AdPR Student Spotlight: Emily Escoe

PR major Emily Escoe in Brazil

Emily Escoe is a rising senior majoring in Public Relations, from Toccoa, GA. She is spending the year in Brazil as an exchange student and as an international intern through the Portuguese Flagship Program.

What encouraged you to apply to Grady College?

In all honesty, when I came into UGA, I was really unsure about what I wanted to major in, and after changing my mind several times, I decided to try out Public Relations. I couldn't be happier with the classes, professors and opportunities Grady has provided to me.

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

I’m currently living in Brazil through the Portuguese Flagship Program, but when I was in Athens, I was involved in PRSSA, Creative Consultants, Honors Program Student Council, Honors Ambassadors and Wesley Foundation Cross Trainers.

What drew you to the Portuguese Flagship Program and Brazil?

I started taking Portuguese courses my first semester at UGA to fulfill my foreign language requirements; however, I really enjoyed the classes and continued taking one each semester. When I found out about the one-year program (one semester of taking courses at a Brazilian university and one semester of doing an internship), I knew it would be a great opportunity to learn more about Brazilian culture, business practices and the Portuguese language.

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

I am currently interning with Public Affairs section of the U.S. Consulate in Recife. I mainly work in media relations – cultivating relationships with local journalists – and with new media, updating our blog, Facebook, Twitter and other social media outlets. I’m also looking forward to starting an internship in September with Imagem Corporativa, an international PR firm in São Paulo.

How is life in Brazil for an international student?

Brazilians are, hands down, some of the most genuine and welcoming people I've ever met; all of the professors and students at the university were extremely helpful and friendly. Learning another language and about another culture is a very humbling experience, and can even be frustrating at times, but absolutely worth it!

Have you noticed any differences in PR practices between the U.S. and Brazil?

I've found that things tend to be less formal and more relaxed in PR practices in Brazil. For instance, in media relations, whereas we would might contact a journalist via email in the U.S., we contact a journalist via Facebook for the same purpose here.

What part of your Grady experience (classes, professors, etc.) has been helpful in your internship or work experiences?

I hate to pinpoint just one class, because each one is important and I took away something different from every single course, professor and Grady organization; but, I will say, pay attention in Communication Law!

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

Do it! AdPR is a great undergraduate program, because it leaves you with so many options following graduation. Strong communication and relationship-building skills are useful in every area.

What are your career goals and interests?

Over the past four years in college, I have come to love both Public Relations and Portuguese. I would like to work in public affairs, working in government relations between Brazil and the U.S.; however, I could also see myself in a Public Relations or any communication-type role for a business or non-profit organization that works with a Portuguese-speaking country.

Grady students heading to Brazil to study and intern

Tom Reichert, ADPR Department Head, Ze Schiavoni, CEO of S2Publicom, Bryan Reber, ADPR Assistant Department Head

   Grady College students will participate in a new UGA Language Flagship program with Universidade Estadual Paulista, or UNESP, the State University of São Paulo. AdPR Department Head and Professor Tom Reichert and Assistant Department Head and Associate Professor Bryan Reber visited São Paulo in October to help set up internship opportunities for flagship AdPR sudents, raise awareness of Grady College/AdPR in Brazil, as well as explore study abroad, research and professional opportunities for Grady students and faculty. 
   The Language Flagship program is an initiative of the U.S. National Security Education Program, which has the goal of increasing the number U.S. students in reaching language proficiency at a professional level by the time of graduation. Dr. Robert Moser is the director of UGA's Portuguese program and was instrumental in securing the renewable federal grant exceeding $1 million. The UGA delegation to Brazil include Moser as well as representatives from UGA's Franklin College, International Education, Alumni Relations and the Office of Special Events to help foster relationships with UNESP. 
   As the largest country in South America with one of the world's fastest-growing economies, Brazil has become a place of interest for its energy and momentum. With more than 200 million citizens, and its hosting responsibilities for the World Cup and Summer Olympics in the next few years, there are many opportunities in the AdPR industry for travel, study and research.

I love that the program focuses on immersing the students in Brazilian culture, language and way of life throughout the year.  - Emily Escoe

    One of the goals of the trip was to help establish internship opportunities for students interested in the program. Emily Escoe, a senior from Toccoa studying public relations and Portuguese, will be the first Grady student to study abroad this spring in Brazil, after having passed the rigorous Portuguese proficiency exam. Her year abroad will include a semester of coursework followed with another semester spent working at a major-relevant internship. Currently five Grady students are on track to take the proficiency exam and apply for the program.
"Public relations is a major and growing field in the country, so I am excited to learn about the profession from a different perspective," Escoe said.
  As mentioned, Dr. Reichert and Dr. Reber developed contacts with leading advertising and public relations agencies, such as Corporate Image, Almap BBDO, Studio2publiccom, Ogilvy & Mather, Rapp, as well as the Museum of Portuguese Language. 
   As for Escoe, she says she is excited about the benefits of the program's immersion into a new country. "I love that the program focuses on immersing the students in Brazilian culture, language and way of life throughout the year. We will be taking courses taught be UNESP professors, rather than UGA professors. We will be living with other Brazilian students as opposed to living together as a large group. The second semester, we will be spread out across the country learning in a real Brazilian workplace setting," Escoe said.  "Will I be thrown out of my comfort zone and accidentally say or do ridiculous things? Sure. But I know that I will learn so much more Portuguese and about Brazilian culture in this way as opposed to going on a traditional study abroad program."