Feature Stories 2014: Jacqulyn Sardina: Plans for a career in higher education

‌Jacqulyn Jaye Sardina '14 of Billerica, MA, majored in operations management and minored in management at the Charlton College of Business. After many campus leadership activities and an internship at Philips Healthcare, she'll enter Bowling Green State University this fall to earn a master's degree specializing in college student personnel.

Tell us about your experience interning at Philips Healthcare.

While at Philips Healthcare, I was able to learn various information systems while completing daily tasks. My preferred project was the opportunity to design, create, and launch a communication of organizational change that was distributed to internal and external stakeholders. Philips Healthcare’s Andover location is the company’s world headquarters, so it was very busy.

The internship at Philips benefited me in a multitude of ways. Not only was I able to gain real-world experience, but I was also given trust to create my own direction and run a project through to completion. My experience at Philips is one that I’m certainly grateful for. I learned a lot about the organization and myself. 


What have you been involved with on campus?

While at UMass Dartmouth, I’ve been actively involved in many ways—but two organizations hold a special place in my heart.

I credit much of my success to Collegiate DECA. As a first year student at the university, I served as a founding member of the organization and have been fortunate to watch it grow to over 75 members in only its third year. Collegiate DECA has opened countless doors for my peers and me. The organization has helped shape me into the young adult that I am today.

I also became part of the Housing and Residential Education department as a resident assistant for first-year students. Being a part of HRE has transformed my world and assisted me in realizing that my passion in life can lead to a career in higher education. Through my work with HRE, I've learned countless lessons about myself and even more about others. I couldn’t be more thankful for the opportunities that I've been given through the department. 



What are your plans following graduation?

I plan to attend Bowling Green State University in Ohio to earn a Master's degree specializing in College Student Personnel. I’ll have an assistantship at Heidelberg University, a nearby private university. There I’ll serve as a Resident Coordinator supervising a staff of resident assistants, as well as planning training and programming activities for the department. 



What advice would you like to share with future students? 


"Get involved!" sounds so cliché, but in reality it’s the most important decision that a student can make in his or her college career. Becoming involved on campus allows students an opportunity to make friendships, grow their network, make priceless memories, and most importantly, gain an identity. Becoming involved in a community does wonders for students. You’ll experience much more than you could have ever imagined. 



Who would you like to thank? 


I’d like to thank everyone who has given me a chance and listened, who didn’t write me off as a girl with dreams too big. I’d like to thank those who have pushed me to become someone that I couldn’t have dreamed I would be in a million years.

I’m thankful for individuals on and off this campus who supported me through the last three crazy years. To my outstanding parents, Thomas Fitzpatrick, our best friends, the Cripps Family, and the campus community—I couldn’t have done this without you. 

Becoming involved on campus allows students an opportunity to make friendships, grow their network, make priceless memories, and most importantly, gain an identity.