Words cannot describe how honored I feel to be attending AYA. My first week in this program was not just good but amazing, with different elements adding to the greatness of it. One of these elements would be the classes I have and learn from. On my first day, I was scared that I wouldn’t be able to understand the material and might not be able to keep up with USC’s speed. They have been known to be a prestigious and rigorous university that is only ment for the best of the best. Despite this, I was confident in myself. I was confident that I can learn and gain knowledge from this program and conquer anything thrown at me. Luckily, I have amazing professors who are not only great teachers but also greater people. The classrooms that they lead are so interesting and make me want to attend USC even more because they go into great detail about the material, naming examples and times where something is used, and challenging us to really think about what they’re saying and apply it outside of school. Learning about Encording/Decoding in Professor Rogelio Lopez’s class was really interesting for me because it showed how people took words and formed meanings based on it, whether it was the intentional meaning or not. Moreover, the assignments and projects we are assigned are so much fun! Professor Allan Lopez’s vox pop assignment was really interesting and made me put myself out there to get the information I needed to complete the assignment. It made me be more open and confident in myself by interviewing random people in the streets of Los Angeles. Professor Rogelio’s group assignments are really interesting for the world of communication because we, obviously, need to communicate with each other about a civic issue/topic that’s ongoing. It also makes us really think about what’s currently going on and how we can communicate about it through Zines and Infographics.
Professors like them really complete a classroom and help people learn what they need to. If they were to talk for a hour and a half, it would become boring and less engaging for the students. Because of my professors and time at AYA, it makes me lean more into becoming a communications major and makes me really want to push myself into trying to get into Annenberg. Something else I really like about AYA is where it’s taken place. It’s in the heart of USC, my dream school that I hope will one day become reality. I took the time to appreciate the overall position I am in that I can walk on campus grounds and enjoy what it’s like to be a college student attending USC. I sat down and studied and walked around areas that I wouldn’t think I would be. Not to mention the food we receive, such a wide variety and yet it tastes so good. I wasn’t expecting to be served gourmet food but I feel so lucky I can have steak, potatoes, chicken, tofu, pizza, ice cream, and so much more with no limits until I leave the doors. Overall, I’m really enjoying my time here at AYA and can’t wait for next week!!!
Communicating Change 