By: Melissa Pham

Photo Credit: Brian Nguyen

I recently had the opportunity to interview one of our MCS recent graduates, Jacquelyn (Jackie) Nguyen. Jackie is currently a Communication and Events Intern at Baltimore Homecoming which is a non-profit nonprofit initiative building and mobilizing a network of Baltimore’s most accomplished alumni from around the U.S. and connecting them to leaders and doers in Baltimore City to foster new investments, partnerships, collaborations, and philanthropy. She is also the Digital Marketing and Outreach Intern at Nestl Space, a health-centered furniture brand that is focused on creating healthy and supportive spaces. On the side she also volunteers for NAAAP Baltimore as the Presence Committee Chair and manage their internal and external communications.

In our interview, we touched upon how MCS prepared her for her current positions. While working with social media and other such communications it is important to understand how framing can influence the message that a person receives from the content that you are publishing. Jackie states that the MCS courses have really helped her develop a critical eye in her work and allowed her to evaluate from different angles. She has come to learn that people have different life experiences and come from different backgrounds which can influence how they perceive content. By using these skills she has been able to better connect with the audience and create content that resonates with them and the wider community. Another thing that she always thinks about and is a lesson that was reiterated throughout her time in MCS was to always do your research. “There are times where I will make content about certain topics or figures that need to be approached in a very specific way or is controversial to the audience. Doing the research is important whether that be for your personal life or career” Jackie states. As someone who is immersed in social media daily, checking the facts before making any assumptions or rash decisions has helped her to grow immensely in her career. 

We later discussed how MCS has shaped her for her career path. Jackie explains, “I never really knew what career I wanted to pursue in high school, but I knew I wanted a space where I could be creative and still find a job. Through MCS I was able to get a taste of and experience different career options. I liked that the major was so open ended and that I had so many different career choices and that I didn’t have to feel limited. I actually never imagined myself to be in the career path I am today, but because of MCS I was able to learn more about social media and eventually came to love the work.” Going off of her answer we went on to discuss her career goals for the future. Jackie is currently looking to intern abroad because it has been a dream of hers to do so for a while. She mentions how covid played a part in preventing her from pursuing this as a student, but she did not want that to stop her and is hoping to find an internship in London by the end of spring. Moving forward, she would like to find a full time position with a company as a social media manager or marketing coordinator and go from there. Ideally in ten years or so, Jackie expressed her desire to work remotely and travel with her work so that she can advance in her career but also live her life to the fullest.

Wrapping up the interview, I asked Jackie if she had any advice for current MCS students. She replied saying, “be open minded and take opportunities when you have them because you might never get them again. You are more capable and ready than you think you are. Don’t let fear and uncertainty keep you from achieving your goals.”