By Lauren J. Mapp, Director of Digital Media 

From news writers to public relations specialists, students in the School of Journalism and Media Studies plan for a variety of professions after they graduate. One such student hoped to work in the entertainment media field, and is now working in social media at her dream job. 

Alex Piscatelli earned a degree in journalism with an emphasis in public relations and a minor in communications from San Diego State University in May 2018.
 
During her time at SDSU, she was a member of the Public Relations Student Society of America, served as the vice president for PSFA Civil Core and was the publicity director for KCR College Radio. Piscatelli was also on The Daily Aztec staff, serving as the social media editor her junior year and as engagement editor during her senior year. 

“I think PRSSA helped a lot because you got to speak to actual professionals, and that’s one thing that PRSSA had that a lot of my clubs didn’t necessarily have,” she said. “You were able to network who were actually in the field, you were able to see what they do on a day-to-day basis, and I feel like that’s the best way to discover what you want to do when you graduate.”

Since graduating, she has moved to Los Angeles and is working in E! News’ social media department. 

“So far it has been kind of crazy because I always knew I wanted to work in entertainment,” Piscatelli said. “This is my first kind of taste of being immersed in it, in LA, doing what I have always dreamed of doing.”

Previous to work at E! News, Piscatelli would read a lot of entertainment content in her free time. Since she is now working in the entertainment field, she said she has been striving to make cooking and working out her new hobbies. 

“In my free time, I would obviously read E! News, follow E! News and be interested in entertainment stuff, and that’s what I’m doing at my job currently,” she said. “It’s kind of an adjustment there figuring out that I need a work-life balance because what I like to do in my free time I’m also doing at work.”

Of the classes that she feels helped her the most for her job, she includes COMM-415, Nonverbal Communication, and JMS 462, Advertising Strategy and Social Media. 

“I feel like (nonverbal communications) is just in everyday life — talking in any workplace situation it’s very helpful,”  she said. “I would also say the class that helped me a lot was JMS 462...that class helped me as well because we got to look at actual examples of social media and brands using social media to see what’s successful.”

Piscatelli advises students to join PRSSA to build industry connections and develop skills in the public relations field. 

“Getting a job and getting an internship, it’s all about connections,” Piscatelli said. “By being a part of PRSSA, you’re part of a professional organization and you’re meeting actual professionals in the field. If you want to be able to have a better chance of getting ahead in the industry, you should join PRSSA so you can immerse yourself in connections and networking.”

​Visit our website on the first Friday of every month as we feature an alumnus of San Diego State University and our PRSSA chapter.

Magical special events, inspiring career advice, influencer marketing tips and more — PRSSA CSU Fullerton’s regional conference Next Gen PR was overflowing with valuable industry insight. With the help of our parent chapter PRSA SD/IC, we facilitated the opportunity for nine of our members to attend this terrific event. Are you ready to dive into what the next generation of PR holds? Discover our members’ number one key takeaways below!
 
Sofia Bert, Class of 2021:
Listening to accomplished PR professionals discuss their experiences within their fields really opened my eyes to more opportunities within the PR industry. This conference made me even more excited for my future, especially as a freshman. Some of the best advice came from the PR, But Then Make It Fashion session. The advice this session gave me was to focus on your passion for PR and have your love of fashion tie into it. All the women on the panel discussed how their experiences in public relations led them to work for high-end fashion companies like Dior and Nike. This really proved to me that anything is possible in the public relations field — it’s all about who you know and working hard.
 
Madeline Balicoco, Class of 2018:
There were a variety of important takeaways from each session, but the crème de la crème for me came from Behind the Magic: Disneyland Events, which was led by Pat Denis, the senior manager of entertainment technical services/show services of the Walt Disney Company. The key takeaway that truly resonated with me was that our roles have the power to create meaningful memories and positive impacts for the people we reach. Whether we coordinate special events or disseminate integral key messages for our organizations in the future, these efforts can become meaningful experiences for our target audiences.
 
Ciera Chang, Class of 2018:
As a graduating senior preparing to head into the work force, this regional conference was an incredible experience for me. Listening to the panels of professionals discuss their career paths was not only inspiring but also valuable industry knowledge. For me, the highlight of the conference was getting the opportunity to tour Taco Bell’s headquarters and attend the NACHOaverage Brand panel with Matt Prince, Taco Bell's senior public relations manager. My main takeaway from the event was the growing importance of social listening, and how successful brands should use social listening to take something that might be a natural course of action and position it as their own.
 
Héctor Zermeño Morones, Class of 2018:
Attending my first ever PRSSA regional conference was more rewarding than I originally expected. There were two key takeaways that I think will be very useful to me as a public relations professional. The first came from the NACHOaverage Brand session conducted by Matt Prince. I learned that although public relations has similar functions across different industries, it is best to have clear and tailored public relations objectives for each brand. Prince said that for Taco Bell, those objectives are to promote, protect and defend the brand. The other key takeaway involves personal growth and it came from Steve Rohr, the show publicist for the Oscars. As a piece of personal advice, Rohr told attendees that if a door does not open when it is knocked on, move on to the next door because those closed doors are meant for someone else. This advice will serve me well as I navigate the public relations world to establish my career.
 
Alex Piscatelli, Class of 2018:
As a graduating senior, I went into the conference ready to savor every last bit of advice before entering the “real world.” I loved being surrounded by so many people who have the same kind of passion for PR like I do. Everyone has that same love, but they’re all making it their own. I especially enjoyed hearing from Robyn Harney, who works for Sony Pictures Television Media & Talent Relations – she originally wanted to pursue theater but instead found a fervor for entertainment PR. Hearing Harney and all the other speakers throughout the conference enthusiastically speak about their careers makes me thrilled to finally be graduating and entering the workforce.
 
Vivian Vy Lam, Class of 2019:
This regional conference truly provided us with amazing speakers who gave solid advice and taught us skills we can use in our own jobs and internships. I learned the most in the Influencer Marketing session with Edelman, but I can’t help but go back to the Crisis Communication session with Holly Baird from Sitrick & Company. My key takeaway from this conference (and from Baird) is to always tell the truth. It’s hard to regain credibility once you lose that trust with the media and your stakeholders. This is especially true for PR professionals! Be honest with yourself and be honest with the people who care about your organization, company or client. I can’t emphasize that enough!
 
What are some of your number one key takeaways from the conferences you’ve attended this year? Let us know in a comment below!

I knew the 2018 spring semester had amazing things in store for me, but I didn’t realize it would shower me in opportunities for professional development, growth and creating relationships in the pre-professional world of public relations. PRSSA National Assembly in Miami, Florida was incredible! I arrived anxious, excited, but most of all, ready to represent my chapter’s vote in electing the 2018-19 national committee as our official delegate.
 
The first day was all about networking and familiarizing ourselves with the Miami community. PRSSA members from across the country gathered at our first workshop and welcome session. I met five new friends at dinner and we spent the evening exploring the Wynwood Arts District in downtown Miami. It was a great opportunity for us to get to know each other and we created a group chat to touch base with each throughout the weekend.
 
Meeting people from across the country was so exciting! I had never been surrounded by so many passionate and educated communicators before. The energy was palpable! I made friends from North Carolina, Florida, Hawaii, Indiana, Illinois, Virginia and so many other places.
 
This was my first time experiencing PRSSA on a national level. The first two days were filled with leadership workshops and seminars on the PR profession featuring amazing guest speakers from within the industry. The professionalism of each delegate and the national committee candidates set the tone of the elections that took place on Saturday. The official delegates arrived with tough questions that would help us elect the best possible person into each position. Each candidate was impeccably qualified and well-prepared to enter their desired roles. It was a tremendously tough competition!
 
As #PRSSbAes are known for, each candidate came in with sharp storytelling skills — providing us with details, context and insight about their year of service to the entire PRSSA community. Listening to each individual’s purpose and drive inspired me to reflect on my own reasons for joining PRSSA. Many of us stumbled upon PRSSA in what felt like our eleventh hour and found a chance to regroup and confidently achieve our academic dreams! A clear motif through the eight-hour day of speeches and voting was having a passion for the profession and a motivation to successfully lead PRSSA into the future.
 
This year, we voted electronically, which provided more time for questions after each candidates’ speech. The lengthy process showed me that PRSSA is a force to be reckoned with. The entire community truly cares about shaping the future of the profession and the future professional.
 
PRSSA National Assembly was the highlight of my 2018 so far! I made new friends, learned tons and ate a lot of Cuban food! Being an active PRSSA member has provided me with eye-opening opportunities. It has propelled me forward with amazing experiences in all aspects of my life. I highly recommend getting involved in PRSSA. The next national event is PRSSA National Conference in Austin, Texas — hope to see you there!