Spotlight Series: Dr. Sandra Romo

Dr. Sandra Romo, Department Chair, Arts and Sciences and Associate Professor of Communication for CBU Online, knew from a young age that she wanted to teach. Her path to higher education was filled with hard work, determination and trusting God’s plan for her life.

While working in the field of sales, marketing, and public relations, Dr. Romo attended evening college program to earn her bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Spending her days at work, she would come to class from 6 – 10 in the evening to pursue her educational goals, all while becoming a wife and mom. She resonates with her student’s busy schedules and the challenge of balancing a full plate. “Knowing that I was able to do it, I want to motivate my students and show that if they have the drive and desire, they can reach their goals,” said Dr. Romo.  

When a spot opened to adjunct for CBU, Dr. Romo jumped at the chance to teach a course that directly related to her professional experience while working in a faith – based environment. She loved that she was able to outwardly show her faith, all while preparing the next generation of communicators to go out into the world.

Strategic communication is an in – demand field that is great for students who want to be story tellers and form relationships with a brand and its audience.

“Communication studies is an umbrella term to keep our fingers on the pulse of what society is doing and how we are communicating. You get to explore the latest and greatest trends in terms of communication technologies and mediums,” said Dr. Romo. “(Our program) prepares you to communicate on behalf of your organization and work with your audiences in a way that is beneficial to both the public and towards the organization.”

Dr. Romo believes that intentional communication is a must for entering this field and implements that practice into connecting with her students in an asynchronous environment. Through purposeful interaction she invests time into her students, checking in on them regularly to ensure they have the tools needed to be successful.

Because teaching allowed Dr. Romo to have a work / life balance, family is at the forefront of her focus. She found purpose in helping families better navigate life after a child’s autism diagnosis. At the age of two, her daughter (now 12) was diagnosed with autism. Dr. Romo saw there was a huge gap in the way providers and doctors were communicating to families and the stigmas surrounding a child having autism.

Dedicated to changing the narrative, she focused her dissertation on autism and the construction of the family identity after a diagnosis. Today, Dr. Romo serves as an advocate for people with autism and works to provide information and stories of those impacted by autism.

When she is not teaching or researching, Dr. Romo enjoys spending time with her husband, two kids and dogs. She is active in her church and gives back to her local community. She owns a baseball club with her husband that invests into the lives of teenagers who aren’t afforded the opportunity to play in a typical club baseball environment. This club provides them opportunities to focus on their mental health and pursue personal goals. She also enjoys going to the movies, binge watching tv series and true crime podcasts.

To get more information on pursuing a career in social media, public relations or communications please visit this link to see how you can get started today.