Ashley Petty started college as a business student, but quickly learned that her interests
weren't being stimulated. She met with undergraduate advisor Eric Wilson, who helped
her choose the best major to fit her career goals. She ended up as a strategic communication
major.
The best thing about the ESC, according to Petty, is the faculty. “They really care about our futures and how their lessons will apply to our life after college,” she said. The advisors are extremely knowledgeable and helpful; Petty recommends talking to one of them when trying to pick an emphasis.
One of her most memorable experiences in class was visiting the Media Resource Center on campus. She enjoyed the class, Public Information Writing, because it gave her a chance to put concepts she’s learned into practice.
Petty spent a summer interning at the Kanuga Conference Center in Hendersonville, NC, where she applied classroom skills in a professional setting. She got the position through the WSU Co-op Education program, an experience of which she is proud. Now, she works part-time as an administrative clerk for the U.S. Attorney’s Office while finishing her senior year at WSU.
One of her passions is her church, which Petty has been involved in nearly half her life. “I have been discerning a call to the priesthood for the Episcopal Church,” she explained. Her post-graduation plans are unique: she wants to attend the Virginia Theological Seminary to get a master’s degree in Divinity.