Guest Post! Meet Alyssa + Spotlight on Franklin Students
Dear Readers,
This week, I am pleased to bring you a guest post by a
talented writer and hard-working student on campus. Keep scrolling to learn
more about Alyssa, what she does at Franklin, and what she prepared for this
week's post! Enjoy.
. . . . . . . . . . . .
Hi everyone!
My name is Alyssa Viernes, and I am a Junior here at
Franklin University Switzerland. My major is Visual Communication Arts with an
emphasis in Fashion Studies and a minor in Marketing. If you’re not familiar
with me already, check out my Franklin related posts here. My post on
Odyssey, “8
Misconceptions about Franklin University Switzerland” already has 889 views
and 103 social media shares!
Our Franklin blogger, Gabrielle, asked me to guest-post on
Adventures at Franklin. I thought about what I could write about, and decided
writing about my experiences working for the Annual Franklin Phonathon would be
an interesting topic.
In case you don't know what the Phonathon is, it is an event
practiced by many American universities in which students reach out to alumni.
It often leads to interesting conversations between current and graduated
students.
During the Phonathon, students are able to update alumni
about current events at Franklin. I went around campus to ask students to
answer questions that I frequently received from alumni while working at this
event.
Keep reading to find out what students had to say.
. . .
Name: Dilan
Hettiarachchi
Year: Junior
Major:
International Management with an emphasis in Marketing
Hometown:
Potomac, Maryland
Franklin Fun Fact: “I am a
Falcon’s Nest monitor, admissions ambassador, and treasurer for the student
government”
What was your favorite Academic Travel course and why?
“My favorite travel was ENV 230: Freshwater Conservation with
Professor Della Croce, because the places we went to in Italy and Slovenia were
really unique. I would never have gone there if it wasn’t for the travel.”
What was your favorite travel destination beyond Academic Travel?
“My favorite place I’ve been to outside of Academic Travel
is Budapest, because it was really great on a student budget.”
.
Name: Jessica
Borgert
Year: Junior
Major: Double
Major in Communications and Media Studies and International Relations
Hometown: Blaine,
Minnesota
Franklin Fun Fact: “I’ve
been the stage manager for the Franklin Thespian Society since my freshman
year. In our last play, The Exit Interview, I also got to play the character of
stage manager.”
Who is your favorite professor at Franklin?
“I would have to say either Professor Hoey or Dean Sara Steinert Borella. They have great classes and are extremely friendly
professors. SSB’s travels are the best, especially for freshman.”
What is your favorite course you’ve taken at Franklin?
“My favorite class was an Academic Travel course, CLCS 235:
Greek Civilizations and its Discontents, led by Professor Wiedmer. I loved the
class because I was able to interact with the area I was researching. Also, I
was able to freely write on a topic I find interesting, which was political
cartoons and their use of an iconic image of the Syrian refugee crisis in
Europe.”
.
Name: Maddie
McWilliams
Year: Freshman
Major:
Considering Double Major in Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature and
French Studies (Currently Undecided)
Hometown:
Chicago, Illinois
Franklin Fun Fact: “My
favorite Franklin event is Apple McGoober, because it’s a way for me to play
music and tap into the community.”
Where did you go on Academic Travel?
“I was in Dean Sara Steinert Borella’s travel, CLCS 248: European Food Systems. We were studying the relation between food and space. My
favorite thing was going to visit all the artisans and it was really inspiring
to see their passion in their work.”
Did you travel anywhere else this semester?
“I went to Malta right after Academic Travel. If you’re
looking for a change of pace from mainland Europe, Malta’s kind of off the beaten path. I
recommend staying on the main island.”
.
Name: Suraya
Watfa
Year: Senior
Major:
International Relations
Hometown: Dubai,
U.A.E.
Franklin Fun Fact: “My tip
is that the USI library is a great place to have a change of scenery when
studying.”
Who is your favorite professor at Franklin?
“My favorite
professor at Franklin would probably be Professor Cordon. I think I gain a lot
from his classes and he’s a very focused professor; he doesn’t deviate from
what’s important.”
What is your favorite course you’ve taken at Franklin?
“My favorite class is POL 290: Government and Politics of
the Middle East with Professor Bregman. I found it a very interesting topic and
he’s a very good professor.”
.
Name: Juliana
Brito
Year: Senior
Major: Combined
Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature and Political Science
Hometown: Sao
Paulo, Brazil
Franklin Fun Fact: “I’m
the president of the Franklin club PACE!”
Who is your favorite professor at Franklin?
My favorite is Professor Wiedmer, because she gives you the
freedom to write about the things you're passionate about within the class
topic.”
What is your favorite course you’ve taken at Franklin?
“I really like CLCS 371W: Law and Culture with ProfessorWiedmer, because it was during that class that I realized what I wanted to
write about for my thesis. I always had these ‘wow’ moments in class. I also
really like LIT 300: Modernism/Modernity: “Making It New”? with Professor Peat,
because you can tell how much she cares about the topic. Her passion makes it
more exciting to learn. Plus, she’s funny!”
.
Name: Kyle Rolda
Year: Freshman
Major:
Considering Communication and Media Studies (Currently Undecided)
Hometown: Los
Angeles, California
Franklin Fun Fact:
“Professor Sugiyama is my favorite!”
Where did you go on Academic travel?
“I went to French-speaking Switzerland and France with DeanSara Steinert Borella (CLCS 248: European Food Systems). I’ve always said that
food is one of the pinnacles of culture. Because I’m experiencing Switzerland
for the first time this year, it’s been very enlightening.”
Did you travel anywhere else this semester?
“I went to Barcelona
and Munich. I would totally recommend Munich. It had such a cool mixture of
history and innovative technology.”
.
Name: Min Gacayan
Year: Freshman
Major:
Considering International Economics with an emphasis on Political Economy
(Currently Undecided)
Hometown: Baguio,
Philippines
Franklin Fun Fact: “I
really appreciate learning lots of different languages by hearing them from other
students.”
Who is your favorite professor at Franklin?
“My favorite professors
are Professor Dasgupta and Professor Gardiner. I think that both of their
classes have greatly enriched my life and I feel like, as a result, I think
more out of the box.”
What is your favorite course you’ve taken at Franklin?
“My favorite course
is Fair Trade Economics which is my FYS, with Professor Dasgupta. It’s my
favorite because I was never interested in economics beforehand, but now I see
how economics is multidimensional and how, when understood correctly, it could
help social justice causes.”
.
Name: Reema Alireza
Year: Junior
Major:
International Management with an emphasis in Marketing
Hometown: Jeddah,
Saudi Arabia
Franklin Fun Fact: “My
favorite thing about Franklin is the burger truck that comes on Tuesday nights.
That is my absolute favorite thing that has been happening at Franklin since it
started last year! I’ve been a regular customer at Togo’s ever since.”
Who is your favorite professor at Franklin?
“My favorite
professors are Professor Pamela Adams, Professor Sandra Dudukovic, Professor
Nicholas Hemlin, Professor Cordon, and Professor Howard. I like these
professors because they are very professional and they take a personal interest
in students’ progress and learning. They are very reliable when it comes to
emails and contacting them, and I just enjoy business classes, especially
marketing classes.”
What is your favorite course you’ve taken at Franklin?
“My favorite class
was BUS 286 Product and Service Marketing with Professor Pamela Adams. I used
to wake up just to go to that class, because she was always very excited to
teach us and very happy to hear what the students had to say. She was very good
at teaching the subject and very passionate about it. I also liked BUS 385:
Consumer Behavior in International Marketing with Professor Howard, because he
related everything we were learning to real life. He was also genuinely
interested in everyone’s progress, passionate about teaching, passionate about
the subject, and took a personal interest into everyone in his class. He was
very encouraging to everyone and very happy to help outside of class.”
.
Name: N.
Year: Sophomore
Major: Combined
History and Art History with Minor in Environmental Science
From: India
Franklin Fun Fact: “I
wholeheartedly contribute to the organization of Franklin's Holi celebration.”
What events do you enjoy most at Franklin?
“My Art History classes have been taking me on museum visits,
which is great. Also, I currently teach yoga here at Franklin, and it gives me
happiness to spread ancient knowledge to the international community.”
What is your dream job? How do you think the Franklin experience will
prepare you for it?
“My dream job is to be a curator in art history museums and
to continue teaching yoga. I feel that the Franklin experience is providing me
with a strong foundational base for my career by giving me confidence to face
the world.”
.
Name: Sydney
Turnwald
Year: Senior
Major: Combined
Communications and Media Studies and Psychology
Hometown:
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Franklin Fun Fact: “I work
in the Library.”
What was your favorite Academic Travel course and why?
“My favorite travel
was History of Modern Ireland with Professor Hoey. What we were covering in
class really corresponded with where we went on travel. I felt completely
prepared to understand the places where we were at: their significance in
history, and how they fit into the material, and what we were supposed to learn
at each site. Also, Ireland is a beautiful country, and we still had a good
amount of time to explore by ourselves”
What was your favorite travel destination beyond Academic Travel?
“My favorite trip was
the one I took to Budapest my freshman year. It’s not necessarily my favorite
city, but it was my favorite trip, because it was a lot of fun with good people
and great food. It was also the first trip I planned by myself, and so it will
always have special memories.”
.
Name: Veronica
Apache
Year: Senior
Major: Visual
Communications Art with an emphasis in Fashion Studies
Hometown: Bogotá,
Colombia
Franklin Fun Fact: “I’m
the president of the Latin-American Club.”
What was your favorite Academic Travel course and why?
“My favorite travel
was ENV 200: Understanding Environmental Issues in Iceland, because it was the
perfect mixture of academics and practical work. It was very well-organized and
got to connect with the actual culture, and not be tourists”
What was your favorite travel destination beyond Academic Travel?
“My favorite place I’ve
visited outside of Academic travel is London, because of the mixture of
cultures and the events available.”
.
Name: Pamela
Herrera
Year: Junior
Major: Double
Major in International Economics and International Business and Finance
Hometown:
Monterrey, Mexico
Franklin Fun Fact: “I’m a
Resident Assistant!”
Who is your favorite professor at Franklin?
“My favorite professor is Professor Dudukovic. She
encourages students to not just memorize, but to understand what we’re doing
and look forward to doing it.”
What is your favorite course you’ve taken at Franklin?
“I’m torn between BUS
306: Quantitative Methods and Dynamic Forecasting with Professor Dudukovic and
ECN 265: Managerial Economics with Professor Dasgupta. For Quantitative
Methods, we turn the models we learn in class into real life situations. It’s
really interesting to see how it works. Managerial Economics has a lot of math
and I love that. It’s microeconomics - you can apply that to businesses,
households, etc.”
.
Name: Diego
Barrenechea
Year: Junior
Major: Double
Major in Art History and Communications and Media Studies
Hometown:
Monterrey, Mexico
Franklin Fun Fact: “I work
for admissions and I get to tour prospective students around the school.”
What events do you enjoy most at Franklin?
“My favorite Franklin event is Latin American Night, because
it is a chance for us to show off our traditional food and music. It’s such a
nice community and we want to show our beautiful distinct cultures.”
What is your dream job? How do you think the Franklin experience will
prepare you for it?
“My dream job would
be something related with combination of my majors: Art History and
Communications and Media Studies. I’m really interested in how social media
relates to museums. I would be interested in being the social media
correspondent at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET). Franklin has allowed me
to learn so much about European art history and has allowed me to pursue a 3rd
language. I am able to travel and update my personal art history blog, because
of Franklin’s prime location.”
.
Name: Guanchen
Liu
Year: Sophomore
Major:
International Management with an emphasis in Marketing
Hometown:
Shanghai, China
Franklin Fun Fact: “I
recommend everyone to go on the Franklin Swiss Bus Tour!”
What was your favorite Academic Travel course and why?
“My favorite Academic travel was STA 280: Adventures in
Printmaking with Professor Zdanski, because I’ve always liked art and this
travel taught me new techniques for doing artwork.”
What was your favorite travel destination beyond Academic Travel?
“My favorite place that I’ve gone to outside of Academic
travel is Florence, because the city is a center of art. There are many museums,
and there are many famous paintings in the city. I recommend the gelato there!”
.
Name: Ariana
Satina
Year: Junior
Major:
Communications and Media Studies
Hometown:
Leesburg, Virginia
Franklin Fun Fact:
"I'm learning to quickly adapt and acclimate to new environments,
cultures, and people - I don't think I would have learned this if I went to
school in the States.”
What was your favorite Academic Travel course and why?
“My favorite Academic
travel was COM 220: Symbolizing Scottish Folk in Scotland with Professor Vogelaar, because the class excursions that we had were relevant to what we
learned in class as well as interesting. Also, the Highlands in Scotland are
beautiful and remind me of my home region.”
What was your favorite travel destination beyond Academic Travel?
“One of my favorite
places that I’ve gone to outside of Academic travel is Colmar, France, because
the journey to get there was beautiful. Colmar itself was a quaint and
delightful town. I recommend people to bike in Colmar as there are decent bike
trails and refreshing views.”
. . .
Wow, looking at all these responses has me thinking that
Franklin is a place for unique and amazing opportunities. Not only do we get to
travel Europe and study it closely, but Franklin provides us with awesome in-class
experiences with quality professors.
As for me, if you’re wondering what I think of Franklin,
I’ll answer some questions myself:
What is your favorite course you’ve taken at Franklin?
I’ve had many good classes at Franklin. Three unforgettable
classes for me have been CLCS 245: Critical Approaches to the Graphic Novel
with Professor Gardiner, STA 200: Computer Graphics in Advertising with
Professor Triacca and Professor Heubi, and CLCS 300: (Re)Defining Masculinity
with Professor Saveau.
In the Graphic Novel class, we defined the difference
between a comic and a graphic novel. I was always interested in graphic novels,
due to manga, but it was really amazing to see the power of the image and its
ability to convey serious topics in a way that is much easier to digest. My
favorite graphic novel from this class is One Hundred Demons by Lynda Barry,
because of its connection to the Filipino-American experience. I ended up
writing my final paper around this topic. I really liked my computer graphics class,
because I was able to tap into my own creativity while also dealing with the
challenges of making sure the finished logo conveyed the company/individual’s
image. Last, I’ve been really enjoying my class on masculinity, because of the
discussions we have in class. The readings are insightful, and together with
the opinions in class, I feel that I look at society in a more critical light.
What are your thoughts on your Franklin experience?
Every day I think that there is no way I could attend any
university other than Franklin. Being able to travel freely across Europe and
be with so many people from different paths of life, the Franklin experience is
amazing and extremely gratifying.
.
Well, that’s it from me. Thank you to everyone who
participated! (Especially since I asked you all during what is basically
already finals week.)
Follow my Franklin experience on Instagram (@afridayhabit).
Want to put a face to the names mentioned in this article?
Also, you can learn more about Franklin from an alumni
perspective through this recent Franklin University Switzerland YouTube
video!
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