Nelson Reeder
Biography
Nelson Reeder graduated from USU in 2022 with a degree in Communication Studies and Psychology and a triple minor in Criminal Justice, Sociology, and HR Management. During his time on campus, he was a Teacher’s Assistant and Undergraduate Teaching Fellow in the Public Speaking course taught by Clair Canfield.
Nelson currently works as a recruiter for the Huntsman School of Business as he completes his prerequisites to apply to medical school. He hopes to practice family medicine and psychiatry, and believes that his undergrad education will give him the leg up needed to be accepted and will help him down the road in his future career. Furthermore, Nelson wants to provide the best medical care possible and feels that his education in Communication Studies provides him with the soft skills and knowledge needed to bridge the communication gap that can often cause issues, between doctor and patient, especially when that gap is created through language or cultural barriers.
While in undergrad, Nelson was able to broaden his understanding by taking courses specific to each professors’ specialty. He felt that each course and professor were impactful on his life, and taught him a marketable skill. In Clair Canfield’s Communication and Conflict class, Nelson learned that conflict isn't a negative thing, but simply means you care about something. He also learned how to make, maintain, and respect boundaries and facilitate collaborative constructive conflict. Since conflict is a staple in most work environments these skills have already helped him be a better co-worker and will aid him in the future with patients. In John Sieter’s Persuasion class, Nelson learned how to be persuasive in both an effective and ethical way. He understands that he will constantly need to market himself or “sell” his skillset or ideas to future employers and clients. In Brad Hall’s Language, Thought, and Action course, Nelson learned how to use specific wording to convey the message he wants to, how to add a positive slant on something that might seem negative otherwise, and how to phrase his words in ways that more accurately convey how he is feeling. He feels that these classes gave him soft skills that he uses daily.
ALUMNI ADVICE
“While you're here having a direction is good and having a passion is good, but making sure that you're open to gaining experience and embracing growth is going to be the most important”
That’s why I ended up tacking on all of the majors and minors, because I felt that they would help me as a person, rather than wondering if they were going to look good on a degree. Because even though I'm not in HR and I'm not in a psychology field specifically, the different talents and skills that I learned in those [majors/minors] have benefited me greatly. So those students that are worrying about “Oh it has to be the specific pathway or has to be this specific class,” there might be some truth to that. Like I know that if you're doing biology to get into med school you have to take chemistry, but I still recommend looking at growing yourself as a person and looking beyond that mark so that you can benefit yourself rather than just putting it all on a piece of paper.
Compiled and Written by Cassia Gainer