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Meet our Students: Alanna Galdi, BA ’19 MS ’20

Communications/Media Management , Profiles Students | Nov 18, 2020 |

Alanna Galdi cites the personal connections she made as an undergraduate at the Gabelli School as the spark that pushed her to enroll in Fordham’s MS in Media Management (MSMM) program this fall.

The Somerset, NJ, native held internships and jobs throughout college, but felt uncertain about entering the workforce straight out of school. That’s when two of Alanna’s favorite professors – Dr. John Fortunato and Bozena Mierzejewska – mentioned the MSMM program.

She seized the opportunity.

What clubs and extracurricular activities are you a part of?

I’m a graduate assistant, a Gabelli graduate peer advisor, an admissions ambassador, and a Fordham Women in Business member.

Which aspect of the Gabelli School experience surprised you most?

I had this preconceived fear that graduate school would consist of really late, grueling classes with intimidating professors and a lot of competition. Instead, it’s been the complete opposite. I’ve never felt more welcomed and supported within a community of students and professors from all over the world. 

For someone choosing a school, what should be the key things they need to consider? 

Consider location, the program length and the specific classes you will be able to take in your curriculum. Location was very important to me, even if we currently aren’t attending many in-person classes. The saying, “Fordham is my school, New York is my campus,” is really true. I couldn’t think of a better city to attend school. As far as the curriculum, I love that I can take any graduate-level class in the Gabelli School as a free elective because it’s allowed me to explore new interests. 

What did you discover about going back to school?

I love to learn, so being able to add another year of education was really exciting to me. I also discovered that the older you get, it’s still easy to make friends in grad school. 

What has life as a student been like as a student during these times? 

Sometimes it can be hard to find the motivation to stay involved in class and participate in other events at the same time. But my program has done a great job at constantly reaching out to students to see how we are doing and putting on casual social events to keep us in contact, and

I’ve never felt disconnected from the school or the community during this time even though I’m not physically on campus.

Events and clubs are still up and running, and the usual weekly newsletters of Gabelli happenings keep students in the loop of virtual events. If anything, there are so many events still going on that it’s hard to find the time to join them all! 

Which one thing does the Gabelli School do best, in your opinion?

Making you feel connected to the community and encouraging you to ask for help or resources when you need them. No matter how busy students or professors are with work, school, etc., I find that they are always eager to make time for you whether it’s just to chat or help you with a question or project. Everyone is eager to make connections and foster relationships with one another. 

 

The Gabelli School’s Round Two application deadline for MBA programs, MS programs, Dual-Degrees, and Non-Degree programs is Friday, Nov. 20, 2020. Browse our programs or complete your application today

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