Senior Zachary Berrott was unaware of what we wanted to do when exiting high school. Now, he is going to be graduating from Waynesburg University with a Bachelor of Arts in  Communication. 

The fundamental decision to come to Waynesburg came down to if he was going to participate in athletics or not. 

“If I wasn’t doing a sport, I was probably going to be at WVU [West Virginia University] and their comm department down there,” Berrott said. 

Berrott however wanted to remain in athletics throughout his college career, but there were other factors to the decision as well.

“I decided I wanted to do a sport, so I started to look at some smaller schools. I decided to go to Waynesburg, and I wanted to look at my credits. I had 38 credits in high school and I wanted to see how many I could transfer, and Waynesburg accepted all 38.”

Berrott is also double majoring in business and communication.

“When I talked to Professor [Richard] Krause and Lanny Frattare, they really wanted me to come and sold the Waynesburg Comm. Department to me pretty well,” Berrott said. 

Berrott entered Waynesburg on the men’s soccer team, and he was able to develop many skills that aren’t always taught in the classroom.

“My time management skills are pretty good, but having a dual degree and doing two sports, it was pretty hefty on myself I would say,” Berrott said. “That’s why I don’t do soccer anymore, just track. I think I did pretty well just in general.” 

Berrott, on top of athletics, is also a part of the business club on campus along with WCTV, The Yellow Jacket and the Sports Information Department in the Department of Communication. 

Berrott said that the Department of Business Administration doesn’t offer a lot for himself in regard to outside activities unlike the Department of Communication.

“I sometimes do stuff with the business club, but that’s about it for the Business Department. There’s not too much on that business side,” Berrott said. “There aren’t as many activities as maybe  the Comm. Department is offering.” 

Berrot said he feels he has gotten more out of the Department of Communication, especially where he maybe did not get as much out of the Department of Business Administration. 

“I do think I got more value in the Comm. Department, and that’s just from being active here and doing different activities here whether it was helping in the radio station, or if it was WCTV or writing for The Yellow Jacket,” Berrott said. “I like different things in this Department, and I think it has more value when you’re looking for a career if it’s in the comm side.” 

Chairperson for the Department of Communication and Assistant Professor of Communication, Richard Krause had a chance to meet Berrott on Scholarship Day during the recruiting process, however it was done remotely due to the COVID pandemic.

“We knew we had a really small number that year, but we had really good kids. It was fun because we got to know him and his family,” Krause said. “Everything started out really well, it has been a great relationship.” 

Krause said that Berrott was almost able to do something no other Waynesburg University student had ever done with his schedule. 

“His first six semesters here, he had a Krause class, he had a course with me every semester, and he was supposed to have practicum with me in the fall, but because of staffing issues in the Department, I couldn’t teach the course,” Krause said. 

Krause continued to say his relationship with Berrott has been great, and that he has left a lasting mark on the Department as well. 

“The relationship we have developed, you’d like to have that with every student. He’s contributed to the Department, he’s been fun to have in class, he’s a talented student, I think he’ll do great things,” Krause said. 

Berrott in his time at Waynesburg University has been able to learn many different tools. Krause said he feels that will benefit him greatly in the job search. 

“I want to stress here among the students you don’t want to come out and be a one-trick pony. You don’t want to be someone who just has one skill set,” Krause said. “He [Berrott] is going to be specially prepared. He came here well prepared and built off that.” 

Berrott said he is not looking for anything specific in his job search now that seniors are less than one week away from commencement. 

“I have applied to so many jobs I feel like the job search is a task on its own, but I’m still applying to jobs,” Berrott said. “I just had a couple of interviews on that business side for a sales position and a finance position, but I’m also looking at the communication side.” 

Berrott feels overall that he has developed a great work ethic for his future, no matter the field he takes on. 

“Having so much on my plate and just driving to be as good as I can is going to be one thing that is going to help me in the future,” Berrott said.