A lot has happened in these past twelve months, and I've decided to add to that. I recently decided to further my education and apply for Graduate School! To think Penn State was going to be my last college experience. Taking this next step will help me excel in the career of Journalism, and I'll be able to gain new experiences and make new connections. When deciding between having school on campus or online, I decided to look for an online degree program.
This way, by being mobile - I'll be able to take on other tasks such as internships, jobs, etcetera. On top of that, due to this pandemic that we are still living with, unfortunately, I thought it would be best. I figured I'd be able to attend a school that's in another state. So, after much consideration with researching different schools and seeing what they have to offer, I chose Full Sail University.
Full Sail is based in Winterpark, Florida, and is a private, for-profit university. A pretty cool fact I learned (well, I think it is at least) is that it was first a recording studio in Ohio called Full Sail Productions and Full Sail Center for the Recording Arts. They moved to Florida in the '80s, and since then, the school has grown in popularity. In 2008, they became Full Sail University, and they have been expanding with different ideas ever since. Full Sail has a lot of varied course options associated with the media and entertainment industries. Audio, film, media production, video game design, animation, and much more.
It's what I was looking for in a university, and their online Master's degree program seemed like the perfect fit for me. I found out a couple of weeks ago that I got accepted!
Guess what Full Sail's mascot is.
Drum roll, please. It's an airplane. When I was flying to North Carolina by myself a couple of years ago, the pilots asked me if I wanted to come up front and see all of the equipment they use. Who would let me touch the lever that's about to be used to fly us in the sky? It was the most random thing that has ever happened to me, but I thought it was so cool, especially how much I want to travel. Besides the fact that an airplane as a mascot is comical, I thought the concept was interesting. I wanted to know why they chose an airplane to represent their university.
Don't worry. Full Sail explained it all on the "frequently asked questions" portion of their website: "We've used the Douglas DC-3 airplane in our logo since the late '80s, to reflect the belief that mastering entertainment technology is like being in the cockpit of a revolutionary flying machine – it combines discipline, a love of innovation, and ultimately, passion, to position yourself in the best possible and most efficient way to move forward – in pursuit of dreams, goals, and success." Now that I know why they chose an airplane, I think it's so sweet. It's why I wanted to go to a school like Full Sail. They genuinely show how much they want the best for every student.
My family and friends have been very supportive - from the day I told them about my decision to the days leading up to when I start (which is a week from today may I add)! My boyfriend ended up surprising me with a Full Sail crewneck and got himself a sweatshirt too. It was so sweet, and it showed me how much he truly cares for me.
I'm excited about this next step, and I couldn't be more pleased with my decision, especially knowing that I have the best support system. Go airplanes!