In their senior year at Saint Mary’s, Kerry Rose McDonald (’19) and Jordan Cockrum (’19) decided they wanted a space for communication studies majors to meet and a way to celebrate their accomplishments. To achieve this, they revitalized the Saint Mary’s chapter of Lambda Pi Eta (LPH) the official communication honors society of the National Association of Communication.
(Editor’s Note: Cockrum formerly served as Saint Mary’s Editor at The Observer.)McDonald and Cockrum, president and vice president of LPH, respectively, then passed the torch to seniors Bernadette McGeever and Katy Stalter, who are serving as president and vice president this year.
McGeever explained that, as members of LPH, they are proud to be one of 400 active chapters around the world.
“We celebrate our passion in communication [and] try to … promote professional development, and then provide some opportunities to network and prepare the members for a career in the field,” McGeever said.
Senior Elyse Paul is a current member of the Saint Mary’s LPH chapter. Paul said the purpose of the club is to stimulate interest in the field of communication. “LPH is a great way for communication studies majors to become more involved in their field of study at Saint Mary’s and form a closer bond with your classmates,” she said. Students can gain experience utilizing social media, writing, advertising and marketing, public relations and other skills that bolster a career in communication, McGeever said. “When students join Lambda Pi Eta, there’s so many great opportunities for leadership,” she said. This semester, McGeever, Stalter and the rest of the chapter are working to increase membership and promote awareness on campus. To help realize this goal, they have created a new leadership position: a social media officer. Seniors Gina Twardosz and Sheridan Sims have both been appointed to fill this position. They, along with the rest of the group, are currently preparing for to host Angie Fitzpatrick, a guest speaker from Career Crossings. (Editor’s Note: Twardosz is a news writer at The Observer.) “[Fitzpatrick] will be talking about how to brand yourself using social media, and then some job and internship strategies in the communication and marketing industry specifically,” McGeever said. “It will be a great way to prepare students for a career in the field.” Paul said she encourages other Saint Mary’s students to join the chapter. “It is a great opportunity for personal development, and it looks great on a resume too,” she said. To join Lambda Pi Eta, students must be a junior and have completed 60 semester credit hours, 12 of which need to be communication studies courses. A minimum cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 is required for all courses taken, as well as a minimum GPA of 3.25 in all communication courses. Not only do all LPH members meet these requirements, but all those accepted must rank within the highest 35% of their class. “If you are considering joining, definitely apply,” McGeever said. “Being a member of LPH is a great testament to your own achievements. It’s a really great way to be more involved in the communication major at Saint Mary’s and it’s a great way to build relationships with your fellow classmates and overall I think it’s a really fun group and there’s a lot that you can learn.”
