-I’ve been a member of  PRSSA since my sophomore year, and I have been a part of the THON and Communications committees.  As a active member of the Lawrence G. Foster Chapter, I have attended workshops, volunteer activities, and social events, which have all taught me more about pr and helped me network with professionals and my peers.  

In November 2009, I traveled with a few other chapter members to San Diego for the 2009 National Conference. It was such a great experience for all that were involved, as we attended professional development sessions, informational workshops and networking socials. I learned a lot of great things to help me on my journey in the world of pr, and I am so grateful to be a part of this amazing organization.

I was accepted to this undergraduate curriculum at the end of my junior year, and I have been seeing the benefits ever since.   As a member of the Center, I am able to take classes from top professionals in the industry, as well as attend exclusive events. During Fall 2009, I took Sports Writing with Malcolm Moran, an award-winning and esteemed sports writer for the USA Today, NY Times and others. The class was full of information and helped me gain insight on the other side of sports pr. Currently (Spring 2010) I am taking a Sports Information class with Dave Baker, Penn State Assistant Athletic Director. I’ve been learning a lot and have been getting valuable hands-on experience and feedback. Being a part of this organization will definitely help me in my career path in the sports pr world.

This student-run pr firm was starting Fall 2009 and I have been a part from the start. I serve as an Account Associate for the client, Out of the Darkness. OotD is a 5k walk in Centre County, benefitting the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, with the mission to raise awareness about suicide and depression and prevent suicide. I am soley responsible for the creative materials, including a flier to local businesses, a save the date postcard to past and present walkers and an informational brochure. The Foundation and event are doing great things and I am proud to be a part of a group of students doing something to make a difference in the community.

With the help of some networking, I was able to land a dream internship with the the sports network, FSN. My position during the summer of 2008 was Media Relations Intern and I could not have imagined it better.  I worked with great people and well-known talent to learn the inner-workings of pr in sports and television.  I wrote press releases, designed newsletters, created weekly ads, planned events, handled swag, and so many other activities. I was also called on to place on-air ads for full days, and was then able to see which commercials I chose end up on air. Not only was the in-office work great, but I was also able to attend games and events.  It was an amazing experience and I can truly say I was happy to wake up each morning and go to the office.

During the 2008-2009 academic year, I served as the Sports Information Director for the Men’s and Women’s Ice Hockey teams at Penn State.  This was a great pr experience for me, as I wrote weekly press releases, monthly newsletters, game-day inserts, and promotional social media. I had a valuable opportunity at this internship and was able to work creatively and mostly independently in order to gain real-life experience.  Being able to go to all of the ice hockey games and write about each of them was something I could see myself doing more of in the future.

NHCO is a non-profit organization that reaches out to the community in hard times and disaster. My official title was Summer Youth Philanthropy Intern, and I interned during the summer of 2006 and 2007.  The whole experience was made possible by the Heinz Endowments, who funded our internship. Basically, I and four others were assigned to assist various parts of the organization for the summer. Additionally, we had $50,000 to grant out to other non-profits in the area. We made an Request for Proposal, reviewed the proposals, and made our decisions. The next summer, after my freshman year, I was asked back to NHCO to be the Senior Intern. This meant that I would do the same thing, but guide seven others during the summer. The whole experience was amazing; I met so many great people and learned a lot of interesting and helpful things