Janet Crane attended UNW way back when Broadcasting was a major, the library was on fourth floor Nazareth Hall and dancing was outlawed. In other words, she graduated in 1987 with a Communication major with an emphasis in Broadcasting.
Now living in Tunis, Tunisia, Crane uses her skills in her current job as the coordinator of an English immersion preschool.
Although the connection between communications and running a preschool might not seem apparent right away, Crane said that her major is something she uses daily. Having a job that requires her to interact with parents and teachers, she has to be mindful of what she is saying, especially making sure that those around her feel heard. Crane feels that the lessons she learned while at UNW have helped her in this task as she works on being slow to speak and thinking about how her words will affect others. Communications also taught her how to speak to her preschoolers in a way that respects them as peers and not in a way that is condescending.
Without her time at Northwestern as a Communications major, Crane would not be as prepared for her career now.
Crane looks back on her days at Northwestern with fondness. Dormitory life provided some of her favorite memories as she built friendships and interacted with other college students. She also enjoyed participating in broadcasting, radio, and camerawork as a part of her major. All of those opportunities were chances to “learn how to make bridges between people,” which was one of Crane’s favorite parts about communications.
“Learn how to make bridges between people.”
Janet Crane ’87 Communication major
Crane also believes that Communications is a broad major with application to all aspects of life, including her current job. All careers involve interacting with other people, and Crane feels that majoring in Communications prepares students for success and would be a great choice for anyone. She specifically thinks that studying radio is an exciting opportunity to spread information to people all around the world.
From Minnesota to North Africa, Crane has never stopped using the knowledge that she learned at UNW. In conversations with her family at home and in meetings with parents at work, she carefully constructs her thoughts and crafts her messages, something she never did before studying Communications.
