Much of Professor Karyl Kicenski's personality can be summed up in this one quote from her. Regardless of where she goes, which classes she teaches, and who she encounters along the way, her dedication to enriching others' lives through the power of communication is unmatched.

Kicenski started out as a Communication Studies major at CSUN, graduating with a B.A. and eventually an M.A. in the field. She later went on to achieve her doctorate degree in Cultural Studies from George Mason University. In her years of research, she has studied the structures of social power and privilege, her commitment to the classroom and the collaboration of teaching and learning has only grown over time. 

“I was a C student my whole life until I really understood my love of knowledge much later in life,” she shares when speaking on how she discovered the possibilities that communication studies offered her.

When one professor in her Master’s program expressed his confidence in her, it only reinforced her desire to become a teacher and spread that confidence and knowledge with others around her.

Here at COC, Kicenski currently teaches a wide variety of communications classes, from Public Speaking to Rhetoric and Persuasion, Communication Theory, and Intercultural Communication.

Above all, Kicenski is grateful for her ability to teach and engage in the ideas that make everyday ventures so exciting for her. 

"I want my students to know that they have this special insight, an intellectual gift that cannot be denied -- they are valuable, they matter, and we at COC are here because we believe in them," she shares emphatically.

She brings her love of communication and knowledge home with her every day, expressing her desire to one day become an expert at being able to share her own gifts and talents with others. 

On the weekends, after enjoying a lazy morning with her family and friends, she takes on the task of catching up on grading. However, for someone like Kicenski, it's just one necessary part of the journey towards higher-level knowledge.

As an avid traveler, Kicenski dreams of returning to Greece, but also Seychelles.. and Fiji, and Croatia, and London -- the list goes on!

"I always tell others that if they are willing to learn, they are on the right path," she says. "They are right where they need to be, and they should trust the process -- let it be and enjoy what is in front of you!"