The following story was written by CMNS 390 student Mark Manton about an interview with fellow student Hannah Krutow. This story is part of a class assignment teaching students to practice soft communication skills –empathy, trust and intimacy – and showing how those skills become the cornerstones of interpersonal communication. This story is being shared with permission.
Another day not leaving the house for work. As I open my laptop I yawn and have a sip of my coffee, I am meeting with Hannah Krutow today over Zoom. Hannah accepts my invitation, and we are transported into our virtual interview.
Sometimes speaking with a person over a webcam can feel awkward or slightly uncomfortable but Hannah welcomes me right away with a warm grin that helps me forget about any awkwardness.
I begin by asking Hannah how it feels to almost have her BBA.
“Empowering. I am proud of myself for how far I’ve come but I know that I still have a little way to go so I am trying not to get ahead of myself. When I was a young girl, I didn’t have any desire or aspiration to go to college. I know that my younger self would be very impressed with the educational path that I am on.”
I admire the way she refers to her older self as someone to look up to. She then tells me how she likes being a mature student.
“In my first two years of college I wanted to get my diploma and get out I didn’t like it that much. After being away from school for six years I feel more focused and driven because I think I take it more seriously this time around.” and with a smile said, “Plus I really like school now.”
I can relate to Hannah because I also took a 5-year gap between my second and third year of college.
What is the first thing you will do after you graduate?
“I would love to celebrate with my family and friends. I wouldn’t be able to manage school without the love and support from those closest to me. I would also love to go on a trip after I graduate from college. I had plans to travel to South America in 2020, but then Covid-19 arrived and forced me to cancel my trip.”
Did Covid-19 have an impact on your career as well?
“Covid-19 turned my world upside down. Unfortunately, I was permanently laid off from my job at WestJet in February 2021 due to the global pandemic.”
We share in a moment of calm as I hear the vulnerability in her voice.
“Prior to Covid-19, I never thought my career would be in jeopardy or that I would be having to figure out another career path so soon.”
Looking back, before the pandemic I ask Hannah to reflect on the parts she loved most about her work.
“This may sound cliche, but I truly loved working with my amazing co-workers, and working in a team environment to solve daily problems that the airline industry would present us with. I was very sad to leave but I am feeling better now about this next chapter in my life and where I’m headed.”
I could tell that Hannah felt proud of the work she had done at WestJet; it was cool to see how much it empowered her to talk about it. Even If she felt grounded for a while, she bounced back and moved on to the next phase in her life.
I was curious to know if she felt there was any silver lining regarding what happened with the pandemic.
“For me I have been reminded of what’s most important in my life, which is my health, my family, and having a healthy work-life balance. Having several months of no work and nowhere to go, it made me realize how fragile life really is and that I only get one body to live in. The pandemic allowed me to slow down and re-evaluate where I was in my life and what I wanted to change.”
Yet again, I relate to this in many ways as I was also laid off from my job and had too much time to think about my life. Perhaps for both of us it was a good thing, at least that is the way I see it. We could both be mad at the pandemic for putting us through tough times or be thankful for it pushing us to better ourselves through education. I feel closer to Hannah after she graciously disclosed her personal story.
As we conclude the interview and wave goodbye through our webcams, I am happy to know there is another person out there like me working towards their goals despite the turbulence of life.
The Department of Communications is interested in how meaning is made in a range of contexts, including advertising, television, film, popular culture, and the internet. Explore how communication is fundamentally related to the development of self and society and examine how the messages of the contemporary world influence perception of such issues as gender, race, class and community.
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