Communicating with Declan McDonald

I am an active and engaging member of Longwood’s academic community.  Communication with people is a passion of mine, and I do my best to seek out any opportunities available to add value towards my relationships with my peers, friends, and future fellow Lancers.  In Longwood’s academic community, I serve as a Peer Mentor, involved member of a Fraternity, and am a part of the Lancer Student Investment Fund.  I enjoy utilizing the Greenwood Library and am a frequent visitor who participates in group projects.

In my local community, I am known as a former small business owner, helping my neighbors with household projects, moving items, and keeping yards in prime condition.  I am a role model for younger kids in my neighborhood and pride myself on always lending a helping hand.  I can be found always playing a sport or spending time with family and friends.

My scholarly identity in the university is as a student who creates positive relationships with professors, advisors and students.  I am a student who takes full advantage of my resources such as tutoring hours for concepts I struggle with and professor’s office hours.  I will never pass up an opportunity for extra credit no matter my grade and constantly look for ways to improve my academic standing.

I am curious about the world of business and learning more about how products can help people.  The idea that someone can provide a service or product to someone else to enhance their living is fascinating to me.  The process and people who make it happen are equally interesting to me.  In addition, I am curious about the different cultures within the world and how business ideologies are carried out in different parts of the world.

I enjoy studying many different aspects of business.  While a student in Longwood’s College of Business and Economics, I have been exposed to the business concentrations of management, finance, information systems, accounting and economics.  I enjoy studying most about effectively working with people.  In business terms this could be managing employees or a product, negotiating, selling a service, or motivating others to meet their objectives.  Organizational success is something I hope to achieve when entering the work force and for years to come after.

My field of study relies heavily on life online.  Business is about communicating effectively and efficiently with people.  Distance, equipment malfunctions and forgetfulness can make it difficult to find success in business.  In today’s world quickness in communication is very important and life online can enhance everyday operations.

The goal of this blog is to use Longwood’s blog system to exercise our ability to write for a public audience and write digitally for academic purposes.  This blog will be a valuable way to share my writing throughout the course and potentially engage with people outside of this seminar.  The blog could perhaps spur conversations with people from all aspects and backgrounds.  Not only will it be published for others to read, it will be a great way for my personal self to track and improve my writing throughout the course.