AdPR Alumni Spotlight: Rebecca Hoerner

Rebecca Hoerner

Rebecca Hoerner, an advertising major and participant in the New Media certificate, is from Newnan. She graduated in Spring 2013.

What encouraged you to apply to Grady College?  

I toured UGA as a junior in high school and fell in love with the campus; I saw myself doing well at UGA. I was pretty set on getting into the Advertising program because Grady is one of the top Communications colleges in the country. I knew a degree from Grady would offer me a diverse range of opportunities.  

What activities are you involved in at Grady/UGA/Athens?

I am currently the VP of Educational Programming for AdClub, the Webmaster for University Union Student Programming Board, and Account Executive of the Olivia Anne Hellwig Foundation through Talking Dog. I just finished up an exclusive project with six of my lovely Grady peers for PHD NY on Millennial insights and media habits. In Athens, I volunteer with the Athens Area Humane Society and HandsOn Northeast Georgia.

What kinds of internships have you been involved in, and what were your responsibilities?

Last summer I interned at Amsterdam Worldwide in The Netherlands as an Account Management Intern. I assisted in the launch of the social music application, NightTag, for Istanbul, Turkey. I conducted competitive research for current clients and new business pitches and assisted with organizing presentations for client meetings and internal projects such as Scalpel (Pernod Ricard). I was also responsible for gathering media/PR clippings to show campaign progress to clients

What were the best parts of your internship experiences?

Amsterdam Worldwide is in Amsterdam-Centrum, so I had an amazing time exploring every day after work. The agency is international, so I was surrounded by so many amazing people from different countries and definitely learned a lot about different cultures and languages. I was a part of so much interesting work and I got to learn a lot about the clients and specific markets and aid anyone in the agency with insights and research. The agency also had a garden out back, so we would have drinks in the garden (on a pretty regular basis) to celebrate new client pitches and just as a break from working so hard.

What part of your Grady experience (classes, professors, etc.) will you always remember?

I love AdClub and will always remember it as a weekly gathering of my favorite ad nerds. I think the PHD project will stick with me forever because it was a 6-month project and I was able to work closely with Dr. King and 6 brilliant Grady students. I will always remember Dr. Reichert because he fostered the relationship with Amsterdam Worldwide, accompanied our PHD group to New York, and encouraged me in a lot of my Grady endeavors.  

What advice would you give to someone who is considering pursuing an Ad/PR program?

I would say go for it because I think the AdPR department has the most encouraging and intelligent faculty and offers an incredible range of opportunities for its students. Grady AdPR definitely takes care of students who are willing to work hard. I personally think Grady AdPR is the best program at UGA, especially for someone who wants a challenge and is willing to seize opportunities.  

What are your career goals and interests?

I am very interested in Strategy (digital and traditional), Account Planning and Account Management positions and I am looking at New York City as well as internationally for job opportunities.  In my career, my goal is to work in international markets and I am excited to see where life takes me.