About Me

My name is Mikenzie Turner, and I am a senior at the University of South Carolina. I am

currently undergoing my last semester and will graduate in May with a Bachelor of Arts Degree

in Mass Communications, a concentration in Sports Media, and a minor in Theatre. After

graduating, I will not be going far as I am from Columbia, SC, and plan to stay here for,

hopefully at most, five months. Being from Columbia, my main goal when choosing which

university to attend was to get as far away from Columbia as possible. However, as you can see,

that did not happen due to multiple reasons.

First, during my senior year of high school at Hammond School, I got accepted to attend

USC’s Summer Seniors program. Touring the school, experiencing the social life, and seeing all

the opportunities available here was eye-opening and, ultimately, sold me to the school. Second,

I also realized how beneficial it would be to be close to home and have my parents nearby to

help me. The third reason is that I realized all the connections I would have available to me by

already knowing so many people at the school from living in Columbia.

I was undecided during my first year at USC since I had no idea what I wanted to pursue.

In my sophomore year, I declared journalism as my major, and then my junior year, I switched to

mass communications. My dream has always been to become an actress, but I knew I wanted to

pursue a job that made me financially stable and not take on the cliché of a struggling actress. I

did not stick with journalism because I was unsure of majoring in such a specific career, and I

knew mass communications would give me a wider variety of jobs I could apply for. Still

hopeful to be an actress one day, I auditioned for Garnet and Black’s “Redefining Youth.” I was

cast as their “Rue,” a character from Euphoria. This magazine was a rewarding experience as I
got to live out my dream of being an actor/model. Below is one of my favorite pictures from the

shoot.

With now less than a month until I graduate, I have been very anxious about what my life

will look like not being in school. Though I would love to get a job related to my major, I will be

working two jobs realistically. First, I am looking into working for the federal government,

which pays well and provides benefits. The other job I am looking into is becoming a life

insurance agent. Since my goal is to not stay in Columbia for that much longer, I am trying to get

financially stable so I can move and pursue acting while hopefully having a job in mass

communications.

In this e-portfolio, you will read more in-depth essays on how my within-the-classroom

and beyond-the-classroom experiences have shaped my job outlook. I am so grateful for what

USC has taught me and opened my eyes to, and I would not change anything. Life is full of ups

and downs, twists and turns, and everything has shaped me into the ambitious and determined

person I am today. I hope you enjoy reading my e-portfolio!