I am blessed.

Hello everyone,

So beyond the blessings of my trip, I have discovered that I have withheld a tad bit of additional good news. Mercyhurst will always be my home as I have spent the last eight years there between high school and university, the community will always feel like home to me; however great things lead to even more great things.

The communication program at Mercyhurst is awesome. It has provided me with many tools and life experiences that I truly believe I would have missed out on at a larger university. My work with the Public Relations Student Society of America and the National Broadcasting Society are absolutely incredible, all of my professors have, and many of them still are, working in the field they are teaching, not just the academics of the subject, and the focus has always remained on me as the student, my dreams and how they can assist me in reaching those dreams. Despite those people who wanted me to go to "bigger and better" universities from high school, I would not trade my Mercyhurst experience for anything and understand from those people that I got just as good, if not better, the education they did.

With that being said, plans for after college are always a big deal for seniors. Now that you have a degree what are you going to do with it. Over that last three years I have heavily contemplated whether or not to go to grad school or call it a day and pursue a full-time job in amusement parks. So... still not knowing I have been applying for both and just over two weeks ago I have been blessed with a decision to go to grad school.

On  Monday, Feb. 11 (I will never forget this day) I was at work at the Erie County Convention Center Authority when I received an email from American University. I had applied a mere 11 days before, so I figured this was simply a confirmation email that my application was being reviewed, however to my utter surprise (even to this moment) it was an acceptance email! American had decided to accept me to their first stage of application review, provide me with a scholarship AND give me a Graduate Assistant position!

While I am still waiting to hear back from two other universities, American was and remains my number one program and I am blessed to have the support and education from Mercyhurst to help me in achieving this great honor. If you are a prospective communication student and have heard from Meghan Corbin, take a moment to email her back. I again and again cannot thank here enough for her guidance and  patience in helping me get here. I attribute this success to her guiding mind. Meghan - Thank you!

So on this day and Spain, I apologize and I am excited to finally share this news with you. I have said it before and I say it again, I am blessed.

Thanks for reading!
Joe