“I was fortunate to meet many professors in UHart’s School of Communication who significantly impacted my academic career and college experience,” says Sara Gasparotto ’22, M’23, who earned a BA in digital media and journalism. “I always felt like my professors had my best interests at heart and wanted to help me succeed.” After graduation, Sara enrolled in UHart’s MA in Communication program because she says she knew it would advance her career goals and give her the chance to continue to serve as the news director of the student-run television network STN.
Sara is from a small town outside Venice, Italy, and says she always wanted to study abroad and researched opportunities to play volleyball in college in the U.S. Once she stepped foot on the UHart campus, she knew she wanted to make UHart her home. As a graduate student, Sara can also stay on as a member of the UHart women’s volleyball team. “Being an athlete helped me develop skills such as time management, consistency, and attention to detail,” she says. “I learned how to work with people to reach a common goal and be dependable and punctual. “
The many real-world experiences Sara had as an undergraduate includes working at the student-run public relations agency Crested Communications with Assistant Professor of Communication Sarah Miner. “I learned about communication strategies and public relations through hands-on experience and real-client work.” She also credits Associate Professor Abe Hefter’s radio course with giving her the experience to complete an independent study project producing public service announcements for UHart’s radio station WWUH, and to be hired as an intern with Connecticut Public Radio.
When Sara applied to the Connecticut Public Radio internship, she knew it would be a perfect fit. “I learned many valuable lessons and I had the opportunity to work with brilliant and talented people.” Sara says her favorite part of the internship was sitting in the live shows and observing the hosts. “I worked with the hosts and producers—actively helping them create their daily and weekly shows. I participated in daily meetings, pitched my own ideas, researched the topics, helped write scripts, and pre-interviewed the guests. I also helped with social media posts and selected quotes to post on Twitter and Instagram.”
When she graduates with her master’s degree this spring, Sara says she will look for a job in journalism or public relations on the East Coast but is open to other opportunities.
Sara says her favorite thing about UHart is the people she sees every day. “My teammates, colleagues from STN, and other friends from class make everything more enjoyable.”
Sara Gasparotto ’22, M’23, Digital Media and JournalismI was fortunate to meet many professors in UHart’s School of Communication who significantly impacted my academic career and college experience. I learned about communication strategies and public relations through hands-on experience and real-client work.