by Zoey Hutton
“If you did not ask a question or make a comment, that was a missed opportunity,” Elizabeth DuChene, MA, PCM, AMA-CPM, better known as Belle DuChene, expressed to the UNI PRSSA Chapter at the closing of our meeting. I’m not sure there could have been a more fitting statement for DuChene to make, as she is the queen of taking advantage of every opportunity. Every Monday in Lang 346, UNI PRSSA gets the chance to hear from public relations (PR) professionals. This is a great way for college students to learn more about the different paths we can take with a PR degree after graduation. On this specific day, DuChene spoke to us about “Fashion PR: A Niche Industry.” Before going to the meeting, I wasn’t sure there was going to be much that I could take away from it. I am a PR major with a special events emphasis, so I didn’t think that a topic like fashion was relevant to me (and honestly, I am probably the last person anyone should take fashion advice from). In hindsight, I was so naive to think in such a way. During the meeting, Duchene told us about her past involvements, which included working events during fashion week, being an adjunct professor at the University of Iowa, Simpson College, and the University of Northern Iowa, working at Meredith Corporation while serving as a project manager, and so much more. One thing in particular that stood out to me was her micro-influencing agency, Belle DuChene Media + Management (BDMM). BDMM specializes in all things PR, helping micro-influencers create strategic plans that go further than what just social media shows. While introducing some of the influencers she works with, she noted that everyone has their own style, or niche, if you will. DuChene knows that it is important to bring a little bit of you into everything you do. Different Public Relations Routes A PR degree is so versatile. There is something for everyone in public relations. Whether every business knows it or not, their business would benefit immensely from having a PR specialist on their side. DuChene’s micro-influencing business is proof of it! While I know that public relations can be quite broad in a big picture sense, UNI offers three emphases of study in PR: strategic, special events, and sports. Each emphasis is centered on PR, but varies in focus. Maybe you enjoy structure and strategic planning, everything sports, or all the steps that go into planning an event – PR offers something for everyone! The strategic track focuses on the fundamentals of PR and is exactly what it says it is: strategic. Some choose this route because their niche is helping others succeed. Corporate life is where some strategic PR majors find themselves later in life. The sports track focuses on sports teams and individual athletes themselves. Some choose this route because they have a love for all things sports. Some sports PR professionals may find themselves promoting or putting a positive spin on what might be a disappointing sports season in press releases, keeping tension between teams and media outlets light and positive, or creating media strategies to boost a teams’ fan base. Personally, I am a public relations major with an emphasis in special events. Event coordinating really intrigues me because I like structure and planning. Event planning is so satisfying because I get the chance to watch my plans, visions, and big picture ideas come to fruition. It is one of the best feelings! Who knew you could actually make a career out of something you truly enjoy? I thought it was too good to be true until I joined PRSSA. Learn More About UNI’s PR Program Even with a specific emphasis in PR, life can take you to amazing places and may take you far from what you imagined. No matter the route, PR gives you soft skills that can be applied to pretty much any career you want. Be like DuChene - find your niche and don’t make the mistake of missing any opportunity because you were too afraid to ask a question or make a comment! To learn more about UNI's PRSSA chapter, hit the "about" tab on our website, and for more information on the UNI’s PR major program, click the link below! https://chas.uni.edu/cm/majors/public-relations Make sure to check out the other blog posts on Setting PRecendents to gain even more insight as to what PR at UNI looks like!
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by Madison Williams
As a high school student, it is easy to romanticize graduating and going to college. Looking back to a couple of years ago when I was a senior in high school, I couldn’t wait to get out and experience life outside of the four walls that were high school. To my naive, 18-year-old self’s surprise, it didn't take me long to be humbled by post-high school life. I went from being a three sport athlete who was constantly busy between school, practices, and games, to someone who, quite frankly, had too much time on their hands. The change of pace was something that I had to work to adjust to. In a way, it felt like I lost my identity when I graduated high school because so much of it was tied in with sports and being a part of a team. A piece of advice I recently heard that resonated with me is how important and impactful being a part of a team, organization, or club can be for your personal growth and overall well-being while in college. This is where UNI PRSSA came into play for me. Joining UNI PRSSA I joined UNI PRSSA earlier this school year during the fall semester of my junior year. I switched my major from elementary education to communication at the beginning of my sophomore year and remember sitting in class hearing people talk about the organization. It was something that I knew I would enjoy, but was never able to motivate myself to go my sophomore year. The idea of joining an organization by myself was so far outside of my comfort zone that the thought of it was too daunting. After switching my major, I struggled to find connections with people in my new major and in a way, I isolated myself. Fast forward to the fall semester of my junior year, when a member of the organization, Jordyn Barragy, reached out to me individually and encouraged me to come to the next meeting. In the meeting, we learned about the importance of diversity and inclusion in the workplace, and I remember leaving feeling confident this was going to be a good fit for me. This was exactly the push I needed, and ever since attending that meeting, I have yet to miss a week. Joining PRSSA is one of the most beneficial things I have done for myself when it comes to setting my future career up for success. Hearing from countless people within the public relations and communication world has been so eye-opening for me, not only in terms of my career, but in my personal life as well. The executive board does such a great job bringing in people with diverse backgrounds, week after week, with helpful insight to help prepare us for life post-graduation. UNI PRSSA does a great job at making sure meetings and events are as fun as possible. We host an end-of-the-semester banquet each fall and spring that highlights everything we did throughout the semester. During the banquet, members of the organization get recognized and awarded for a number of different things, such as their dedication to the organization, involvement within the organization, and being an overall team player, to name a few. The banquet is a great way to socialize and deepen relationships with members of the organization outside of meetings. Similarly, we aim for at least one social event as a group per semester. This semester, we went bowling and grabbed pizza afterward, and as always, it was a great time. The Power of a Team Joining UNI PRSSA has fulfilled a team atmosphere space within me that had felt empty for so long. There is such power in being a part of a team and belonging to a group that I believe everyone should experience in their college years. Being surrounded by people with the same passion and aspirations in life as your own is something so comforting, especially if you are ever feeling lost with what direction you want your life to head in. I encourage anyone and everyone to step outside of their comfort zones and join an organization that you feel is a good fit for you. For me, that was PRSSA. Joining PRSSA is a small gesture that you can do that could turn into something bigger than you could ever imagine. Something that stood out to me right off the bat of joining was how accepting and welcoming the members were. Every single person went out of their way to welcome me, acknowledge me, and encourage me to keep attending. Joining a new organization can be intimidating, but UNI PRSSA is a place you will never feel unwelcomed. I value this organization because of the insightful and beneficial speakers, the opportunity to see and experience what life post graduation could look like, and the people I have met and relationships I have made. I am so grateful to be a part of this organization and I encourage you to join and see for yourself how PRSSA can benefit you. If you are looking for a place to make connections with people within your major, learn from professionals, or just want to be a part of a team, then join UNI PRSSA - you won't regret it! Leave a comment below if you would like to know more about my journey in UNI PRSSA. |