Employer: Youth Haven, Naples, Florida
Job Title: Marketing and Development Coordinator

Q1: What sparked your decision to become a Communication/Public Relations major?

• I had a friend who was on the FPRA student chapter board and I was struggling with my then accounting major. I asked him what public relations was and he said, “We are the people who make others look good!” I thought, “Well I’m good at that.” I took my first public relations class and the rest was history, along with that accounting major.

Q2: How did FGCU’s Communication/PR program help prepare you for your career?

• FGCU is fortunate to have professors that have vast experience in the professional world that they apply to their lessons. While we don’t have as many PR classes as other universities, I viewed it as an advantage. We had to learn everything in a more advanced fast-pace setting and got real world examples from our professors.

Q3: Where did you complete your internship and how did it help prepare you for a job after graduation?

• I completed my internship at Pushing the Envelope. The internship program was designed to help students learn as much as they can through hands-on experience. I was able to apply what I learned in class and relate it to the agency work and vice versa.

Q4: What was your most memorable communication/public relations class?

• My most memorable class would have to be Public Relations Writing with Professor Nulman. She pushed us all to be better writers and work on our grammatical skills. I have my AP Style book sitting on my work desk and use it almost every day.

Q5. What do you enjoy the most about your current job?

• I enjoy how busy my job keeps me. We wear so many hats in the nonprofit world so days vary accordingly. I am rarely at my desk and while it can be a challenge to catch up on office work, I’m positive that every day will be an adventure.

Q6. What’s the best advice you received while attending college that you took to heart and believe it helped land the job you have today?

• “Put yourself out there.” I received this advice because I can be a bit shy and quiet. But honestly the worse thing someone can say to you is “No.” Putting myself out there and networking most definitely helped me develop my people skills.

Q7: What advice would you give to graduating seniors entering the workforce?

• I would tell them to start a brag book. My current boss told me this. You save everything positive that someone writes about you, every article or picture posted and put it in a binder or folder. Whether you use it for your portfolio or use it when you are having a bad day, it really helps you feel that you chose the right profession.