What’s Life Like for a Senior at UMass?

By Grace Keller and Gabriella Grondalski 

Julia Sullivan is a Senior at UMass, pursuing a double major in Journalism and Communication. When she first started at UMass, Julia was a Communication major and in the spring semester of her freshman year, she added Journalism as her secondary major.  

Since starting at Umass, she has been a part of the UMass Minuteman Marching Band (UMMB) and the Greek Music Sorority of the marching band, Tau Beta Sigma. During her sophomore year of UMMB, Julia stepped into administrative roles with the group, focused on the recruitment process. During her sophomore and junior year, she helped run the social media pages for the band and assisted with tours of the band building for prospective students. “I found that as a result of my Comm classes, I had the general knowledge and experience needed in that administrative role,” said Julia. Now, as a senior, she is this season’s Personnel Manager and assists with the logistical parts of the band, including managing students’ class conflicts with band rehearsals.

In addition to her extracurricular activities, she works in Course Reserves in Circulation at the Library, now a part of the Learning Commons. During her time there she had a lot of fun and enjoyed listening to graduate student advisors discuss their current or past projects. Because of this connection, she has decided to apply to graduate school and will pursue a Master’s degree in Library Science. Reviewing what she has learned in the Comm major, she feels that it has provided her with a wide set of skills and she will be able to transfer those skills over to whatever she does in the future, no matter where she goes.

This year, she is living in an apt off-campus with some of her friends from band. Though she is disappointed that this year is not following the traditional schedule, she has found that she has been able to take on other activities and tasks amidst the virtual setting. “I’m glad I have more free time …  it is really nice to explore and do things in Western Mass,” said Julia.

While reflecting upon her time at UMass she finds that she will miss the UMMB and the food, but foremost the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences and its departments. She has found that faculty and staff in SBS have always been so welcoming and genuinely want to make connections and help their students succeed. “The Comm and Journalism departments are like having your own cheerleading team behind you,” Julia explained. During the rest of her time at the University as an undergraduate, she hopes to continue to work hard, focus on her GPA, and prepare for graduate school. 

To her peers, whether they are just starting or in the midst of their college career, Julia offers some advice to “be proactive in your education- make the effort to introduce yourself to your professors, ask questions, and take control of your degree.”