What’s Life Like for a Senior at UMass?

By Grace Keller and Gabriella Grondalski 

For this week’s spotlight, we interviewed Brigid Hern, who is a determined and intelligent Senior at UMass Amherst, pursuing a double major in English and Communication, as well as a Certificate in professional writing and technical communication. In the Fall of 2019, she decided to add the Communication major to her education when she learned the department offered a diverse array of classes. She saw these as an opportunity to expand her knowledge, education, and tool-box of skills that she can bring into the professional field. 

Along with double majoring, Brigid also stays busy with an array of different activities at UMass. She has been on the executive board for the UMass Theatre Guild, written columns for the Daily Collegian, served as a member of the UMass Beekeeping Club, and is an Editor for the student-run magazine Jabberwocky. In her junior year, Brigid became a Peer Mentor. Due to residency shifts because of COVID-19, Brigid is not on campus this semester, so her role as a PM has shifted and she is assisting transfer students in the ‘My Cru’ program by providing them with resources and support they may need. Brigid is also currently the sound person for the Theatre Guild and assists them with their most recent project, a performance of Radio Place! The cast will record their lines; she is in charge of putting the audio recordings together, and the final product will be uploaded to Spotify. While reflecting upon all of the activities and groups she has been a member of she stated, “I have learned a lot about diversity and empathy, and I feel that those are more important than the titles I have earned … specifically in the Comm department, I feel that I have learned about these the most since they have such an open and diverse way of teaching.”

This past summer, Brigid interned virtually as a grant writer for Honeysuckle Magazine in New York City. Established in 2013, Honeysuckle is a magazine that produces stories based in New York as well as all around the world. The magazine focuses on minority-owned businesses, human rights, female rights, climate justice, and climate change. At the end of her internship, Brigid was offered a job as a grant writer for the magazine.

For the Fall semester, instead of residing on campus, Brigid is residing in her home in eastern Mass, and is staying busy with a heavy credit load. Though she is finding Senior year to be out of the ordinary and much different than expected, that is not stopping her from networking with her professors and ending her courses on a high note. She also hopes to continue to produce art, and pursue her goal of working in the publishing field or as a technical writer, post-graduation. One tip that Brigid has for students is to “always be looking for new opportunities and don’t box yourself into one area. Use the campus and the resources you have to explore and see what you want to do for the rest of your life.” While reflecting on the time she has spent at UMass, a big part of what she will miss is being close to her friends, the vibrant community, and endless opportunities (which you don’t typically find outside of this area).