Meet Nicole Day, 2017 graduate of the Department of Communication and senior social media strategist at Clemson University.
When Nicole Day ’17 changed her major to communication as a sophomore at Clemson University, she knew she was drawn to creativity and had a deep love for reading and writing, so she intentionally looked for opportunities to explore and strengthen those passions.
Rather than waiting until the next academic year to begin her communication coursework, Day was ready to dive in, so she joined the communication department’s inaugural study abroad program in Germany to study public relations and crisis communication during the summer between her sophomore and junior years.
Throughout the four-week program, Day and her classmates were immersed in hands-on projects with German companies. During that time, she said she began to understand how stories are shaped and received across cultures. She learned that meaning is not conveyed by words alone, but also by context, values and perspective. German storytelling traditions and media consumption habits differed from those in the United States, challenging her to think more strategically about audience and message – a lesson that has served her well professionally.
In addition to coursework, she and her classmates visited a concentration camp near Berlin, and she said the experience left a lasting impression.
“What had once been history lessons in textbooks became tangible and deeply personal when I experienced the concentration camp firsthand. It broadened my perspective in ways that extended far beyond coursework,” said Day.
When she started the trip, she said she was uncertain about her future career plans but open to all the possibilities a degree in communication would offer – and she returned to Clemson with a newfound interest in public relations and a plan to tailor her coursework to pursue it professionally. In fact, her experience abroad and academic work prepared her for an advertising internship that turned into a full-time position when she graduated.
Day said the study abroad program elevated her Clemson Experience and complemented her on-campus coursework by providing tools to build valuable, real-world skills while strengthening her independence, adaptability and worldview.
“Living and learning in an international environment challenges you in ways that directly mirror the demands of the workplace. You learn to adapt quickly, communicate effectively despite differences, navigate challenging situations and solve problems with limited resources,” said Day. “Those experiences build resilience, cultural awareness and confidence – qualities that employers value and that prepare you to lead and collaborate in an increasingly global world.”
Day currently serves as a senior social media strategist for the Clemson University Division of Marketing and Communication. In her role, she develops content plans for the University’s main social media channels, assists in the execution of creative ideas, manages the day-to-day of the presidential social media accounts and develops analytics reports.
Day said she is grateful for everything Clemson has given her, personally and professionally – a once-in-a-lifetime study abroad experience and a degree that fostered her ability to think critically, communicate effectively and succeed in fast-paced work environments.
The Department of Communication is in the College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences (CBSHS). Established in July 2016, CBSHS is a 21st-century, land-grant college that combines work in nine disciplines – communication; nursing; parks, recreation and tourism management; political science; psychology; public health sciences; sociology, anthropology and criminal justice – to further its mission of “building people and communities” in South Carolina and beyond.
