PRIOR to the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic and the drastic shift to online learning, Thalissa Grant-McClure had enrolled to pursue a Master Degree in Mass Communication at the South Dakota State University (SDSU) in the United States.
The online programme which had a duration of two years, culminated in December 2020. This meant that much like scores of other Guyanese learners, the mother of three was faced with all the drama and violence that unfolded as a result of the country’s protracted General and Regional Elections, coupled with the frightening emergence of the deadly coronavirus.

On Saturday, Grant-McClure’s sacrifices and unwavering efforts to remain focussed will pay off, as she will be the commencement speaker for the school’s graduation, having earned the title of the most outstanding graduate of the Master of Mass Communication (MMC) programme offered by SDSU’s School of Communication and Journalism.Currently the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Guyana Post Office Corporation (GPOC), Grant-McClure said when she started her studies she was a teacher and while she worked hard to do well, she harboured no prior intentions of becoming a graduation speaker.

“For me it was about balancing work, family, studies and my additional interests/activities. Because I work full-time, I had to find time to research, stay abreast with class content and complete my assignments, while being a wife and mother,” the graduate said. Reflecting on the vigorous journey towards attaining her master degree, Grant-McClure said that studying online was extremely challenging, especially given the unreliability of internet providers and the Guyana Power and Light (GPL).

Just as she was grooving into her studies, Grant-McClure made a move to switch careers from teaching to being the GPOC’s public relations person. Meanwhile, as she prepares to deliver a captivating charge to her fellow students, Friday will mark the PRO’s first visit to the SDSU campus, which had played a significant role in her life for the past two years.  Grant-McClure said that although she had no intentions of being commencement speaker for the graduation, she is quite excited to visit and serve her alma mater. “I cannot wait to be on campus,” she said.
The graduate told the Guyana Chronicle that she is quite eager to tour SDSU’s facilities to get a sense of all that she might have missed out on during her studies.

Grant-McClure said that her “shopping” process for schools examined institutions that offered flexibility and wouldn’t demand her to relocate outside of Guyana.It was only this week that the University of Guyana (UG)’s Centre for Communication Studies launched its new Master Degree programmes. The suite, which encompasses three areas of specialisation: Strategic Communication, Social Change Communication, and Visual Communication Studies, is part of ten new programmes being offered by the university for this academic year. Reports are that this was done in response to the growing need for quality, affordable, and pertinent postgraduate programmes in Guyana and the Caribbean.

According to a press statement from the institution, the curriculum development for the Master in Communication Studies programme commenced in 2017, with the establishment of a task force from UG’s Office of Philanthropy, Alumni and Civic Engagement (PACE), headed by Nelsonia Persaud Budhram and Denise Hopkinson. Now, having been approved in April 2021, applications for the upcoming 2021/2022 academic year will be opened on Monday, May 10, 2021. Anyone with a good first degree, who is working in, or desirous of working in a communication-based field, and is, or aspires to be part of management-related functions is considered an ideal candidate. The programme will be delivered in a blended fashion, and will take two years to complete.

The cost of the programme is roughly US$14,500 or US$7,200 per year. Individuals interested in specialising in the first programme, entitled Social Change Communication, can look forward to mastering various communication skills associated with the design, implementation and evaluation of various projects, with the aim of creating positive social change within Guyana, the Caribbean region, and the world. Specialised classes in the programme include: Communication and Social Change; Community Media and Public Sphere; Conflict, Peace, and Human Rights, and Public Policy. Career opportunities created after this programme include: Social Change Communication Consultant, Policy Analyst, Project Manager, and Advocacy Officer, among others.

By enrolling in the second programme, strategic communication majors will grasp various aspects of commercial-related communication for the purpose of being able to efficiently represent their organisations. Specialised classes in this major include: Leadership Communication; Strategic Communication: Marketing, Public Relations and Corporate Social Responsibility; Crisis Communication and Issues Management; Public Policy and Communicating Narratives – Beyond PowerPoint. Career opportunities include: Research Analyst, Public Relations Consultant, Marketing Consultant, Corporate Communication Consultant, among others.

Lastly, visual communications majors will be equipped to master techniques associated with pre-productions, production, and post-production, with a strong focus on visual elements utilising a variety of media with the broad aim of effectively communicating stories through visual productions. Persons will be able to design, create, and package multimedia content of the highest quality for public consumption. Specialised classes in this major include: Introduction to Visual Communication, Animation Basics, Character Design and Animation, Art of Photography, Cinematography and Sound and Light Design. Career opportunities include: Character Animator, Motion Graphic Designer, Cinematographer, Fine Art Photographer, Sound Engineer, Video & Audio Editor, Multimedia Producer, and others. Grant-McClure believes that UG’s announcement marks a step in the right direction for communications professionals.