Sarah Downey is a Strategic and Corporate Communication 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!

Smiling and sitting in a yellow teacup at The Teacups ride at Disneyland enjoying a typical sunny day at the theme park!

Hi! My name is Sarah Downey and I’m currently in my second year at Chapman as a strategic and corporate communication (SCC) major with an integrated educational studies (IES) minor. I know, it’s a mouth full! However, as you meet more people who are more familiar with the curriculum, people begin to know both the major and minor by its acronym. I am currently a member of Lambda Pi Eta, the School of Communication Honors Society, a member of Alpha Gamma Delta serving as Director of Ritual, and President of the Chapman Swing Cats.

I applied to serve the School of Communication Student Advisory Board because I believe it’s essential to have student-to-student communication, reliable student input, positive communication between students and faculty, and accurate representation throughout our School. By communicating both with faculty and students while representing the School of Communication as a whole, I hope to help and assist others as best I can in their future endeavors.

I am a born and raised Southern California girl who has had the privilege of seeing Chapman be built up since I was little. I’ve lived in Anaheim my whole life, being only about twenty minutes away from Disneyland. But we’ll get into that later! When I was a toddler, I would go with my mom and great aunt to the antique shops in The Circle and we would often stop for a milkshake at Watson’s, and then walk across Chapman’s campus. At the time, Chapman had yet to expand to its size today.

When I was looking at schools and deciding on a University, it was the instant feeling of home I had always gotten when walking through the University that set it apart from all the others. When I chose Chapman, I decided to go with the strategic and corporate communication major because I knew I wanted to work with people, and I knew my strong suit was public speaking. However, through the SCC major, I’ve learned much more than how to get a message across and speak well in front of others. My two favorite classes I’ve taken have been Message Design 200 and Research Methods 295. Both were challenging, but the most rewarding.

Posing with Pete the Panther in front of Chapman’s library during orientation.

My long-term educational goals are to apply to Chapman’s 4+1 Masters in Health and Strategic Communication program, then move forward onto their Ph.D. in Communication, and use those as major stepping stones in achieving my career goal as a Public Speaking and Research Methods Professor at a University while doing my own research. I aspire to get all of my education done at Chapman because of their resources and faculty willing to help you. I aspire to be a professor because I believe it’s essential in today’s society that kids going through school know they have someone in their corner, rooting for them. As a professor, I would want to serve as a source of inspiration and support for my students while doing everything I can to help them succeed.

Out of all the questions I’ve been asked, the one I get asked the most is, “how do you like commuting?”.  More often than not, people are surprised at my answer, “I love it!”. Being able to commute allows me to manage my time at school, but allows me to come home for a home-cooked meal, my own bed, and my dogs! Not to mention see my family who play major roles in my support system.

Most people think that commuting leads to a difficult social life because I go home every day. The reality of it is that because I commute, I can spend however long I need to at school, and when I’m ready to come home and relax, I can! Plus, Chapman has an exceedingly large amount of extracurricular activities available to students. That made finding ways to get involved very easy, even being a commuter!

In my free time, I enjoy going to Disneyland because it’s so close to campus. Disneyland is always the perfect study break! When meeting new people, Disneyland is usually something that comes up because many students on campus have annual passes. Having “Disney days” and bonding while at the parks is what helped me connect with some of the closest friends I have now. Other fun things I enjoy doing are eating at Bruxie’s with friends in between classes, going to formals and date parties with my sorority, doing volunteer work, and coming up with new choreography for our Swing Dancing Team!

Me and my close friend Karly in Disneyland spirit jerseys posing in front of a Christmas tree, inside Disneyland California Adventure this last holiday season.

I hope I was able to give you some insight into the School of Communication and help you get to know me! If you ever want to reach out, have a question, or just want someone to talk to, I’ll leave a few different ways to contact me below!

Email: sdowney@chapman.edu

Instagram: Sarah.Downey777