Just like her great-aunt, Mother Joseph Dunn, who was the foundress of Caldwell College, Meghan Dunn is making her mark in the College community. Meghan, who is from Boonton, New Jersey, is proof that achieving academic success, enjoying extra-curricular activities, and developing professional skills can all go hand in hand.

A Communications & Journalism major, Meghan is pursuing the “Individualized Studies” route at Caldwell College. She has customized her course of study to include classes in the Communications, Business, and English departments in hopes of pursuing a Journalism or Broadcasting career. In the summer of 2009 she interned in news at CNN International in New York City.

Meghan is also taking full advantage of the hands-on experiences offered at Caldwell College. As the Editor of Kettle, the student-run newspaper on campus, she is getting a taste of a career in Journalism. “This is by far the most challenging thing I’ve ever done, but it’s also the most rewarding,” Meghan said of her Editor role. “I take real pride in the work we do, and I think we have gone beyond what anyone expected when the paper was started.” Meghan is also learning first-hand about the world of Broadcasting in her role as Editorial Producer of the campus TV news program. And as a French minor, she serves as the President of the French Club.

She credits great student mentors and dynamic faculty advisors with helping her excel in these leadership roles. “The greatest reward,” she adds, “is to be able to mentor younger students, and pass on what I have learned.” She also appreciates the opportunity to interact with staff and faculty as a student leader. “I have enjoyed getting to know the staff and faculty of Caldwell College – the people behind the scenes. They have always gone out of their way to help me and make me feel appreciated, and I think that is unique.” Meghan has also found that the small class sizes at Caldwell College make professors more accessible and allow students to get to know each other better.

Her time at Caldwell College has taught her much more than academic and professional lessons, however; it has taught her life lessons as well. “I love the diversity of students here and the acceptance of all cultures and backgrounds.” Her experiences at the College have also taught her the importance of “truth and integrity” in all she does, particularly in her chosen field of Journalism and Broadcasting. She plans to carry these lessons with her far beyond graduation.

The most rewarding thing I was involved in at Caldwell College was... The most rewarding projects have been the student newspaper, The Kettle, and the campus TV news show, Need to Know. Being able to take what I have learned about journalism and put it into practice has been invaluable to my education. Learning to make tough decisions and work quickly to a deadline will help me in my career. Seeing the newspaper hit the stands or the TV show go live is a very rewarding experience.

What I have learned about life at Caldwell College is...
Hard work and determination are the only ways to accomplish what you want in life. It is always going to be hard to achieve success and there are always going to be roadblocks. But, if you can learn to work around them, you will have a much better chance at being successful.