Grace Lee
Meet Grace (G’26)
Grace Lee
Why CCT
What was your career before you started CCT? What drove you to pursue an M.A.?
I pursued an undergraduate degree in international relations, but I realized through internships that I was leaning towards doing communications in practice. I wanted to pivot away from my degree that was very topic-focused and pursue a degree that would help me broaden my interests with hard skills and research. I found that CCT was a great choice to pursue my interest in digital communications. The interdisciplinary curriculum allows the flexibility to take courses that accommodate your part-time schedule, and that was very important to me when selecting a program.
How has CCT supported you in this process?
The academic structure of only having two core courses allows me to build the education and experience that I want out of CCT. I have the ability to take courses that are directly related to my field and also courses that are new and interesting to me. I am also able to research and complete projects on any topic I want to build my own portfolio of work to use in professional settings. For example, in “Writing for Business Marketing”, I chose to create a small marketing campaign for Amtrak using the skills taught through lectures.
Balancing Academic and Professional Pursuits
How do you balance your academic and professional pursuits?
I think the amazing thing about working while pursuing an academic degree is the opportunity to use the knowledge and skills I learn in real time. For example, I took a class on Qualitative Methods in Communications where I applied the lesson on focus groups to conduct one in my job. I am able to see the applications of the content I learn to supplement my education and career.