Sometimes all it takes is a single class or on-campus opportunity to change the way students see their future career. That’s what happened for Bryanna Dawson, a Class of 2025 graduate of Delaware State University (DSU), during her freshman year.
As an International Studies major, Bryanna thought she’d want to pursue a career in the federal government after earning her degree, but her Intercultural Communication course changed the path she saw for herself.
“While studying at Delaware State University, I realized that my passion aligns more with the language part of international studies,” Bryanna shared.
Bryanna is now headed to the University of Maryland at Baltimore County (UMBC) to pursue a Master’s Degree in Intercultural Communication, a program she says will help her continue her passion for the field of linguistics.
She credits the opportunities she received at DSU with helping her develop the confidence and skillset needed to pursue her next degree.
“Through my language classes, I was able to be a Spanish and French tutor for students at DSU,” Bryanna said. “I had more confidence in teaching the language and knowing the best ways to study a language, which was helping me prepare for my linguistic study.”
She also took the Braven Career and Leadership Accelerator course during her junior year. Braven has partnered with Delaware State University since Spring 2024 and has since served over 500 students, empowering them with the skills, confidence, experiences, and networks necessary to transition from college to career.
She says Braven helped her develop a resume and cover letter that led to being accepted into her dream graduate program. She was also connected to a professional mentor who helped her decide on these exciting next steps.
“My mentor Tammy was a big reason I was able to apply to so many opportunities and also why I got into grad school in the first place,” Bryanna said. “She really pushed me to meet deadlines and pursue the opportunities I wanted to.”
As Bryanna looks ahead to her future, she is grateful for all of the opportunities DSU provided her with.
“I got to participate in an internship with NASA during my time here and was able to go to study abroad in China,” Bryanna explained. “I also met a lot of new people and got to be in leadership roles through campus activities.”
With graduate school on the horizon, Bryanna knows her family support system was equally as critical to her success on campus and pursuing these next steps. Education was always paramount to success in her family’s eyes and she’s proud to be following in the footsteps of her mother, who is a first-generation college graduate.
“I’m continuing that legacy,” Bryanna said. “We really believe that the more you’re educated, the more opportunities you may have, the more connections you may have, the more doors that will be open.”