Meet Sharon Clott, VPA and University Scholar

CRS Student Benefits from Volunteer Experiences

Sharon Clott recently graduated from the College of Visual and Performing Arts and the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. She was named a VPA scholar, the college’s highest honor, and a University Scholar, the University’s highest undergraduate honor. The following article appeared in the Fall 2006 issue of VPA Times, the college’s newspaper.

When Sharon Clott ’07 took Small Group Communication in the fall semester of her sophomore year as part of VPA’s communication and rhetorical studies (CRS) major, she didn’t realize that one class assignment would lead to more than two years of life-changing volunteer experiences in the Syracuse community.

As part of the coursework in the class taught by Assistant Professor Rachael Gazdick, Clott learned about the non-profit organization Signature Syracuse, which helps local middle and high school children study music. She volunteered and, after the class ended, was hired by Richard Ford, the organization’s executive director, to be its director of public relations. The opportunity was ideal for Clott, a dual major in CRS and magazine journalism in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.

“At the time I joined the staff, they didn’t have anyone focusing on press releases, newsletters, or music-related events on campus,” she says. “I filled a need for the organization by providing these things for the Signature students and the organization fulfilled the need of helping me learn through practical, experience-oriented work.”

After a year and a half of working for Signature Syracuse, Clott decided to give another SU student the chance to work as director of public relations, but she still offers her volunteer services. For her senior year, she also decided to get involved with another local organization. Through Gazdick, Clott volunteered for “Hoops for Peace,” a program sponsored by the Syracuse Inner-City Rotary Club that helps middle school students build relationships and friendships through basketball and related communications workshops. Clott will help develop an online presence for the program. “It will be exciting to use the skills I’ve learned in CRS for analyzing community organizations and how people respond to information on a technological level,” she says.

Both volunteer experiences have helped Clott grow personally as well as professionally and complemented her SU education. “I learned many skills and honed in on others—for example, public speaking, crafting marketing materials, and developing relationships with people in the community—not to mention that the experiences in Professor Gazdick’s classes and Ford’s organization are what I always talk about on professional interviews because I am so passionate about the missions of the organizations.”

Clott, a Havertown, Pennsylvania native, plans to include community engagement in her plans after graduation. She strongly encourages SU students to get involved in these mutually beneficial relationships. “Many organizations want a fresh, new perspective that college students can provide,” she says. “Also, I feel like I learned my most valuable lessons from college in the organizations. By working with the people involved, I put to use everything I learned in the classroom. For students who may want to get involved, I say go for it! It is an exciting, challenging, and rewarding experience in every way.”

Comments about this story? E-mail us at chimes@syr.edu.