Goodbye Class of 2023

By: Maddie Tewksbury

Long Island, NY

Major: Social Work

Minor: Child Life Specialist

“Greetings, I am Justin Maiorana, a senior at Bloomsburg University. My youth was spent in Long Island, New York. I am currently majoring in Social Work and my minor is in Child Life

Specialist. I was inspired to participate in extracurricular activities at school to make Bloomsburg feel more like a home to me. I was part of H.O.W.L.S for four years and it was an amazing experience for me. I loved being an orientation leader because I felt it was important to help new students transition to college life. I also enjoyed being able to connect with existing students on campus and share my knowledge and experiences. As an orientation leader, I had the opportunity to be a part of a team that creates an inclusive, welcoming environment for new students. In addition, I had the good fortune to network and establish relationships with administrators, faculty, and staff. As a Social Work Major I participated in the Social Work Club for three years. I loved being part of the Social Work Club because it allowed me to collaborate with other motivated individuals who were passionate about the same cause. I was able to learn from them, share ideas, and support each other in pursuit of our collective goal of improving lives in our communities. Being part of the club also enabled me to better understand the complexities of social work, as well as develop my advocacy skills through various volunteer experiences. I am grateful to Bloomsburg for giving me the opportunity to establish an internship with Geisinger Medical Center. My internship as a medical social worker was beneficial to my future career in many ways. I was able to gain handson experience working with children and families in medical situations, as well as learning about medical terminology and processes that I may have not been exposed to otherwise. I was able to gain an understanding of how a healthcare team works together to provide the best possible care to patients. After graduation, I will be furthering my education to pursue a Master’s in Social Work. By obtaining my Masters in Social Work,

I believe I can make a difference in the lives of individuals and communities. Overall, I am grateful that I chose Bloomsburg University because it has provided me with many opportunities to grow both academically and personally. The professors and staff are knowledgeable and dedicated to helping students succeed. The campus is full of resources and it has a vibrant and welcoming community. Bloomsburg has

“My four years at Bloomsburg University have been a wild, great ride and I wouldn’t change a thing. I decided to come here because it felt like home when I toured the campus, and my hometown is exactly like the town of Bloomsburg. Very quiet, not much to do but a good community. I’ve spent the majority of my four years in Hartline, because of my major, and I love the community I was a part of there. Some of my favorite professors have been Dr. Polinski, Dr. Surmacz, Dr. HareHarris, and Dr. Debardeleben. The social life at bloomu holds a lot of opportunity, and there are so many clubs and activities to be a part of. I enjoyed the activities I was in, and the majority of my time here I was a leader in YoungLife, which helped me gain many great qualities I will carry with me in future jobs and positions. The best part of my college experience has been the friends I’ve made along the way, and all the memories we made. I know these friendships will last a lifetime. I graduate this spring, and my plan is to travel and move out of state before finding my next thing. I want to

Major: Biology, Health Sciences work and gain experience in the healthcare field and then eventually go to graduate school. Wherever my degree takes me,

I am so excited to be a part of the healthcare field.”

Majors: Communication Studies (Organizational Communication Concentration) & Sociology

Minor: Psychology

“The last 4 years at Bloom have been some that I will never forget. I took the opportunity to be extremely involved on campus and wouldn’t change a thing because the clubs and orgs I was a part of have provided me with lifelong friends and development opportunities that have shaped me into who I am today. One organization I was involved with was Residence Life where I spent

3 years being a Community Assistant. I grew professionally and personally while getting to be surrounded with likeminded people while getting to support incoming firstyear students. I was also the President of Lambda Pi Eta, the Communication Studies Honor Society, my last year at Bloom which helped me be involved in connecting the campus with communication resources and showing why the Communication Studies Department on campus is important. My favorite opportunity, though, was doing research in the Sociology department and getting to present my research at the 2023 Eastern Sociological Conference in Baltimore. I researched the interaction of demographic variables on life satisfaction and got to meet other Sociology students with similar interests. All of these opportunities have led me to wanting to continue my education. In Fall 2023, I will be attending Villanova University and getting my Master in Public Administration. After graduating from graduate school, I plan on working as the Executive Director of a social advocacy non-profit organization to enact change in our society

Ashley Cavanagh

East Stroudsburg, PA

Major:Communication studies with a concentration in organization.

“My years at Bloomsburg have been filled with memories, laughs, learning, and growth, and I wouldn’t change a thing. I have made life long friends here who I hope to never lose contact with and skills in life and academics that will help me forever. I have taken some amazing classes in my years here at Bloomsburg like Conflict management and resolution, Leadership and teambuilding, Principles of management, Event planning and even Interpersonal communication. I feel like I have learned valuable skills in these classes that I will definitely use after I graduate. I actually have an internship at

TCB Promotions starting a week after graduation and included these classes on my resume, and it turns out the women interviewing me actually took some of the same classes. We talked about how the skills you learn in these classes are very applicable in the work we will be doing and it made me feel more prepared. After my internship I hope to either get a job at TCB Promotions or to find a job in event planning but either way I can’t wait to see what the future may hold.”