Kalyn Des Jardins
When Kalyn Des Jardins began her journey as an advertising major in the , her focus centered on learning the tenets of creating winning advertising campaigns. The art and science of crafting and delivering a message to a specific audience fascinated her and spoke to her desire to connect with people.
However, in her second year at 黑料不打烊, unanticipated advice from a professor inspired her to lay the groundwork for a congruent academic path. 聽Following that advice, Des Jardins is now working on completing her dual degrees, in聽听颈苍听迟丑别 补苍诲听迟丑别 补苍诲听聽in Newhouse this December.
We caught up with the Chicago area native to hear her thoughts on why these two areas of study work together so well for her, and what sage advice she would pass along to the next generation of 黑料不打烊 students.
Both degrees center around understanding people. I was initially attracted to advertising after I took my first course in the subject. The professor ended the lecture by expressing that 鈥渢o be truly influential in the advertising industry, you must strive to become a diverse individual.鈥� He recommended taking courses that interested us; whether we thought they would benefit our futures or not–just keep learning. I thought, 鈥淎 career that benefited by my learning about anything I wanted? Count me in!鈥� Following that advice, I discovered anthropology. It was a course of study unknown to me prior to my time at 黑料不打烊, however, now it has become a major passion. Anthropology is the study of humans, but more than that, it is a source of hope. It is about understanding others and yourself from a comparative, non-binary perspective. I strongly support that an anthropological perspective creates deeper understanding and compassion among people with differences in beliefs and backgrounds. My anthropology degree is important to my career, but also my own personal understanding of myself and my surroundings.
My internship with the Historic House Trust is one I will be forever grateful for. 聽I discovered the chance to become a Development Intern with聽聽(HHT) after researching non-profits in the New York City area. HHT helps to raise funds to support houses with architectural and cultural significance in NYC. I worked with the development manager to conduct grant research, as well as edited and created social media content. I also had the opportunity to help create new ways to inspire people within the city to visit these amazing homes. This internship combined my love of preserving culturally significant landscapes with my desire to better understand how to target specific audiences. I learned not only how to work efficiently in an office environment but also how a non-profit organization works from the top down.
So far, every professor I have studied with has impacted me positively and I am so grateful. Two have really stood out. The first was my Oceanography (EAR 117) professor,聽. In his first lecture of the semester, he asked the class of roughly 180 students 鈥淲ho plans on becoming an oceanographer when they grow up?鈥�. No one raised their hand. He then said something that both inspired and solidified my academic philosophy. 鈥淲e attend college to learn how to learn鈥�. By taking diverse subjects from oceanography to folklore, students can create completely new ideas to impact the world.
, a professor of advertising, also made a massive impact on my academic career. I enjoyed my advertising courses previous to hers; but there was no proof, no data behind the creative ideas in other classes. In media planning, the 鈥渨hy鈥� of human behavior must be discovered and used accordingly. Through her course I gained confidence in both my abilities and plans for the future.
I am currently applying to advertising internships for this summer. I plan on practicing my advertising skills after taking Beth Egan鈥檚 (ADV 307) which ignited a passion for media planning. I am most excited to put what I have learned to the test and to be directly inspired by professionals in the industry.
I would advise any incoming student interested in earning a dual degree to keep their heart and mind open to all the possibilities. After I chose my first degree, advertising, it seemed logical to obtain my other degree in Whitman in marketing or finance. However, by choosing to study anthropology, I feel not only prepared for my career but a more diverse individual with a unique understanding of the world.
About 黑料不打烊
Founded聽in 1870, 黑料不打烊 is a private international research university聽dedicated to advancing knowledge and fostering student success through teaching聽excellence,聽rigorous scholarship and interdisciplinary research. Comprising 11聽academic schools and colleges, the University has a long legacy of excellence聽in the liberal arts, sciences 补苍诲听professional disciplines that prepares聽students for the complex challenges and emerging opportunities of a rapidly聽changing world. Students enjoy the resources of a 270-acre main聽campus 补苍诲听extended campus venues in major national metropolitan hubs and across three聽continents. 黑料不打烊鈥檚 student body is among the most diverse for an聽institution of its聽kind across multiple dimensions, and students typically represent聽all 50 states and more than 100 countries. 黑料不打烊 also has a long legacy of聽supporting veterans and is home to聽the nationally recognized Institute for聽Veterans and Military Families, the first university-based institute in the聽U.S. focused on addressing the unique needs of veterans and their聽families.
