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This podcast is being brought to you by WXAV88.3 FM and WXAV.com. WXAV, bringing the best podcast to you. Hi, this is Peter Creighton, host of the Essex You Student Profile Series from WXAV88.3 FM and WXAV.com. Thank you so much for joining us today.
My guest today is Danny Ackerman, a senior communication major here at St. Zaver University. Danny, welcome to the program. Hey, thanks, Pete.
So Danny, just to kind of start, can you tell me what your experience has been like so far here at St. Zaver? It's been great. I mean, since day one, I remember walking around the halls with my mom and her best friend, Linda.
And it was just mind-boggling how nice everybody was. And you know, when you're stepping on new grounds, it's different. You're the new kid. You're the rookie, the freshman.
So just how open everybody was nice and it was really great. Fantastic. How long have you been here in total here at St. Zaver?
August 22, 2014 was my first day of class. But before then, I was getting my transcript sent over from Madison area Technical College and trying to get that whole thing situated. So you've been here four years then? Yep.
Has your time here at St. Zaver? Has it met your expectations? Absolutely.
It really, I started with a marketing degree, and I already had a marketing degree from Madison area Technical College, but I didn't know what I wanted to do. And after my first semester doing that, macroeconomic specifically was what really threw me off. Not too hot in math, but I went to see Terese in not sure if that student services. She helped me create my first schedule before I had an advisor.
But I asked her some questions about communications next, you know, and this was just before Thanksgiving break was about to start. I still remember the day because called my mom walking out and I'm like, I'm no longer in marketing. I'm now in communications and I don't regret it a day. Wonderful.
Now you refer to Terese Johnson, who is one of our academic advisors here at St. Zaver. So you feel like Terese really helped put you on the path then? Oh, absolutely.
And she's no rookie. She knows what she's doing. And anybody has any questions. That's the first person I pointed to.
Yeah. Terese is fantastic here. Has there been anything that has surprised you at all, whether the classes or the social aspect? Has there been any experience here that has kind of caught you off guard?
I really, well, C.I. suffered a traumatic brain, a severe traumatic brain injury in the United States Navy. And before I even started here, I was pointed towards the Learning Center, a learning disability center. Now it has a new name, but Margaret McDonald really, she was a godsend.
I mean, really helping me. I didn't even know there was, you know, I need to be treated like an equal student like the Section 504 Act or something like that. So it was something I didn't know and didn't even know to ask. And the next thing you know, I'm there.
She's looking over my files and it really helped me not be so worried. You know, I first, I'm 30 years old. Well, it was 29 at a time, you know, starting school again. And my time away in the military was it's nerve-wracking because, wow, this is a university.
It's no tactical college. You know, I mean, so it was scary, but I was surprised how well it was to get back into it, you know, like not get too stressed out, stick with everything, seeing tutors and everything like that. Like, there's always somebody there to help. And they put you in the right direction here with who to talk to.
Wonderful. So really that level of support has really been a blessing for you, then. Oh, absolutely. Now you mentioned that you're a veteran, which by the way, thank you for your service.
My pleasure. What was that like being an adult student coming back after your time in the military and everything? What has that experience been like for you thus far? Well, when I was looking for schools to apply to, I was only looking at yellow ribbon schools and SX was on the list.
So I, it was shocking though, how there's student veteran alliance here, the SVR, I think student-vector, like we have our own hangout room, everything like that, veterans together. And it was really nice because, you know, and not only that, saying is like, it's not just kids where, you know, you don't see me for fraternities on campus or sororities. It's not just kids here. You know, it's like, yes, there's kids straight out of high school, but at the same time you got people raising a family and taking night classes and stuff like that to schedule, you could create your schedule really good while still working a full-time job, if need be.
So you were able then to now interact with younger people, but you know, you had the support of your fellow veterans then to help you get through your experience of college. Oh, yeah. Okay. Awesome.
What advice do you have for any potential student that is thinking about attending St. Xavier? I would just tell them to check it out. I mean, if it meets something else too that I really like about the school is, when you go to these big universities, it's you, the teacher's assistant, the professor's assistant, professor, and then it's about 38, 40 other students in the lecture hall.
We're saying Zaves is so nice because it's, you know, maybe 14 students in a classroom where it's a lot better to learn hands-on. If you just want to be stuck in a book and possibly pop into class, maybe the next man-wilder, spend your time and money at a big university, but I really, you know, I like the teacher to student ratio here because it really, it's helped me a lot. I got a question I could go up and, you know, professors and look at me like, who's this kid? They look at me like, oh, hey, Danny, you know, what's going on?
What do you need help with? Yeah. Yeah. You're seen as a person then.
Exactly. And not just another check, you know, just another spot in the room, you know. You're listening to the SxU student profile series on Peter Kritzinger, host. I'm joined by Danny Ackerman, senior communication student here at St.
Xavier University. Danny, I got one final question for you. And that is, how would you say St. Xavier has changed you as a person?
Has it changed you? I feel like it has because it's more, I was a different person before I joined the military, then in the military, I became a different person. And now it was, it's now more, I, I spent my time more wisely, you know, you can't procrastinate on a 20 page paper, 10 page paper, 5 page paper, till the last day and expect to do good on it. So I spend my time better and, you know, have my priorities straight, everything like that.
So that's definitely applause. Wonderful. Well, Danny, thank you so much for joining me today here on the SxU student profile series. No problem.
Hi, this is Danny Ackerman, class of 2018 here at St. Xavier University. Thank you very much for listening to this WXAV 88.3 FM podcast. Be sure to visit our website, wxav.com for more information on your escape from ordinary radio.