Posted by Vanessa, UST Senior, Catholic Studies and Communications and Journalism

If you major in both Catholic Studies and Communications and Journalism, what kind of career will you end up in? The options are seemingly limited. Perhaps you will find yourself writing for your local diocesan newspaper or doing advertising campaigns on behalf of EWTN. You might even declare your final vows and go on to publish your convent’s monthly newsletter. Or, is it actually possible that combining Catholic Studies and Communications and Journalism might open doors rather than close them?
Although I never intended to take part in the Catholic Studies program as a segue into an explicitly Catholic career, most people who are unfamiliar with the program tend to assume as much. My undergraduate experience in Catholic Studies has been a testament to the importance of faith in all areas and situations of life. Our belief in God should not be an aspect of ourselves separate from the others. Above all else, it should be the detail of our being that is most infiltrated throughout the rest: “I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart; I have declared Your faithfulness and Your salvation; I have not concealed Your loving kindness and Your truth” (Psalm 40:10).
Upon graduation this coming May, I hope to find a job in the area of Communications. My focus has been in Visual Communication, and I would be absolutely thrilled if I could one day be a Graphic Designer. This career is not obviously linked to faith, but it is if I choose to make it so! Because of the Catholic Studies Department and its faculty, I will be able to move ahead into the workplace, confidently taking Christ with me. My daily prayer is that I might reflect Christ to all I encounter and – regardless of whether an environment be religious or secular – be a constant witness to his perfect love.