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Angela Kappus
My name's Angela Kappus, I'm junior here at VCU (senior by credits) and my major is currently International Studies and I'm also double-majoring in Political Science. I chose international studies because of the wealth of opportunities it gives me, it allows me follow my interest in Asian cultures especially but also other cultures in the world and it did fir in with my schedule. It was a good opportunity given to me by my advisor when I was choosing my major freshman year. I also chose political science because it fits in well with international studies, it allows me to be a complete political junkie while I'm studying and it also fits in well with international studies as far as the credits and the classes go so it works out well. I've enjoyed my experience with the School of World Studies, I've had a great time with the faculty, I've been impressed with how the faculty can be as diverse as the students are, I've also been impressed by the work they put in with their language program, especially the language lab, which is a great resource when you're trying to study very hard Asian languages like Chinese or Japanese. I've also been impressed with the patience of the faculty in the language programs because language takes a lot of work and a lot of students may or may not be as interested in it but they did a pretty good job of convincing me how valuable it was and how I should really work at it. I really think that international studies is going to be a boon to me, I've talked to family and friends who have actually told me that I can go and work for their companies when I graduate because international studies is a major skill that a lot of businesses are asking for right now. It's the ability to be able to interact with different cultures, to be open-minded about different things other people may do, it encourages me to study languages, to study things that you may not be exposed to in the United States and I think that is huge bonus if you're trying to find a job. There are also many graduate schools now that are focused on international studies and trying to get people into non-governmental organizations or working with the U.N. or the State Department and that's what I'd really like to do and it fits into both of my disciplines. I also feel that international studies has opened up many opportunities for me, including study abroad which I probably wouldn't have done if I wasn't involved with the School of World Studies and they didn't encourage me to do so. My experience in China was incredibly valuable, incredibly helpful, and I made a lot of friends and had a lot of fun over there. I would encourage students to get into majors through the School of World Studies because it's a valuable work experience, you get opportunities like study abroad programs and internships that you may not get in any of the other departments or in any other colleges and I think all of those are valuable resume builders and are what companies are looking for right now and I think it's a lot of fun and you're going to work with a lot of really great people. I think all students should at least consider a major in the School of World Studies, whether it be languages, or international studies like I'm doing. |
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