Seneca Ransom '23, Communication Arts

“I was enrolled in an online charter program in high school, and while I was involved outside of school, from my first Malone experiences I knew I could call this school a second home. Everyone was extremely kind, and I knew that this is where I was going to go.”

Early in her Malone career, Ransom was encouraged by Jacci Stuckey, Ph.D., professor of history, who set her on a trajectory of involvement and success. 

“When I took Dr. Stuckey’s Introduction to World History class, she was really encouraging and even pulled me aside and taught me to be confident in myself. That encouragement was crucial to me as I applied to be a Course Assistant and for other positions on campus.”

Ransom now serves as the student body vice president, and through her journey in student government and political science, she discovered what she wanted to do with her gifts. 

“I was interested in government in high school but I didn’t think that it was going to be my career path. I did a lot of research into communication arts and knew I would like that. I fell in love with how the major was formatted, but through conversations with professors during my sophomore year I knew political science was also something I loved, and I learned that was the route I was going to go. It was a nice complement, because my future would be bolstered by a communication arts background.”

Ransom currently interns with the Stark County Family Court, and will transition in the summer to an internship with the Stark Metropolitan Housing Authority. 

“Currently in the Stark County Family Court I am mentored by the staff, I go on visits, look over cases, and get a big picture view of policy and operations in efforts to restore children and their families,” said Ransom. “Come summertime I will be interning with the Housing Authority’s summer lunch program. It’s a really good opportunity to see how policy at a higher level is impacting people in the community. I was told by a Malone grad that if I want to go into policy I have to be face to face with people because people can become disconnected from policy. This internship will allow me to be involved and see what’s happening at the ground level.”

These internships have been great preparation, and confirmation, for Ransom’s steps after graduation - graduate school. 

“I have been accepted into the Ohio State University’s John Glenn College of Public Affairs, and I’ll be pursuing my Master’s of Public Administration. This is the type of program to pursue if you’re interested in progressing into a leadership role in government, and I chose this path because I participated in a program in Washington, D.C. While I was there, professional development sessions with the Friends Committee on National Legislation confirmed that I wanted to go to graduate school. Ohio State’s program is formatted with the first year guiding you into governmental work, and then your second year is spent in D.C.”

Ransom hopes to take this education and experience into government to create tangible change through policy and faith in action.

“I’m really passionate about criminal justice reform, so the Department of Justice is something I’m very interested in. When it comes to public policy, people often don’t see how God is working in those spaces. There are a lot of levels of redemption in that work. In my current internship, for example, I’m working in juvenile probation, and in that field you see a lot of really sad stories. However, I also see how policies that people have created help children. While that doesn’t always happen, you can still see how all those things work together for good. God works through people, and I’ve seen how my own personal experiences have propelled me on a path to the place where I can make an impact with my opportunities and skills.”

Ransom believes she is well equipped for this important work as she heads into the next stage of her life with a Malone education.

“Malone course work has given me a wonderful foundation. The class sizes are really important here, and the emphasis on writing and understanding different perspectives has proven invaluable. My communication classes focusing on conflict communication and interpersonal relationships have prepared me so well for any job or interaction that I’ll have.”

Perhaps more impactful than any academics, the relationships which Ransom has developed were just as crucial to her growth. 

“Relationally, all of the faculty in communication arts and political science have been encouraging, receptive, and helpful. They all saw things in me that I didn’t see myself, and they provided recommendations while applying for internships and other opportunities. The intentionality that faculty, like Dr. Marcia Everett and Dr. Scott Waalkes, had for me is worth its weight in gold. I’ll be attending Ohio State on a full ride scholarship, and the help that they gave me through the process was absolutely integral to that accomplishment. I am just so thankful for them.”