January 03, 2011
Margaret Monahan ‘09CPS, ‘10MPS smiles broadly whenever
she speaks about her two-month internship in Barcelona this past
summer. As part of the requirements for her
M.S. in International Communication, she secured an internship
with WOW Time Media, a
Spanish public relations firm. The assignment extended from the
last week in June through the first week of September 2010.
Margaret, who majored in advertising as a St. John’s undergraduate,
is happy she chose the “right college for my personal development
and career goals.” She also considers herself “unbelievably lucky”
to have had supportive professors like
Basilio Monteiro, Ph.D., Professor and Chair of Mass
Communication. Dr. Monteiro introduced her to the idea of enrolling
in the graduate program on international communication. The program
has led her to extend her horizons to learning about media
opportunities in other countries.
“We
were asked by Dr. Monteiro what we wanted to do to gain hands-on
professional knowledge. I said I wanted to get an internship
overseas,” she noted. By the end of the semester — thanks to Dr.
Monteiro’s contacts — Margaret was on her way to Spain to work at
WOW Time Media. “I had no time for second thoughts,” she
added.
Except for participating in a conference in Vienna along with fellow
International Communication students — Margaret had never been
abroad or on her own. “At first, I was a little anxious,” she
admitted. But, with Dr. Monteiro’s encouragement, she jumped right
in and embraced the opportunity. “My rule was to say yes to
everything that I encountered there,” she said. “Thanks to this
program, the whole experience was magical.”
Read the full story