Chapter president Mary Reisert, officers Lydia Cox and Ali Meyer, members Ana Livia Campoy Coelho and Justine Carlotta joined Ralph Winslow Visiting Professor Jim Bright and lecturer Beth Wood on the trip.
Gaining direction for a career path
By Justine CarlottaPosted Oct. 30, 2008
As the youngest member to represent Indiana University’s chapter this year, I must admit, I was nervous. This is my first semester with PRSSA, so I did not know what to expect and what was expected out of me.
However, my main question was: What is public relations? Why did I want to go to this conference?
Because I wanted to learn—and that was exactly what I did.
The goal that I set for myself was to walk out of the conference with my questions answered. As the national PRSSA president, Brandi Boatner of Hawaii Pacific University, had mentioned, this conference was an opportunity to develop public relations skills. Development, after all, has to start from some point.
I knew that my first step was to start by simply asking people about the public relations field and what skills are required. What I discovered was that a public relation professional is the communication median between an organization and the public. Thus, it requires excellent writing and communication skills as well as a desire to interact with people and resolve issues.
Once I began intermingling with the members from the chapters across the country, I made many new friends and learned about all the opportunities that public relations field has to offer. During the four days at the conference, we networked, communicated and exchanged ideas, advice and support. It was an eye-opening experience to be surrounded by thousands of students who had the same goals—we wanted to go places, we wanted to learn, and we wanted to network. It made me realize that there actually is a career that incorporates all of my interests.
At the end of the speech by our keynote speaker, Ofield Dukes, all PRSSA chapters stood and recited, “I am the master of my fate. I am the captain of my soul.” Walking away from this remarkable speech, I realized that I am not only the master of my fate and soul, but I am also the master of the steps that I am going to take to reach that fate. I am the leader of the channel to my success.
After my experience at this conference, I have gained direction of the career path that I am going to pursue and what it will take for me to make it in this profession.