Mary Katherine “Kat” Jones (she/her/hers) is a senior at Iowa State majoring in Marketing. Kat is an athlete on the Iowa State Swimming and Diving team, which means her schedule is incredibly busy. Athletes on campus balance more than just their coursework–workouts, practice, and meets at home and away take up a lot of their time. However, Kat knew that she needed to make room in her schedule for a minor in Communication Studies.
“I chose Communication Studies as a minor because I thought it was very complementary to my Marketing major in reaching people,” said Kat. “I’m also a huge people person and love talking to people, so I wanted to better my communication skills with my relationships and also when I enter the workforce.”
Kat’s career goals include going into Human Resources. She knows that COMST will allow her to be able to work with people. She sites COMST 301 as a favorite course she’s taken in the program. “I find it interesting how now I connect the theories daily with the way I communicate in my relationships!”
“I’ve had great experiences with both the advisers [Sabrina Shields-Cook and Ann Haugland],” Kat says. “[They] helped me declare my minor and figure out my schedule. Dr. Rafferty has been very accommodating to student athletes as well!”
When asked what advice Kat might have for others considering COMST as a minor, she enthusiastically replied, “Go for it! Communication overlaps very well with other majors, and it’s always better if you can communicate more effectively in the world!”
