Meet Communication Senior Mila Frohlichstein

By Nusrah Azeez and Christine Souaiden

Please introduce yourself and tell us why you chose UMass.

My name is Mila Frohlichstein, I am from Wakefield, Massachusetts and I am a senior Communication major. I chose UMass because I have always wanted to go here. Throughout high school, I talked about it. I toured UMass one day as a senior in high school and I fell in love with it and I knew that this was the school for me.

What do you love the most about UMass?

I love the classes that I have taken at UMass. Everyone here is super friendly. I love that it is a big school and there are so many people here. I had the opportunity to meet so many people, I have met people from all over the country and all over the world. I love the campus, there are a lot of places to go, and there is always something to do. I am always able to keep myself busy and occupied. Another thing that I love the most about this school is that its school spirit is unmatched. 

What do you think of the Communication department?

I love the Communication department. I love the classes that they offer. There is a wide variety of classes so I have been able to learn about things like media audiences, algorithms, and gender representation. You are not in one straight line, you are not learning one specific thing, you have different branches that you can go down. I like that it is not linear. Also, I have always had a really easy time with advising. The Communication Hub is a really good place to get work done.

If you could go back in time, what would you tell yourself as a freshman?

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a freshman, I would tell myself to go into UMass as a Communication major. I came to UMass as a biology major. I thought that that was what I always wanted to do, but then I started to realize that I was better at things that entail writing and speaking and that led me to Communication. I realized that it fits more with my skill set and with what I want to do after college. It was an easy transition, but I do wish I came into UMass as a Communication major originally.

Give us a high, as well as a low, from your experience at UMass.

For a low, it is definitely getting sent home because of the pandemic. We technically lost a year of being on campus because of it. For a high, senior year has been a high in its entirety. Living off-campus, having my own place, and feeling independent. Another high would be getting an internship shortly after becoming a Comm major. I got the internship because I switched my major to Communication and they were impressed with the classes I was taking and how I was doing in school. I did customer service, marketing, and PR at Embark which is a dog DNA testing company. I got to apply skills that I have learned through my classes to my internship.

What is your favorite Comm class that you have taken?

I have a few. I took a level-300 media audiences class with Professor Emily West that I enjoyed. Last semester I took Social Life of Algorithms and it was really interesting. It was the most different type of Communication class that I have taken. It was about how algorithms, and the people behind them, are responsible for a lot that goes on in social media and the hand that they play. We talked about things like facial recognition technology and the data behind it. There is a lot that goes on that we do not know about or are not aware of and it was really interesting and educational to learn about them.

What do you like to do for fun?

I like to hang out with my friends and go to restaurants in downtown Amherst. Also, I like cooking, it’s my new obsession. I like to cook Feta Pasta, Bruschetta, and Avocado Toast.

What is your favorite meal at UMass?

I love the pasta bar at Berk, it’s so good. I also like Greenfield at Blue Wall, I always get the cob salad, I love it. 

What do you hope to take away from your senior year?

I hope to take away all the connections I have made. I made a lot of connections that are great for friendships and also future career and job opportunities. It would be really good to have those connections. Also, I would like to keep my time management skills, living off-campus, I try to keep up with school and my personal life. I would like to keep that skill with me.

How are you feeling about graduating? And what do you hope to do with your degree?

Graduating is bittersweet, it is sad to be leaving UMass but I am very excited to start my life and career. I am ready to move to the next chapter. I am thinking about what I am going to do, if I am going to seek higher education, maybe get a Master’s degree or go to law school. Also, I am looking for a post-grad job, something related to writing and public relations. Right now, the future is very open and I just have to figure out how I am going to write it.

Do you have any advice for current underclass Comm students?

Do not be afraid to explore, test different things out and take different classes outside your major. Also, don’t be afraid to ask for help and meet new people.