Student Spotlight

If you asked Dayonara Link how she has accomplished as much as she has in her professional career thus far, this humble young lady would find it very difficult to sound the trumpet concerning her notable success-producing movements.  So, the School of Communication and Media is happy to do it for her.

Dayonara Link, a senior majoring in Television and Digital Media, was recently selected for a prestigious internship program with Sony Corporation, due in part to the confidence she gained through her program of study and working closely with her professors, who are effusive in their praise of her.  However, Link herself was shocked when she received the news from Associate Director of Broadcast and Media Operations Patty Piroh, informing her she had been recommended for the program by the faculty of SCM.

“I had no idea,” said Link. “I literally got off the phone and looked at my boyfriend and said, ‘I’m going to Las Vegas’.”

In April, Link will begin her internship with Sony in Las Vegas for the duration of a week with all expenses paid, including flight, hotel, meals, and transportation to and from the airport. While there, Link will head up Sony’s tradeshow booth, displaying and providing information on new merchandise and products. Sony will provide full training for Link to ensure full product and show-related knowledge.

The opportunity came via the National Association for Broadcasting (NAB), through which several universities, including Montclair State University, traditionally send two students to act as commercial representatives.

When asked why she believed she was chosen for the internship, Link indicated that she owed any recognition to the relationships she has formed with her professors as well as her involvement as one of the first students in SCM to participate in the study abroad program. Still, first and foremost, Link believes in the impact of establishing relationships, and she committed to cultivating a genuine bond with those in the School.

“I think it’s really important to make personal connections with the people around you and try to get to know people better; it’s what I want to do as a job, get to know people, tell their stories,” said Link.

While Link’s interpersonal connections helped her obtain the internship, she wouldn’t have established those connections without creating an impressive legacy of achievement.  She is a member of the sorority Phi Sigma Sigma and four national honor societies, including Lambda Pi Eta, for which she is the public relations chair. What’s more, Link is a newsroom intern at Montclair State University, supervisor at Borgata Hotel and Casino, and student services assistant at the University’s Global Education Center.

Nevertheless, Link maintained that she is on the same level as all her peers and by no means more distinguished in reference to being chosen for the Sony internship.

“I don’t see myself as greater than my peers,” said Link. “I look at us as all equal and I know that one day we could all be coworkers.”

As both her relationships and achievements continue to grow, there is no doubt that Link will remain as grounded as she is now. We stand to bet that no matter how successful she becomes, the relationships she will develop will always be the most highly valued part of her life.