Written by Madeline Balicoco
When I began my first year at SDSU, I felt underwhelmed. As a commuter, I would drive to school, attend classes and drive home. Although I knew what I wanted to major in, I felt disconnected from my university. However, my sentiment towards SDSU changed once I went to my first PRSSA meeting. PRSSA improved my freshman year in five ways:
1. It began a discussion about PR early in my academic career. During my first semester, the only journalism and media studies class I took was Introduction to Contemporary Media which had one chapter dedicated to public relations. By joining PRSSA, I could listen to PR professionals discuss different aspects of their industries, which I wasn't doing in any of my classes yet. I learned about ethical dilemmas, media relations, pitches, backend analytics and other online tools.
2. I met new people with a common interest. Of course, I met other PR majors which is great! The upperclassmen I met told me about their experiences which motivated me to get through my lower division classes so I could take upper division ones. I could also talk about my classes with members taking the same ones. In many cases, it made taking journalism and media studies classes easier because I had people I could turn to if I had any questions. Additionally, surrounding myself with driven people interested in the same career path motivated me to keep improving.
3. I found a mentor. During my spring semester, I was lucky enough to participate in PRSA New Pros’ mentorship program. It was a great experience. My mentor gave me advice about my resume, cover letter and my first press release. With her advice, I improved my formatting and writing. Additionally, her other mentee and I were able to sit in on one of her meetings. Although the program ended in May, the three of us still meet to catch up.
4. PRSSA introduced me to PRSA New Pros events. Without PRSSA, I would not have known about or had the courage to go to these events. Last semester, I toured San Diego Magazine’s office with PRSA New Pros. The Q & A session was extremely helpful because we discussed which magazine pitches were successful and the magazine’s content calendar. The magazine will plan their content months in advance which was something I didn’t know.
5. It solidified my passion for PR. Listening to our guest speakers’ experiences and surrounding myself with other students pursuing PR as a career strengthened my passion for PR. My experiences in PRSSA during my first year showed me various career paths I can take and different ways to get there. PRSSA encouraged me to be ambitious, determined and tenacious. It also provided numerous resources to help me as a student and an aspiring PR professional. Joining PRSSA helped me grow professionally freshman year -- and it still does.
When I began my first year at SDSU, I felt underwhelmed. As a commuter, I would drive to school, attend classes and drive home. Although I knew what I wanted to major in, I felt disconnected from my university. However, my sentiment towards SDSU changed once I went to my first PRSSA meeting. PRSSA improved my freshman year in five ways:
1. It began a discussion about PR early in my academic career. During my first semester, the only journalism and media studies class I took was Introduction to Contemporary Media which had one chapter dedicated to public relations. By joining PRSSA, I could listen to PR professionals discuss different aspects of their industries, which I wasn't doing in any of my classes yet. I learned about ethical dilemmas, media relations, pitches, backend analytics and other online tools.
2. I met new people with a common interest. Of course, I met other PR majors which is great! The upperclassmen I met told me about their experiences which motivated me to get through my lower division classes so I could take upper division ones. I could also talk about my classes with members taking the same ones. In many cases, it made taking journalism and media studies classes easier because I had people I could turn to if I had any questions. Additionally, surrounding myself with driven people interested in the same career path motivated me to keep improving.
3. I found a mentor. During my spring semester, I was lucky enough to participate in PRSA New Pros’ mentorship program. It was a great experience. My mentor gave me advice about my resume, cover letter and my first press release. With her advice, I improved my formatting and writing. Additionally, her other mentee and I were able to sit in on one of her meetings. Although the program ended in May, the three of us still meet to catch up.
4. PRSSA introduced me to PRSA New Pros events. Without PRSSA, I would not have known about or had the courage to go to these events. Last semester, I toured San Diego Magazine’s office with PRSA New Pros. The Q & A session was extremely helpful because we discussed which magazine pitches were successful and the magazine’s content calendar. The magazine will plan their content months in advance which was something I didn’t know.
5. It solidified my passion for PR. Listening to our guest speakers’ experiences and surrounding myself with other students pursuing PR as a career strengthened my passion for PR. My experiences in PRSSA during my first year showed me various career paths I can take and different ways to get there. PRSSA encouraged me to be ambitious, determined and tenacious. It also provided numerous resources to help me as a student and an aspiring PR professional. Joining PRSSA helped me grow professionally freshman year -- and it still does.
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