As a part of the John Carroll curriculum, students along the Fine Arts track have the opportunity to be recognized for their accomplishments through the Fine Arts Distinction Diploma or FADD.

This addition applies to the Literary Arts, Performing Arts, and Visual Art and Design, and like myself, I pursued the distinction along my path in Literary Arts – more specifically, Journalism.

As a part of my three years at JC, I’ve had numerous service opportunities, all of which have given me so much insight and experience. However, my path alongside this distinction allowed me to serve at the local Discovery Center in Water’s Edge, Belcamp.

The Discovery Center is a science museum targeted for students of all ages who can explore, play, innovate, and discover through various hands-on activities.

They offer science and engineering-related classes and camps, festivals, contests, giveaways, parties, and more.

My service here, however, was aimed behind the scenes, where others can learn more about it. With help from the Executive Director, Nikki Snyder, I was capable of handling social media posts and conducting inside promo videos to help advertise the center.

Through this, I learned so much, whether it be simple communication skills, conducting visuals on well-used business platforms, or even socializing through their Magic of Science events.
With a service opportunity like this, I felt as though I had the pleasure of working full-on with the Discovery Center.

I had constant communication with my mentor and was taught through online meetings and spoke with other staff, like intern instructors, community partners, and interns themselves.

Learning all this information and what the Discovery Center had to offer, I feel as though it led me along my path in what I currently do in Literary Arts. While I take Journalism as an elective, I also have maintained the @jcpatriot Instagram.

Although I’m unsure of what the future may hold — having the experience of controlling multiple social media platforms from the advertising and marketing perspective has led me towards a near-possible career alternative.

With this distinction and guidance from the Discovery Center, I have learned life skills and have had so much fun meeting new people and getting a glimpse into the social aspect of a business.