Student Feature: Double the degrees, double the impact: YSU graduates excel
FEATURE STORY
Story by: Hannah Werle, Journalism major
Photography by: Omar Frazier, Multimedia Communication major
Youngstown State University’s fall commencement ceremonies, Dec. 15, celebrated years of hard work, passion and perseverance for more than 1,600 graduating students.
Among them were a select few who not only met the challenges of earning one degree, but went above and beyond by earning two. For these graduates, the decision to double major opened doors to new career paths and personal growth, making their experience at YSU all the more remarkable.
One of these students was Madison Warren, who graduated from YSU with degrees in Exercise Science and Marketing.
“I'm really looking forward to what comes next, especially now that I do have the two degrees. There's a lot of options for what I can do. I'll be able to find a really good job that I can help other people with,” Warren said. “And I’m proud. It wasn't easy, but I'm very proud of where I am now and what I have to look forward to after graduation.”
Warren began at YSU in 2018 as an Exercise Science major, and three years into her degree, decided to double major in Marketing, on the Advertising track.
She chose to be an Exercise Science major because she always had a passion for health and fitness. During an internship for her major, Warren was given a marketing project that made her realize how much she enjoyed that subject as well.
“I absolutely love exercise science, but I love marketing too and it's really cool that I can have both those options and try to tie them together. It’s a really niche market, and being able to know the health and human services side of things, along with the strategic side, has been so beneficial,” Warren said.
Warren said her time at YSU has allowed her to mature and has taught her how to face challenges and life events as they come. She also explained how college has prepared her for her professional career.
“College taught me how to handle so much responsibility, to really learn as I go. It taught me how to network. There was so much that I learned in my last two years that I can really take into the real world with me and move forward with it,” Warren said.
Nikolina Drobnjak, an honors student in the Sokolov Honors College will be graduating with two degrees, a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science.
Drobnjak said she chose to double major because she had always been interested in both fields, and felt pursuing both would give her the most well-rounded education.
“I was drawn to Economics because it combines the social sciences, which I have always been interested in, with math, which is another subject that I love. My love for technology, getting hands-on, and solving problems made me equally captivated by Computer Science. I thought that these majors would complement each other well and equip me with a skillset that opens up a wide range of opportunities,” Drobnjak said.
Drobnjak said her decision to pursue a double major has taught her so much about her professional field and given her so many skills to use in the future. She said having both degrees also helps her in her job as a Data and Analytics Engineer at First National Bank, which is a role she will continue after graduation.
“Double majoring has helped me a lot in my job as a data engineer. My Computer Science degree gave me an understanding of the technological side of working with data and my Economics degree taught me how data is analyzed and used to make decisions,” Drobnjak said. “Aside from that, I really do think this combination offers a versatile skill set that would prepare any student to explore a wide range of specialties and careers that interest them.”
In addition to what she learned in her academics, Drobnjak said her time at YSU has helped her break out of her shell, and has developed her soft and interpersonal skills.
“Throughout my time at YSU I’ve faced various challenges both in and out of the classroom that pushed me to step out of my comfort zone, through joining organizations, partaking in large presentations, etcetera. As a result, I have grown as an individual and have become more sociable, confident, and adaptable,” Drobnjak said.
She said choosing to come to YSU has guided her in many ways, and that the experiences she’s had and the knowledge she’s gained over her time here will help her well into her career.
“This school has wonderful resources and opportunities that played a key role in leading me to where I am today. I also cannot stress enough how much the mentorship and support of my instructors have meant to me,” Drobnjak said. “I decided to go to YSU in high school and never looked back. This is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.”
Hailey Taylor is also leaving the university with two degrees, one in Environmental Science and the other in Geography. In addition to being a double major, Taylor was also an honors student in the Sokolov Honors College.
Taylor said one of the most influential parts of her experience at YSU was the faculty and staff.
“YSU has been so great at providing such a wide variety of experiences, whether it be community engagement, community service — the academia here is amazing too,” Taylor said. “People here are so dedicated. They’re dedicated to the region and the area, and it feels sort of like a family here. It's been so nice to be around people who have that mindset.”
One professor, Dawna Cerney in the Geography program, even helped her secure a job after graduation.
“Dawna Cerney has been someone very close to me and my journey through my years at YSU. She set me up with a job in the beginning of my last semester, where I’m working part time with the mayor of Letonia as his executive assistant. After graduation I will be going on full time with the village to continue to help with grant writing, project management, and other things like that,” Taylor said.
Taylor said her double major has helped her a lot in this role, explaining that she’s used what she learned from both degrees in various projects and within a community building role.
“As far as my degrees go, I couldn’t have chosen better for my future. There’s so many fields that I could go into, and I’m so very grateful that I have so many opportunities,” Taylor said.
She also explained that her time at YSU has taught her responsibility and given her many professional tools and interpersonal skills.
“It would take me forever to talk about everything this experience has taught me. The biggest thing, I think, is being structured and task oriented and really utilizing all of the skills that I've used in academia and applying them into what my actual real life career is going to be,” Taylor said.
Each of these students chose to go the extra mile in their education, and it paid off. They will be leaving the university carrying the skills, knowledge and confidence to make meaningful contributions in their fields and their communities.