ABOUT ME
Alessa Dominguez
When I was in middle school I learned a proverb that stuck with me: “a jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one”.
The origin of these words are not clear but their significance to me is. As I go through my college years, the seasons pass by, and my academic and professional experiences pile up, manifesting into a diverse stack of skills.
A SHORT OVERVIEW OF MY SKILLS
As a student majoring in political science, research is an indispensable step in the process of digesting heavy reading material and producing quality work in writing-intensive courses. An excerpt of my paper, Blackface Minstrelsy, Vaudeville, and Early Animation, is provided on the right. This short ten page paper contains only a dozen citations but it is a demonstration of the time and research I put in, in order to turn in this polished version you see. This, I would call a foundational skill.
"While the name Jim Crow may evoke a feeling of a distant past, laid to rest in American history as a political attempt to enforce the racial segregation of African Americans, its origins reveal otherwise. After all, it was once not only a set of laws, but a blackface caricature created by the “Father of Minstrelsy”, Thomas Dartmouth Rice (“Blackface: The Birth of an American Stereotype”). Essentially, Rice’s performance of “Jump Jim Crow”, an insulting reenactment of a disabled enslaved man who was “limping and jumping” outside of his window, laid the groundwork for all minstrel shows to follow (Green 390). Additionally, blackface minstrelsy would go on to become the first form of American entertainment and the largest influence on American animation."
When I worked as a summer intern with my local aldermanic office, I learned a new trade. There, I managed administrative tasks such as data entry, email correspondence, and worked as a front desk receptionist both in-person and over the phone. As a result, I developed strong verbal communication skills and gained a deeper understanding of professional language and office workplace etiquette.
In a way, these skills and experiences should have nothing to do with one another. Yet, there is a transferability to them that easily allows me to harness them in both my professional and academic life.
MY ASPIRATIONS
Recently, I decided to add a Public Relations minor to my degree. For the longest time, I was certain I wanted a career in the field of politics, serving as an election judge at fifteen, applying for a governmental internship, and finally majoring in Political Science. However, I recently realized the gap that has been steadily growing between politicians and the general public, the distrust that has been building. It makes me want to close that divide.
There is a startling lack of organized and strategic messaging among public officials, oftentimes leaving us adrift. I would love to build a bridge for this issue through a career in media relations. Through my strong set of verbal and written skills, and my understanding of the political field, it would be a personal dream of mine to take part in resolving this issue.
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