COMM 495-002

Senior Seminar
Hilary Rasmussen
2/26/2023

Identity Learning Goal

The learning goal known as “Identity” is the first of multiple objectives presented by the

communication department at University of Wisconsin-Parkside. This goal aligns with the

concept of mastering one’s oral, written, and non-verbal communication skills in a way that aids

in the person’s ability to understand themselves and others. This goal is very important and one

of the essential concepts of the study of communication, being a fundamental understanding of

how we communicate.

Understanding oneself and those around them can directly impact their communication

skills. “When we communicate, we are full of expectations, doubts, fears, and hopes. Where we

place emphasis, what we focus on, and how we view our potential has a direct impact on our

communication interactions.” (Business Communication for Success, 2010). The way in which

someone communicates, whether it be interpersonally or professionally, can be very telling of

their identity in who they are, what their values are, or more. Therefore, having an awareness of

yourself and those you communicate with aligns with concise and clear communication. For

example, when someone places focus on specific feelings they had when describing a memory,

you can tell what feelings stick out to someone personally. This can reveal insecurities, dreams,

true feelings or thoughts, or more beyond what is conveyed through simple words.

A project I have completed that I feel aligns with this learning goal was the Community

Based Learning (CBL) group project that my group did for Anjuli Brekke’s Podcasting course.

For the project, we had to interview people who volunteered that identified with the local Latinx

community to share their stories. We met with a former Parkside student and interviewed him
COMM 495-002
Senior Seminar
Hilary Rasmussen
2/26/2023
questions over the phone about his story, and then set up a date and time to do a formal podcast

recording with him. We met at the Kenosha Public Library and spent our class time recording

our formal interview with him, and he shared a very moving story of being a first-generation

student, and his journey from being a struggling student to a very involved University student

who at the time was working with younger students who used to be just like him. He explained

his struggles with finding support as a student since his parents immigrated to the United States,

as well. Once we were done, it was edited and is now stored into the Wisconsin Historical

Archive. I feel as though that this is an excellent example of the Identity learning goal, because

this taught me the importance of having an understanding of yourself and using it to

communicate clearly with others. My interviewee’s story was very inspiring and moving, and the

way in which he communicated to us was very touching. I wanted to learn how to communicate

this well, too.

As for a career, I would say the Identity goal will come in handy every day in most

communication-related work. At my current job as a manager, I have to communicate with

customers who have complaints, questions, comments, concerns, etc., and respond accordingly

to uphold my own credibility but also for my company. In order to be genuine and truly help

these people, I have to have an understanding of myself to be honest and confident in what I am

saying, but also to be cognizant of how the customer is feeling as the wrong response could make

them feel worse. It is all an art of proper communication, and the more you practice it the easier

it becomes. Once I pursue my goal of working in Human Resources or Public Relations, it will

be crucial to have a strong sense of identity. Human Resources work requires extensive

knowledge of your company and strong communication skills to be able to perform your daily

tasks. For this, I will need to be confident in myself and my knowledge to be a trustworthy HR
COMM 495-002
Senior Seminar
Hilary Rasmussen
2/26/2023
representative for my company. In Public Relations, I don’t feel as though you can thoroughly

represent a company unless you have a strong understanding of yourself, either. If I am

conducting written work to represent a company, I need to step into the shoes of the values and

goals the company has and relate to their identity in some way.

I think, moving forward, this goal will be easy to follow. As I get older, I obtain a better

understanding of myself and the world every day, which makes concise communication easier

and more accessible to me. I think as I prepare for a more professional career, especially if I

work in Human Resources or Public Relations, I will utilize this type of communication very

often and master it in no time.

COMM 495-002
Senior Seminar
Hilary Rasmussen
2/26/2023
Resources

[Author removed at request of original publisher]. (2015, November 25). 3.1 self-understanding

is fundamental to communication. Business Communication for Success. Retrieved

February 26, 2023, from https://open.lib.umn.edu/businesscommunication/chapter/3-1-self-

understanding-is-fundamental-to-communication/