First-Generation College Student Excels in Journalism Department
By Stephanie Muschalik
Lakesyn Melia, a junior public relations and political science major from Franklin, Tennessee, will be the first in her family to complete her college degree.
Being the first to take on such a challenge can seem overwhelming, but the intimate Baylor setting made the transition easier for her, she said.
Melia hopes to graduate in the spring of 2023 and go to law school. Read on to find out what makes Baylor’s journalism, public relations & new media department the perfect fit for first-generation college students.
Q: What made you decide to attend college even though your family did not?
A: Even though my parents didn’t go to college, it still felt like I was expected to do so. However, now that I am a junior and both of my college-aged brothers have chosen to not attend college, I’ve realized it wasn’t as expected of me as I believed it to be. I guess in reality it was more of an expectation I placed on myself rather than my family did on me. I’ve always loved learning and continuing my education was something I looked forward to, so it was an easy decision.
Q: What stuck out to you about Baylor Journalism when picking colleges?
A: The intimacy of Baylor’s journalism department was very appealing to me when I was deciding. At the time, I applied to colleges as a political science major with an interest in adding a journalism minor. After taking Professor Bob Darden’s mass communication class the first semester of my freshmen year, I knew I needed to officially add a journalism minor. When I took the next class on track for my minor, reporting and writing with Professor Amber Adamson, I knew these courses would help prepare me in a way my other major couldn’t. That being said, after taking reporting and writing, I quickly added a second major in journalism.
Q: How do you feel that your decision to go to college will help you in the journalism field?
A: I truly believe that journalism is one of the essential majors for college students. There are a lot of specific skills you learn to be successful. It’s very important to have them in your mental toolbox. Since I chose to attend Baylor, I believe that if I decide to go into a career in the journalism field, I will be infinitely more successful due to the instruction of my professors at Baylor.
Q: How have your teachers in the journalism department helped your transition into college?
A: I’m not sure it gets better than Baylor professors, especially the ones in Castellaw. Their patience, care and overall interest in what they are teaching set their students up for so much success in a journalism career.