Student Profile: Samantha Palmer ’24

Samantha Palmer ’24 majors in communication, though she also has a double-concentration in public relations and media art analysis. Originally from Paxton, MA, she says that she was “lucky” to find Westfield State when she did, as the affordability and convenience of smaller, more intimate classrooms is what enticed Palmer to attend the University.

“I’ve had an amazing experience at Westfield State,” she said. “I love it here so much, and I’m sad to leave. I was lucky finding the University, like it was a needle in the haystack. It’s very affordable and the communication department is amazing. The professors are out of this world. They’re family, they are so kind and respectful, and they’re there to help you.”

Palmer then cited her professors’ reaction from her returning to the University after studying abroad in the spring of 2023. “They’d missed me so much. They even had little gifts for me, like sweatshirts from the bookstore. The five months that I was gone, all I could think about was Westfield State.”

Faculty members like Tom Gardner and Max Saito have had the most direct impact on Palmer throughout her time at the University, as Gardner is her academic advisor with Saito being the advisor to the Communication Club of which she’s president. “Tom is so passionate, but he’s also laid back and cool. He’s been great when I was abroad and had trouble with housing and things like that. He stood up for me when I was in England when I couldn’t stand up for myself. Saito is so gentle, and he’s like Tom but also his opposite. It’s such a great balance to have them both in my life.”

This semester, Palmer is currently completing her third internship with Westfield Gas + Electric. As the marketing intern, Palmer writes press releases, advertisements, company articles, and social media posts. She also attends promotional events in town, such as the Big Rig Rally at Westfield’s PumpkinFest.

She plans to pursue a career in marketing after graduating, looking into opportunities in the Massachusetts and Rhode Island areas. “Marketing is my niche,” she said. “I would love to work at a school in the marketing department because I had such an amazing experience here. I would love to stay on a college campus because I know how important education is, so I’m looking for something like that right now.”

To prepare for job hunting, Palmer has utilized resources from the Career Center to help bolster her resume and future cover letters in addition to taking resume workshops outside of the University. “The Career Center was very helpful,” she said. “They made my resume professional, clean, and concise.”

For prospective and current students, Palmer endorses Westfield State for the connections the University takes care to encourage and promote. “Westfield State University gives students every form of support and opportunity to find and create themselves into the people they want to be.”