When sophomore communication studies major Jenny Castaño Cordoba was applying to colleges, she knew she wanted to be in the city and with a diverse population. The Kennett Square native wanted to stay close to home but also have the chance to explore the internship space a city could offer.  

She had everything else in line for her new chapter, but she was unsure about one thing— what she wanted to major in. Castaño landed on communication studies because the variety and flexibility of this interdisciplinary major keeps career options open.  

“Ever since I was younger, I was interested in law,” Castaño said. “I wanted to go to law school, and this was the perfect opportunity for me, and I knew comm studies could get me into law school.” 

After her freshman year, the opportunity arose to work at her cousin's law firm in Chicago this past summer. She took it as a chance to leap across time zones to learn more about law.  

As a legal intern for Romanucci & Blandin, Castaño sat in on attorney meetings, listened to depositions, researched cases and organized files and police camera footage. Additionally, she helped one of the founding partners prepare for a television debate on the topic of police misconduct settlements. She found a special interest in civil rights and sexual abuse cases throughout her work.  

Debra Thomas, managing attorney at Romanucci & Blandin, was Castaño’s direct supervisor this summer. Thomas saw Castaño approach her assignments with enthusiasm and incredible work ethics. Whether she was supporting the office in civil rights legal matters or office work, she took everything with a ready-to-go approach, especially in her future roles with advocacy.  

“I have no doubt that, with her tenacity, she will leverage the skills she honed from these assignments at the firm in her future advocacy work,” said Thomas. “Advocacy takes work ethic, dedication and some fearlessness, and she used all of that this summer.” 

As a communication studies student, Castaño spent her first semester in CSMT 1111: “Communication and Public Life” learning from Scott Gratson, chair of Communication Studies. During the semester, she would visit him for office hours, and the pair would discuss internship opportunities, personal ideology and interests in representing the underprivileged. Gratson was more than pleased to find out about Castaño’s summer plans as the two kept in contact over the summer. 

Castaño also served as a communication studies ambassador with Gratson, where she worked at open houses hosted by Klein College. In this role, she would talk to prospective students, answer questions and share her personal experiences at Klein. As a fluent Spanish speaker, she became an asset in communicating with family members who were still learning English.  

“Seeing her position for efficacy for Spanish speakers was really fundamentally so right, just and needed,” said Gratson. “In my lifetime, I cannot recall a moment when such advocacy was more essential than right now, and she is a part of that movement.” 

As a first-generation college student, Castaño has developed a strong interest in immigration law. This past summer pushed her to see the change the world needs. Castaño encourages others to inform and educate themselves on current events and the law. 

“Not everyone has to go out and protest, but they should really know what is going on,” she said. “People need to stay educated and continue to evolve as a society.” 

After graduation, Castaño hopes to continue her work in law and public policy, with an interest in pursuing a law degree.