural Communication and Management of International Business

Name: Katie Feddersen
Major /Emphasis: Communication with an emphasis in business and non-profit
Job after college: Account manager at Feddersen & Co. LLP. CPA’s
Co-Curricular Activities: Exercising, being in the sun, and being with friends and family.
Experience: Four years in the restaurant business, one year of bookkeeping, and an internship doing event planning for Guide Dogs of America. AA from Moorpark College
Favorite Class: Group Communication & Cultural Communication

Advice from Alumni

What one piece of advice would you give to current comm. students?

Study! Keep up with the readings and assignments because you don't want to show up to lecture one day and find that you have no idea what the professor is talking about.

-- Monica Rottman. ‘08

See a counselor and plan ahead because the time goes by extremely fast.

-- Katie Feddersen, ‘08

Use the Career Center! You can use it to find internships, a job, have your resume looked over, or attend any of the helpful workshops that are offered. One more piece of advice, since the Communication major is so broad, figure out what your strengths are and look for jobs that require those particular skills.

-- Erin Andersson, ‘08