“I really feel like going to Spring Hill has overall made me a well-rounded individual and someone that I can be proud of.”
Summer Poole, a senior Communication Arts major with a concentration in journalism and a minor in English, shares how her experiences at Spring Hill have helped her develop her passion for reporting and even secure a job before her final semester.
Q: What influenced your decision to come to Spring Hill College?
One thing that really influenced my decision to go to Spring Hill was the size of the classes. I went to a big high school in Semmes, Ala. where we had over 500 people in my graduating class. I really wanted to be able to have one-on-one relationships with the faculty and I liked the feel of the smaller community.
Q: What other campus activities support your decision?
When I was looking at colleges, I knew I wanted to be a part of either the dance team or the softball team. I actually didn’t know Spring Hill had a dance team until my mom told me and she signed me up for try-outs. Once I met the girls and found out I had made the team, I knew that I wanted to be at Spring Hill. I also knew that they had Greek life and wanted to experience first-hand what it was like. I joined Delta Gamma in the spring of my freshman year. Those are definitely two of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
Q: What are your career plans when you leave Spring Hill?
So, this one is kind of a funny story. In the communication arts department at Spring Hill, everyone is required to have an internship somewhere before they can graduate. I was lucky enough to intern with a local news station, WKRG News 5, during the fall of my senior year. In December when it was time to say goodbye, the news director at the station told me he had a job opening for digital producer and he thought I would make a good candidate. I applied and was interviewed and actually got the job! So now I’m working full-time at WKRG while finishing up senior year. My realistic goal is to eventually become an on-air reporter, but my dream is to make it to the Today Show or Dateline as a host.
Q: How has the College prepared you for your career?
I’ve known since I was really young that I wanted to work in the news industry and be a reporter, but before Spring Hill, I never had the chance to learn anything about it. By taking the media labs that go along with the classes, and that offer you hands-on learning, I’ve really grown as a reporter and have been able to pick up new information very quickly. I also think the internship helped me learn a lot about what it’s like in the real world of reporting.
Q: How has Spring Hill College prepared you for the real world?
Spring Hill has prepared me for the real world by allowing me to not only take classes within my major but to take different types of classes, whether that be history, psychology, or even biology. I really feel like going to Spring Hill has overall made me a well-rounded individual and someone that I can be proud of.
Q: Advice for new students on how to get the most out of their Spring Hill education
experience?
One piece of advice I would give to incoming students would be to go to professors’ office hours if they need help. Coming in as a freshman, I remember being super nervous about going to talk to my professor because I thought it was a bad thing. I learned very quickly that your professors want to help you, they want you to come to them if you need help rather than struggle through a class. The professors at Spring Hill want to have that professional relationship with you and want you to feel comfortable talking to them.
Q: One of the Jesuit values we are committed to is “cura personalis,” that is, a care for the
spiritual, social, and intellectual growth of each person. How has this impacted you and why?
One thing that I think is important to note is that I’m not Catholic and before coming to Spring Hill, I had never heard of the term “Cura Personalis.” Now that I’ve learned it, I can definitely say that it is a staple of going to Spring Hill. Not only have I grown academically in my time here, but I’m also a member of so many social clubs and organizations on our campus. I’ve also been able to grow in my own personal faith, Baptist, by having the chance to take theology classes. Cura personalis has transformed me into somebody that I never knew I had the potential to be, and for that, I’m forever grateful for Spring Hill.