Written By: Megan Montgomery

Ashley Cooke is a senior Corporate Communication major and Marketing minor. She has been very involved on campus and now has the opportunity to perform at Belmont’s Country Showcase on March 2. I had the opportunity to ask Ashley some questions about her singing career and experiences at Belmont as an involved student and Corporate Communication major.

Many people feel the pressure to find a perfect major in their freshman year of college. They feel as though they have to have a plan figured out and if they change their major, panic sets in. But, there is no reason to feel this way. On average, college students change their major at least three times over the course of their college career. Ashley was one of these students who changed her major three times. She came to Belmont as a Music Business major and quickly realized that as much as she loved the music industry, she wanted to get a degree in something she felt was more flexible. She then switched to a Marketing major. Ashley was not on fire for the required courses for a B.B.A. and found herself having a hard time focusing in class and was not truly connecting with the content. She then came in contact with the recruitment coordinator for the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, Karen Bennett. She met with her and by the end of their first conversation, Ashley was a Corporate Communication major.

When asked what her experience had been in the Communication Studies Department, she could only say good things! “I’ve never felt so genuinely cared for in my life than I have as a student of the Communications Department. Each and every professor I have encountered in this department has gone above and beyond to help me in some way. I’ve sat in professors’ offices for hours, grabbed a coffee to talk about future plans, received unbelievable advice… two professors in the department actually bought a T-shirt with my name on it for Country Showcase this Saturday! I came down with a bad case of laryngitis this week and all of my professors have done all they can to work with me regarding absences. Everyone is so supportive and truly wants you to succeed, it’s really fun to be a part of.”

Ashley expressed that each professor has had an influence on her in different ways. “Suzanne Lindsey taught me how to command a room with words and strategies to keep them listening. Jeremy Fyke taught me how to identify core values so that I know where I stand if life gets crazy. Jimmy Davis taught me to not sweat the small stuff and to not plan too intensely because, in reality, life probably won’t happen the way you have it planned so just roll with it – bloom where you’re planted and enjoy the days as they come.” We truly do love each professor in this department and Ashley can attest to all they teach us and the positive influence they have on us.

Sometimes there can be the lingering thought of “am I ready to graduate? Will I be prepared to enter into the real world?” When I asked Ashley if she feels confident about graduating and entering the “real world,” she replied: “I do, I really do. It’s definitely intimidating and can drive you crazy thinking of all of the things that will change in the next few months. I think the community at Belmont and in this department have enabled me to feel the most confident. In my Senior Capstone class, we laugh about how stressful questions like, “so what’s your 5-year plan?” can be. No one has it all together – even those who seem to. We all celebrate our dysfunction and brainstorm together. We’re vulnerable and real and we help one another out.”

Each student has their all-time favorite memory at Belmont or the one thing they refer back to and just smile about, and for Ashley that is her experience in Greek Sing as a Phi Mu chapter member. It was such a fun event for her, and Ashley loves the fact that all ticket proceeds go to St. Jude. It is such a great opportunity to have fun and get closer to so many cool people on campus while at the same time coming together to raise money for such a worthy cause.

After graduating, Ashley has the dream job of being a touring musician/songwriter. She claims that taking communication courses such as Persuasion has really sparked an interest in law for her. She would love to eventually go to law school and work towards representing artists with management, touring, and recording contracts. She sees this as a great way to remain in the music industry while also using the skills she has learned at Belmont.

Ashley has a love and appreciation for the music industry and specifically in singing. She has had this love for music her entire life and developed her passion for writing/singing/performing at the age of ten. Ashley played all kinds of sports growing up such as volleyball, track, horseback riding, gymnastics, but she always got bored with each sport and started searching for something new. Her family moved to California when she was seven and it was there that she and her older sister got into acting. She started to pick up the music and taught herself acoustic guitar and began songwriting and playing shows around the Los Angeles area. She and her older sister formed a music duo called The Lockets and released their first single called Stepping Stones, which reached over 20,000 spins on country radio. They also performed the National Anthem at Pittsburgh Steelers, San Francisco Giants, Miami Marlins, and Nashville Predators games, and wrote songs on Music Row with #1 songwriters like Bridgette Tatum and Alissa Moreno. These experiences taught her so much, and she is now looking forward to embarking on the adventure of becoming a solo artist. Singing has allowed her to meet so many amazing people and has allowed her to travel all across the country. She has performed at charity events, fairs, festivals and more!

We are so thankful to have inspiring students such as Ashley on our campus and within our department. She works extremely hard for what she wants and exudes a passionate and caring spirit. Thankfully, students at Belmont are able to learn from not only amazing professors but also motivational students like Ashley. Ashley offered this bit of advice to both prospective and current students to Belmont: “Dive in and don’t be afraid of change. If I wouldn’t have been so stubborn and resistant to change, I would have found the Communications department way sooner. Talk to your professors! I know you hear this all of the time, but it really is true. They’re here to help you and will do so happily if you make an effort!”

Thank you, Ashley, for working hard in all you do and we cannot wait to watch you sing your heart out at the Country Showcase this weekend!