Sawyer Kelly is a Communication Studies and English double major and member of the School of Communication Student Advisory Board. The SAB advocates for the needs of students in the SoC by serving as the student voice to the administration and generating and implementing programs and initiatives designed to enhance the student experience within the School. Have questions, concerns, or ideas about the student experience in the School of Communication? Let her know! 

Hello! My name is Sawyer Kelly and I am currently a second year student double majoring in Communication Studies and English Literature, Rhetoric, and Cultural Studies. 

Upon beginning my college journey, I confess that I was initially a bit nervous when selecting my major. I knew that I had an affinity for the humanities and that I was passionate about writing and literature. However, I also felt equally inspired and fulfilled in situations where I was able to interact with others, whether it be on stage performing, or on a more intimate, interpersonal level. Ultimately, Chapman’s School of Communication emerged as the perfect synthesis of these differing facets of my personality. I love that Chapman’s communication curriculum promotes a holistic and humanistic approach to Communication Studies, offering classes that examine the critical role language plays in defining the human experience across a wide range of channels. My academic experiences at Chapman thus far have not only confirmed my passion for the study of communication, the conversations I’ve had during my classes and the lessons gleaned from my professors have both challenged and expanded the ways in which I perceive language and meaning in my day to day life. I am endlessly intrigued by the School of Communication’s ability to achieve an overarching academic intersectionality. To me, words represent the threads that intertwine to create a beautifully complex social tapestry– a fabric that drapes over all aspects of life. Because of this, I believe that the study of communication truly represents a limitless horizon for professional and personal exploration, as communication is both an art and science that ripples across a multitude of academic channels.

I have been lucky to experience a wide range of amazing extracurricular experiences through the university. My role as a member of the Daytime Entertainment Committee for the University Program Board allows me to integrate my love of working with others as well as my interest in event planning to organize and enact activities that enrich day-to-day student life. From serving pancakes at one in the morning for Midnight Breakfast to handing out chocolate roses during our Bachelor finale watch party, my experiences with the University Program Board have been some of the highlights of my Chapman experience. 

I am also currently a member of the volunteer admissions team and have served as a panelist for admitted student tours. I loved meeting prospective panthers and hearing their stories and felt so fulfilled by the notion that I might be able to offer advice or information that could aid these students in continuing their educational journey. It is the happiness I found while volunteering for the Office of Admissions that propelled me towards applying for my current role on the School of Communication Student Advisory Board. The Student Advisory Board presents the perfect environment in which I can interact with professors, peers, and prospective students, offering me the unique opportunity to experience the collegiate education system from multiple perspectives.

 My experiences with the Office of Admission, coupled with my new endeavors on the Student Advisory Board, have allowed me to both confirm and expand my passion for education. Both of my parents are high school educators so the importance of the academic community has been an integral part of my upbringing. Because of this, I truly believe that education is one of the most powerful tools at our disposal; and I hope to pursue a career in which I am able to help future students empower themselves through education, whether it be in an administrative role, assisting students in collegiate planning and decision-making, or in the classroom- as an educator myself. 

Outside of class, I am happiest when spending time doing the things I love with the people I love. I have been dancing for as long as I can remember and deeply enjoy coming up with new choreography. I also love photography and some of my best memories involve various photoshoot adventures on the beaches and coastal trails of Half Moon Bay (my hometown). I am an enthusiastic Pinterest user and devote a significant amount of my free time to valiant attempts at recreating elaborate Pinterest baking escapades. I am very much a self-proclaimed caffeine addict and when I’m not in class, I can generally be found in the nearest Starbucks, sipping a caramel macchiato- my go-to order. 

Ultimately, I feel so fortunate to be a part of the Chapman community. My experiences at the university thus far have been both personally and academically fulfilling and inspiring, and I truly cannot wait to see what adventures the next few years have in store!