Vanessa Bush, M.Ed.
• Author, Relationship Builder, Lifelong Learner, Avid Traveler, Managing Perfectionist •

​Lessons Learned: I was somewhat anxious about presenting a serious body of research that I developed, but I was proud that I was able to articulate my theories and argue my point in front of peers and distinguished professors. It was nerve-wracking, but I did learn to be confident in my ideas and prove I could be the expert.  After that day, I became more assertive and realized that I could be persuasive and convincing – qualities that came in handy later with my role in sales and negotiating my first job after graduation.

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Impact: My research presentation affected not only myself, but my peers as well. I remember having some of my classmates attend the presentation and mention afterword that I was brave, confident, knowledgeable, persuasive, and an excellent speaker. I was the only student in my Communication Rhetoric Seminar that presented that year at the Undergraduate Research Conference, so I was honored and humbled to know that I positively affected lives of fellow students. In addition, the experience taught me to think on my feet, to defend my ideas, to articulate clearly and convincingly, and to be confident in what I learned throughout the rigorous research process. From that point on, these skills and abilities have carried me on to my first job after college, to speaking at Admissions events, and to giving presentations in my M.Ed classes. Now and in the future, I know that I can handle pressure and communicate in a multitude of ways to effectively prove a point.