6.9 Professional Communications Overview

Professional communications overview

The Professional Communications program at CVTC focuses on professional, technical, and business writing. Here you will gain skills in writing for a variety of media and industries; preparing individuals for various careers including:

·      technical writers

·      copywriters

·      editors and

·      grant writers 

 

Individuals with a Professional Communications degree can find successful careers in Business, government or even non-profit.

Valuable skills you will learn:

·      Document design, production, and management

·      Documentation development

·      Publishing in print and electronic media

·      Rhetoric, writing, and digital literacy theories

·      Social media content creation

·      Visual rhetoric and multimedia composition

·      Web content writing

 

A New Kind of Learning

Program is completely online, offering our students flexibility and convenience while they learn. Students will receive access to online support and training to help them transition into online courses.

6.6 Ancient Ruins and Sapphire Waters.

Breathtaking views, historical sights, what more could a girl want?

I've always had a fascination with beautiful, sunny destinations like tropical islands. The idea of being able to wake up the sound of waves on the beach and a warm breeze always appealed to me. This is likely due to the strike contrast island living has with living in the American Midwest. I've been to the coast a few times sure, but the chance to visit an island paradise seems like an absolute dream to me. My friends and I were even planning on taking an island trip earlier this year but unfortunately had to cancel due to the current health crisis. It's okay though, it gives us a chance to save up for an extra special trip, now we just have to decide where to go. 

Now, there is no shortage of beautiful islands to visit, the state of Hawaii alone could fit the bill and would not even require a passport. Yet I've always loved the idea of visiting another country, preferably one with a culture a little different than our own, particularly one with a lot of history. So for my dream location, I would most likely pick the Caribbean country of Belize. 

Pier View in Placencia, Belize

Belize has just about everything I could possibly want in a vacation destination: 

• Gorgeous beaches
• Clear waters
• Oceanic activities
• Warm weather 

It even has

• Ancient ruins and
• Diverse rainforest

So no matter what I end up being in the mood for while on the trip, I know I can find something to make it memorable. Just as importantly my friends would be able to find something they enjoy as well, which is great as we tend to have different ideas on what our "ideal" vacation is. So picking a place with equal opportunity for fun and relaxation would be perfect for us. 

Ancient Ruins and Colonial History

Ruins in Belize

I love studying history in my spare time(when I'm not doing one of my other dozen hobbies) and although ancient history is usually not my forte, the ability to visit the ruins of a culture like the Mayans would be amazing, and there seems to be no shortage of them in Belize. Between the Mayan civilization and its history as a British colony, Belize has a lot of history and it's government system even mimics that of the United Kingdom, in no small part due to only recently gaining their independence. I think it would be interesting to visit a society that didn't entirely reject the system set up by the British Empire, but rather adopted their own version.

Conservation

Addmidetly, not the first thing one thinks of when deciding on where to visit, but it is difficult to ignore the impact humans have had on marine wildlife in recent years. This would usually make me wary of being a tourist in an area with so much nature, as high tourism and high population density can be detrimental to forests and wildlife. The Belize government seems to understand this, however, because they have strict conservation laws in place to minimize the damage to their local climate. Just last year they expanded on the areas 

Fish in Belize

of protected marine life, more information available here. This is crucial for both their local population and their tourism industry, as a big draw to the area is their ocean views and scuba diving experience. 

Not Sure I'd Ever Leave

My biggest struggle at the end of every vacation I take is forcing myself to leave. Usually, I fall in love with the place halfway through the trip, with only my work and family obligations (and lack of funds) pulling me back home. I'm sure Belize would be no exception, in fact, my friends and family would not be surprised if I started trying to move there the second we arrive. Between beautiful sights, a rich history, and strong conversation efforts, I might just fall in love with it at first sight. 

4.6 How I Make A Great Tasting Meal With As Little Effort As Possible.

Getting creative with cheesy pasta 

Sometimes you don't want to bother making something from scratch, especially when it’s just you and one other person eating the meal. That’s okay though all of us have busy lives to lead, and who has time for homemade cheese sauce anyways? I certainly don’t, so one of my favorite easy weeknight meals is Four Cheese Penne courtesy of the brand Annies. I don’t just stop there though, I add my little touch, giving it a homemade taste without the need for measuring. I’ve made this for a few people including my boyfriend and roommate, each of them appears to love it so I’m sure you will too! I have included seasoning measurements if you’re into that, otherwise seasoned to taste is fine. 

Ingredients 

• 1 Box of Annies Four Cheese Penne
• Butter 
• Milk
•  A pound of Kielbasa sliced or diced 
• 1 Diced tomato (canned is fine just drain first)
• 1 Tablespoon Paprika 
• ¼ Teaspoon Cayenne
• Anything else your heart desires
• ¼ Teaspoon of Slap Your Mama seasoning (optional)

Let’s Get Cooking 

If desired, brown the kielbasa in a non-stick skillet, for that extra homemade feel. Follow instructions for pasta and cheese, and set the stovetop to low. Immediately mix in meat, tomato, and seasonings. I like to sprinkle on my seasonings using the eye-ball unit of measurement (my favorite method). I cover the pasta with a layer of paprika, and add just dashes of cayenne and/or Slap Your Mama depending on my boldness level that day. Stir everything together, turn off the stove, enjoy. 

Tips and Tricks

• Waiting for noodles to boil can get kinda boring, try listening to music or a comedy podcast to pass the time. Make sure to keep an eye on the pot, though, unwatched pots like to boil over, trust me. 
• Don’t be afraid to change the recipe to fit your tastes, if you want to add some shredded cheese or use ground beef instead of kielbasa, go for it, I won’t judge. 
• Save enough milk to drink in case you go a little too bold with the seasonings or accidentally use the wrong side of the cap. Not that I’ve ever done that.

3.6 Growing up and growing apart

 

My New Years' Eve Was A Wonderful Rollercoaster.

I only have a few memorable days in my life that I can give an actual date for, one of them was December 31, 2016. It may seem obvious that I would remember a holiday famous for making memorable moments but this particular one marked a big turning point in my life, it was the day I ended a four-year relationship. Now, it was not due to any big dramatic revelation or an overblown argument sparked by one too many drinks. The breakup itself actually took place in the morning and was the cultivation of months of tension and unhappiness. 

I had met my now ex, Micheal in 2012 through a mutual friend, we hit it off and seemed to be completely in sync. Even when things got serious, we seemed totally compatible, we rarely fought or disagreed on what we wanted from life, it was perfect. What I didn't realize at the time was that we were both still discovering what we wanted and that each of our paths to growing up would eventually drive us apart.

Fork In the Road

By my 23rd birthday, it had become obvious that we were no longer in sync like we were when we were 19. Even if we ignored our political differences or the fact that we couldn't agree on where to live, there was one big roadblock that neither of us was willing to budge on. Where we going to have kids or not? When we met, we were in agreement that the answer was a firm 'no' but he changed his mind, and I did not. 

I considered going along with it and limiting it to one child for the sake of the relationship, but I knew in the back of my mind that it was a terrible idea for us and the theoretical child. We were both raised with broken up parents and knew the hardships, and knew how real of a possibility it was. So, after months of waiting to see if we could work things out or if he would be happy being childless, I eventually realized that I wasn't doing either of us any favors. 

A necessary pain

The night of December 30th, I had a sort of epiphany, between the upcoming holiday paired with months of unhappiness I finally told myself "I can't do this anymore, I'm unhappy, and I can't do this for another year." So, the next morning I bit the bullet, there was no point in delaying what we both knew was inevitable. After two hours of talking and tears, I walked out of his front door for the last time. 

If it had been any other day, I may have gone home and stayed there, but I was 23 and it was New Year's Eve, and I wasn't going say goodbye to 2016 by sulking alone. Not knowing what else to do, I went straight to my best friend Sarahs' apartment and asked if I could hang out for a while, and told her the news, given how well she knew me she did not seem to be surprised. Yet, true to her character, she was adamant that I stay and watch Netflix with her until it was time for her dinner with our mutual friend, Adrienne. Despite a part of me only wanted to crawl into bed and never come back out, I couldn't say no to them and their pleas. 

"We have a reservation, just come with us. I'm sure they won't mind!" explained Sarah.

Good Friends Make Everything Better

One wonderful meal of shrimp fettuccine later and my mood was already starting to improve, in no small part due to the great company I had with dinner and the message I received during. My old friend Jake was in the area for the holiday and wanted me to join him and his group at a bar near our hometown. He had moved out of state for work and I rarely saw him anymore, so with some urging from Sarah and Adrienne, I agreed. 

Around 8p.m I was getting a big hug hello from Jake and when I told him why I had to limit my intake for the evening, he understood, even joked about "helping me find a new man." The rest of the night was pretty tame by the standards of New Year's Eve, but between the hugs and the laughs, I managed to welcome 2017 with open arms and a big smile. 

I knew I did the right thing for us both that day and looking back, I'm grateful I had such wonderful people in my life for helping me turn what should be a painful memory into one of joy and new beginnings. It's been almost four full years since that day and although the weeks following were far from easy, I don't regret a thing.

3.4 Growing Up and Growing Apart

My New Years' Eve Was A Wonderful Rollercoaster.

I only have a few memorable days in my life that I can give an actual date for, one of them was December 31, 2016. It may seem obvious that I would remember a holiday famous for making memorable moments but this particular one marked a big turning point in my life, it was the day I ended a four-year relationship. Now, it was not due to any big dramatic revelation or an overblown argument; no, it was just the result of months of unhappiness and tension. We were 19 when we met and despite being on the same page back then, by the time we were 23 we had grown into two very different, very incompatible people. By the time it was over I almost felt more relief than anguish, I knew it was the smart thing to do. It wasn't pleasant, but necessary things rarely are. 

Fortunately for me, however; the conversation leading up to the breakup had started midway through the morning. and I was walking out his front door by noon. I went straight to my best friend Sarahs' apartment and asked if I could hang out for a while, and told her the news. True to her character, she was adamant that I stay and watch Netflix with her until it was time for her dinner with our mutual friend, Adrienne. Which they both insisted I tag along for, they refused to let me be alone and were both determined to help me feel better.

"We have a reservation, just come with us I'm sure they won't mind!" exclaimed Sarah.

One wonderful meal of shrimp fettuccine later and my mood was already starting to improve, in no small part due to the great company I had with dinner and the message I received during. My old friend Jake was in town for the holiday and wanted me to join him and his group at a bar near our hometown. He had moved out of state for work and I rarely saw him anymore, so with some urging from Sarah and Adrienne, I agreed. 

By 8 p.m I was being greeted by hometown friends and watching the already inebriated bar goers try their best at karaoke. The rest of the night was pretty tame by the standards of New Year's Eve, but between the hugs and the laughs, I managed to welcome 2017 with open arms and a big smile.