By Kimberly Wilkes, 2021 MSU StratCom graduate
Acquiring an invitation to the philosophical professionals' table can be an elusive achievement. Years of experience reinforced by two bachelor’s degrees from a Big Ten University often did not legitimize contribution. One might fairly argue the clarity of this illustration as proof of systemic failure in recognizing value, however; in contrast the desire to have a seat at this table and for my voice to be heard is what drove me to ensure a dream I had years ago would finally come to fruition.
The StratCom program and master’s degree for me was decades in the making. Its acquisition has since been the conduit that has enabled me to not only have an actionable voice amongst professionals, but it has also propelled me into spaces I had never imagined both professionally and personally. Data analytic tools and digital media resources have equipped me with a career skillset valuable for a new stage of my career. Even as a full-time single working parent, the StratCom program has unlocked transferrable skills that enable me to communicate amongst a generation that my 12-year-old finds semi-acceptable.
The resulting epiphanies are really not rocket science. First, it’s never too late to get started on earning your StratCom degree. The team from administration, faculty to classmates truly are a community and will help you take that first step. Second, and for me this was the eye-opener, your voice matters. It really isn’t about the degree, the piece of paper you receive when it’s all said and done, but about what you have to say. The StratCom program is just another tool in the toolbox to help leverage the already existing voice within. Today my career is better, I am better, because of my time in the MSU StratCom program.