Majors: Journalism and Strategic Communication

Hometown: Southlake, Texas

I chose TCU because the moment I walked on campus I turned to my mom and said, “This is my wedding dress moment.” It was the only university that seemed to fit who I was and who I wanted to be.

I chose journalism because I always had a passion for writing and wanted to initially become a writer for a magazine. After my sophomore year, I finished my journalism degree and realized that I wanted to do more. Strategic Communication gave me what I was looking for and I could not be happier to be in the department.

I was a copywriting and editing intern at Scholastic, Inc. in New York City, a marketing intern at BrandEra marketing and an account planner at ROXO, our student-run public relations and advertising agency. I hope to move to Dallas and get a job with a large corporation.

My favorite was Law and Ethics. I also really enjoyed Mass Media and Culture and Sociology.

That your GPA doesn’t define you. My very first day at TCU, Dr. Chip Stewart told my class that if an employer ever asks your GPA, to walk out. For me, this was a turning point from how I was in high school. I was no longer worried about getting an A in every class, but focused on how much I could learn to help me in the future.

When I had my first class with Russell Mack, an instructor in the Schieffer College. He was so passionate about his career and helping every student succeed that I finally felt like I found where I wanted to take my career. He gave me concrete advice and support that I never got from other professors, even though all of them were amazing. He just felt like he cared about me and helped me gain confidence that I know will be a big part of my career and my life.

I really found myself. I felt stronger, more confident and excited to graduate than ever before. TCU helped me become who I always wanted to be and I no longer felt like I needed to apologize for being different.

Understanding. Engaging. Loving. All the professors made you feel like you were a family. They truly wanted to help you and made you feel like you were a valuable part of the department.

Moudy South study rooms. They were never booked up and I loved seeing all the people I had classes with, in case I had questions.

For more information about the majors Estelle studied, visit the Journalism department and Strategic Communication department’s websites.