April 2008
An Interview with Dianne de Guzman
by Laura Newman

First year CommDev student Dianne de Guzman was what was known as an “EDSA baby” meaning that she was born in the same year as the People Power Revolution in 1986, in which the Filipino people overthrew dictator Ferdinand Marcos. “EDSA” refers to the Epifanio de los Santos Avenue – the main highway in Manila and a gathering place for peaceful demonstrations that has been the site of the Philippines two main political revolutions. Dianne lived with her family in Manila for most of her childhood and it was there where she first discovered her love for communication, when she started writing for her school newspaper at the age of thirteen. Serving as the news editor for two years, Dianne wrote human-interest stories, profiling interesting people and organizations in the Philippines. When her family moved to the U.S. in 2001, Dianne continued to be involved with print journalism, writing for the “Youth Generation” page of a South Bend, Indiana newspaper. These experiences in her teens made it an easy decision for her to pursue a Bachelors degree in Mass Communication at the Indiana University–South Bend.

However, what makes Dianne’s story particularly unique is the extraordinary amount she has accomplished in a very short period of time. Dianne came into the world much sooner than her parents expected: she was born an entire two months premature. Little did they know that this premature birth was to set a precedent for the way she would do everything; moving through life at a pace energetic, enthusiastic, and efficient pace. When she enrolled in the U.S. schools system in Indiana in 2001, a bizarre scheduling error placed her in the eleventh grade at age fifteen; she graduated from high school at age sixteen and finished college at age nineteen. Always the youngest in any educational setting, Dianne shrugs off the significance of the age difference between her and her peers. “I’ve always felt comfortable in any setting.”

Part of the reason for her somewhat unorthodox progression through school is her close relationship with her father. A professor at the University of Tennessee with a PhD in Criminal Justice, Dr. Melchor de Guzman speaks with his daughter every day, talking about personal issues, offering advice, and discussing her studies and research interests. Says Dianne, “My dad really pushed me to succeed. He always said opportunities are only here for a short time. Take advantage of them!” And Dianne has certainly taken his advice. Known as “that girl who always took 18 credits every semester”, Dianne received her BA in Mass Communication with a minor in criminal justice and international affairs in only three years. Despite finishing one year earlier than most students, she still managed to be active in many student organizations and was the president of the Communication Club for three years.

At Indiana University, she enrolled in International Affairs courses  “just for fun” and ended up with enough credits to earn a minor in the field. After graduation, Dianne wasn’t sure how to pursue her interests in both communication and international affairs. Worried she would have to choose one or the other, she was searching for programs online when she discovered the Communication and Development Studies program. “It was great to see that it was possible (to study both),” says Dianne, “and I was really happy. I knew it was the place where I should be.” The CommDev program was only program she applied to and she enrolled in the program in fall 2007. True to her nature, Dianne has been very busy during her two first quarters at Ohio University conducting research, organizing forums, throwing parties for other first year students and has established the first–ever university chapter of Save the Children. “What can I say?” Dianne laughs. “I just like organizing stuff!”

Having always wanted to use her communication skills to help people, her participation in the CommDev program has exceeded her expectations. “CommDev really opened up a whole new field to me,” she says. “The whole concept of using participatory communication for development is something I’ve never encountered before.” Thus far, Dianne has completed a project of the perceptions of African students of U.S. media coverage of the African continent and has developed an entertainment education strategy to reduce poverty in Appalachia. She wants to study adults who lived in areas of conflict while growing up in order to understand how they overcame educational challenges. After she finished the CommDev program, she intends to pursue a PhD in Communication or International Affairs.