Name: Abigail (Abby) Vernacchia  

Major: Communication Studies 

Hometown: San Jose, California 

Dream Job: Attorney  

Abby Vernacchia is a junior communication studies major from San Jose, California, and serves as president of the Sigma Kappa sorority chapter at Texas Christian University. Vernacchia contributes much of her success in that role to skills she has learned through the Communication Studies department of the Bob Schieffer College of Communication. “From no experience in Greek life to now having the opportunity to serve as my sorority’s chapter president is a reality of mine that I never would have imagined when I stepped foot on TCU’s campus as an 18-year-old fresh out of high school. Communication studies has helped me manage and run my sorority,” she said.  

Specific things that really stand out and have helped her in her student leadership position have been interpersonal communication, how to handle conflict, knowing how to ask for help and gaining perspective from outsiders.  

Vernacchia plans to graduate in May 2021 as a communication studies major and a psychology minor. After graduation, Vernacchia plans to take the skills she has learned in the classroom and in her organization with her to the real world. “Communicating with others, holding people accountable, compromise, conflict, and relationship building, are all prominent in the workforce and I have had the opportunity to experience minor and extreme cases of all throughout my time as a chapter president,” she said. 

From her experience as a chapter president to her many other leadership roles she has held on campus, she would most like to tell communication studies majors to “take what you learn in your communication classes and use your leadership position to act those concepts out in real life and that will result in not only your own personal development, but a much richer educational experience while at TCU.” 

Something Vernacchia would tell herself as a first-year in college would be to always follow your gut when making a decision or a call. Have more confidence in yourself and your ability. “If you are like me, you enjoy being very busy and over-committed,” she said. “That is fine but make sure to take time to develop relationships with your friends and to have fun in college.”  

Vernacchia’s last piece of advice for any incoming student or first–year student at TCU is to utilize the resources you have on campus whether that is a professor, advisor or staff member. “Make connections and take the effort to get to know people from your peers up to the faculty and staff at TCU — community is everything here,” she said.   

Click here to learn more about the communication studies major at TCU.