Decoding by Adrienne

Decoding by Adrienne - July 2026 Scholarship Essay

Adrienne Bell
Howard University
July 15, 2026
Decoding
Being in communications school, I've always been interested in the media. My interaction with TV, movies,
and commercials made me passionate about the field of communications. But once I’d reached college, that passion turned into a goal. While transitioning into my first advanced communication theory course, however, I stumbled onto a subject that broke me out of my comfort zone: semiotics, or the study of signs, symbols, and the construction of meaning in culture. At first, this intellectual structure seemed very abstract and maddeningly intangible. However, wrestling with its complexities eventually changed the way that I look at the world, and thus made wrestling the basis for my critical thinking skills.

Initially, semiotics seemed like learning a foreign language without any grounded basis. I found I had trouble grasping basic principles such as Ferdinand de Saussure's ideas of the "signifier" (the physical object of a sign) and the "signified" (the mental representation it evokes). I was swarmed with ideas from Roland Barthes' theories of "cultural myths", the way media renders very specific, socially constructed values as "natural". We broke down a basic billboard, or a ten-second commercial, in class discussions to look for multiple layers of meaning. What my professors found were deep structures and subverted codes; I saw only a car or a soft drink. I felt like overanalyzing because my brain couldn't adapt to decoding on a micro level.

I started to work on the visual vocabulary of film and ads. I began to observe that the lighting, camera shots, color scheme, and even the clothing of a character in a scene had a certain meaning, and that it was a meaning that was intended.

For example, when creating an ad, I've come to understand that a black and white color palette is not only clean, but it has a semantic implication of timelessness, sophistication, and authenticity. This was a great empowering moment. It wasn't just an image I was looking at any longer; it was an image I was reading.

This educational experience gave me the ability to think outside the box. It made me consider not only what a media text is communicating, but its manner of communication, who it is for, and what assumptions are being subtly repeated. It taught me to break down intricate visual arguments, recognize the biases, and grasp the subtle dynamics of persuasion.

Finally, semiotics helped me not only to do well in my classes but also to do well in myself. It determined my future career aspirations in the entertainment and advertising field. Being an aspiring actress and a business owner, I don't want to just get involved in storytelling; I want to learn it. Learning about semiotics has equipped me with the means to intentionally craft a story, to create a credible visual narrative, and to purposefully create media that can elevate and relate to individuals. This was a confusing problem I had in school, but now it has become the lens for how I see and interpret the world around me.
Thank You!