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Name:
Caryn (Frangella) Torres
Residence:
Chicago, Illinois
Graduation Year:
2000
Major:
Mass Communication
Minor:
Sociology
Why did you choose SJC?
I was impressed with the amount of personal attention
I received during my campus visit. I met with students, and I got a real
feel for the College's atmosphere. I even met with professors in the Communication
Department, who told me about the opportunities I could take advantage of
and the kinds of course offerings they had. That really sold me on the school.
Before my visit, I didn't have my mind made up whether to attend a small
school or a large school, but at SJC, I saw what an impression a professor
could make on a student as an individual. I knew having four years of that
would have a great impact on me. As a student, what were you involved in?
I joined the forensics team and competed in tournaments
throughout the Midwest, and I was involved with the campus radio and television
stations. I also participated in three internships. One of them was for
WLFI-TV in Lafayette, Indiana, where alumna Virginia Johnson '93 served
as my mentor. My job duties included writing copy for evening newscasts,
gathering information and conducting interviews for other reporters, and
editing footage. It was very exciting, but it didn't suit me the way I thought
it would. After that internship, I became more interested in the marketing
and public relations side of communication, so I interned with the Jasper
County chapter of Habitat For Humanity as their Public Relations Spokesperson
and with SJC's Office of Admissions. What are you doing now?
I'm the Marketing Manager for Water Tower Place
in Chicago, one of the city's most popular tourist attractions. I love my
job and the variety it brings to my workday. One day I'm working with the
media, and the next I'm designing an advertising campaign. It keeps me interested.
How did SJC prepare you for the "real world"?
Because of the Core Program, I'm more intelligent
in subjects outside of my major. The extensive reading and writing I did
was a tremendous benefit, and that kind of well rounded, liberal arts education
gave me the wherewithal to be confident in any kind of situation. When I
make a presentation for a board of directors, I'm able to feel comfortable
and confident in myself. The skills that I use at work every day were developed
at SJC. Being at a smaller school really helps to shape you as an individual, and when you get to your junior and senior years, it helps you get that "foot in the door" you need to land that first job. If I'd gone to a college with thousands of students, my professors might not have known what I was interested in, and the opportunities I had at SJC might not have been there.
