AdPR Alumni Spotlight: Jasmine Clayton

Jasmine Clayton, Communication Specialist at Aon Hewitt

One of our newest alumni, Jasmine Clayton, is a May 2016 Grady College graduate with a bachelor’s degree in public relations, minor in Spanish and certificate in New Media. She currently works as a communication specialist at Aon Hewitt, a human resources consulting firm. Through her role at Aon, she provides collaborative strategic consulting on client teams to help engage readers and drive behavior for employees. Before joining Aon, Jasmine had five communication-based internships during her undergraduate career and studied abroad with “UGA en Buenos Aires.” She interned with the Grady College Department of Experiential Learning, Southern Company, Goodwill of North Georgia and completed two internships with Open Hand Atlanta.



AdPR Department: How did you secure your job at Aon Hewitt?

Jasmine Clayton: My current position was posted in the Grady Jobs & Internships Newsletter at the time, so I applied through the exclusive job posting. I had been interested in human resources (HR) communication for about a year, and when I read the job description was a communication role within an HR consulting firm, I couldn’t help but think it was tailored just for me. So, I applied and made sure my cover letter and resume were tailored just for the job. To prepare for my on-site interview, I compiled some of my best writing and design work into a tangible portfolio and printed out a copy for each interviewer. I also practiced behavioral interview responses, made sure I was familiar with the role and how my past experiences could contribute, and researched the company. Afterward, I sent my follow-up thank you messages and received the great news a few weeks later.

AdPR: What are some of your everyday duties?

Clayton: As a content creator on health and benefits enrollment projects for our clients, this often means that I either write or edit content for benefits enrollment materials (guides, newsletters, etc.) to ensure that the language used will engage the reader and influence behavior among employees. I also provide and compile feedback from my team’s rounds of review to relay to the designers or other content creators.

AdPR: What are some concepts or skills you would consider essentials for for AdPR students to grasp before they graduate?

Clayton: My top three would be interviewing, editing and networking skills. A lot of students may know about behavioral interviewing questions, but it is essential to look up the STAR approach, practice these out loud and tie in past experiences that relate to the specific internship or job. Also, it is one thing to know how to write, but for me it’s been important to be able to provide solid feedback through editing a lot of my colleague’s materials. As you critique other people’s work, you start to learn how to enhance your own. Lastly, networking is more than just meeting new people at busy networking fairs, it’s maintaining the professional relationships you already have. You don’t want to only contact people when you need something. Don’t forget to thank the people that are helping you get where you want to go, and maintain that gratitude and relationship once you get there. This could be as simple as sharing an article that you think they would appreciate, sending a hand written thank you note with a life update, or catching up over lunch.

AdPR: How did Grady help you prepare for entering the job field, specifically at your current job?

Clayton: Grady helped to heighten my natural curiosity by teaching me that there is always more than meets the eye – you just have to be curious enough to explore. In my case, this innovative thinking cultivated in new media and journalism classes inspired me to explore the nooks and crannies of Grady, and is now playing into my experience at Aon. Within Grady, my experiences ranged from shadowing and conducting research with some of the top professors, interning with amazing career mentors and travelling to top companies in Atlanta. Every organization has outreach and experiential learning opportunities that can take you outside of your comfort zone and introduce you to people you can learn from, and this is crucial to find when you enter full-time work. At Aon, so far I have joined committees outside of my department, attended professional development conferences and scheduled lunches to get to know people in different business units – and I’m not finished yet. There is always a way to get involved past your daily responsibilities and you never want to remain stagnant, so I’m making my work experience work for me.

AdPR: What is one of the biggest things you've learned so far in the professional world?

Clayton: I’ve learned how to make a big company feel small. During my first few weeks on the job, my manager set up lunches for me with the colleagues on my team. From her example, I started setting up my own lunches with people in different business functions. By reaching out to people outside of my division, not only am I learning more about the company, but I’m building relationships and making this big company feel a little smaller. It’s a ripple effect: The more people you know, the more comfortable you are and the more comfortable you are the more you feel like you belong. It’s important to feel like you have a place in a company (especially one with tens of thousands of employees) and not like you can be easily replaced. Put your face out there to build your brand and relationships, and people will not only see the value of your work but they’ll also see the value of your presence.
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AdPR Alumni Spotlight: Michael Gray

Michael Gray, Communications Consultant for Wells Fargo

We are proud of our AdPR Alumni!  AdPR Week seems like the perfect chance to take a closer look at what one esteemed alumni, Michael Gray, is doing now. With past work at Porter Novelli and Fox Sports, Gray has experience in the public relations industry. He currently holds a position as the Communications Consultant, Corporate Communications, North Florida Region for Wells Fargo.

AdPR Department: What are some of your everyday duties?

Michael Gray: My job as a communicator for Wells Fargo is to enhance and manage the company’s reputation. This is accomplished through internal and external communications, issues and crisis management, and acting as a trusted advisor for my clients. Every day, I am focused on effectively communicating our desired messages through positive storytelling and engagement with our key stakeholders – team members, external media, and our customers and communities.

AdPR: In your previous positions and also in your current one, were there any assignments or duties that you were required to take on that surprised you?

Gray: I have learned to never be surprised in the public relations field. One of the biggest indicators of success for a PR professional is adaptability. It’s imperative to be open-minded and to not let anything throw you for a loop.

AdPR: What are some concepts or skills you would consider essentials for AdPR students to grasp before they graduate?

Gray: Writing is key. Many other skills are developed as you progress in your career, but your writing is what will set you apart from others. Confidence is also extremely important, but make sure not to confuse confidence with arrogance. It’s good to have a little modesty, and to understand there is always room for learning and development.

AdPR: After graduating, what was one of your biggest challenges while entering the job field?

Gray: I had a difficult time deciding what exactly I wanted to do and where I wanted to live. Did I want to try agency life or focus on corporate? Did I want to stay in Atlanta, where I grew up? Did I want to pursue a career using my economics degree instead? For me, there were more questions than answers at graduation, which was uncomfortable. But I also learned something through those challenges – when the right opportunity comes along, trust your gut. You will know when you find it.

AdPR alum sizzling on Masterchef: Elizabeth Cauvel '04

Elizabeth Cauvel, ABJ 2004 

Elizabeth Cauvel graduated as a Grady advertising major in 2004.  Now she is a top 20 competitor on Season 5 of Masterchef.  The show airs Mondays at 8 pm on Fox.

To hear more about her experience, view her interview below. 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=B0dTuvYUPHA

AdPR Alumni Spotlight: Sydney Owens

PR alum Sydney Owens

Sydney Owens is currently a Senior Communications Rep at Lockheed Martin in Fort Worth, Texas.

What was your major and when did you graduate?

I graduated in 2008 with a PR and Psychology double major.

What activities were you involved while in Grady/UGA?

I was a member of PRSSA where I participated in Creative Consultants and was the PRecedent editor on the executive board. I was also a Grady Ambassador and was on the Bateman PR campaign competition team. Outside of Grady, I was a member of Alpha Chi Omega sorority.

What are you doing now and how did you get there?

I am the social media and web communications lead for our Aeronautics business. That basically means that I am the community manager for the F-35 Lightning II fighter aircraft social media channels, and I also contribute content to our corporate-level social media properties and strategy.

I joined Lockheed Martin through the Communications Leadership Development Program (CLDP), which consists of two one-year rotations to learn the business and corporate communications functions. After completing CLDP, I moved back to Fort Worth to lead trade show communications. 

A short time later, a position opened up to be the content manager for a new F-35 website, which I accepted in 2011. Since then, I created and launched F-35 social media channels on Twitter and Facebook and took on additional responsibilities as our business area’s social media lead.

What is your day-to-day like at your job? (Any interesting projects that you can share with us?)

Every day is different! I spend a lot of time monitoring social media and planning for upcoming events and campaigns. I occasionally get to travel to media events around the U.S., Canada and even one in South Korea.

One fun project I’ve worked on is the Test Pilot Tuesday video series, where our test pilots answer questions from the public in short YouTube clips. I collected questions through the website and social media, interviewed the pilots and promoted the videos online. I also led the charge for our company’s first Tweet Chat with one of our test pilots earlier this year.

What part of your Grady experience (classes, professors, etc.) has been helpful in your career today? 

Dr. Russell’s courses prepared me very well for my current job – PR Writing, Social Media and campaigns as our Bateman team adviser. I was one of the first communicators to join Lockheed Martin that had received instruction on integrating social media into campaigns, which helped me establish myself as a subject matter expert when I started working in 2008.

What is your favorite Grady memory? 

I studied abroad with Grady at Oxford the summer before my senior year, and I loved every second of it. I also had an excellent team experience working on the Bateman project. We spent a lot of time in the Drewry room, Dr. Sweetser’s kitchen and each other’s apartments planning and executing our campaign. It was as rewarding as it was exhausting. I still remember Dr. Russell’s blunt feedback on our first exec summary for our Bateman submission. She told us it was boring. She was right.

What advice do you have for current AdPR students? 

Take advantage of what Grady has to offer! There are so many opportunities to take unique courses, join clubs, network and get real work experience that will prepare you well for life after graduation.

AdPR Alumni Spotlight - Ashley Stockett Hurst ('06)

Ashley Stockett Hurst currently works in Global Business Development as an Account Director for Social@Ogilvy.

What was your major and when did you graduate? I graduated Magna Cum Laude with Honors in May ‘06 with an ABJ in Public Relations.

 What activities were you involved while in Grady/UGA? Just before starting at UGA, I met Dr. Betty Jones and she encouraged me to join PRSSA when I arrived on campus – so I did…and it was one of the best -- if not THE best -- decision of my college career. Throughout my four years I held multiple positions on the Executive Board, participated in and eventually lead Creative Consultants, and spearheaded PRofessional Connection (formerly PR Day). I was also part of the inaugural class of Grady Ambassadors with a phenomenal group of fellow classmates. 

What are you doing now and how did you get there?  I’m currently the Director of Global Business Development for Social@Ogilvy. My career began in traditional PR, but as the industry landscape has evolved immensely in the last seven or eight years, so has my career path. My role – like many others in digital or integrated communications today – tends to blend many elements of PR, marketing and advertising. 

What is your day-to-day like at your job? (Any interesting projects that you can share with us?) When you work in business development, no two days are ever the same. I’m frequently traveling to meet with different agencies within Ogilvy to expand our current business and grow our client roster, creating proposals and presentations, leading account team trainings, and leading or participating in new business pitches – both across the US and internationally. When I’m not focused on business development, I’m leading social media strategy and account management for some of our key global clients – British Airways, Nestle and others. It’s busy, but that’s the way I like it! Work hard, play hard … especially in NYC. 

What part of your Grady experience (classes, professors, etc.) has been helpful in your career today? PRSSA not only opened doors for me to network with alums and industry leaders and have access to many different internships that helped me ultimately choose a career path, but Dr. Betty Jones became a mentor to me in more ways than I can count, and I’m forever grateful for her guidance and friendship. But the curriculum, professors and many of my classmates all impacted my career in different ways, and I’m proud to be a part of such a dynamic community. 

What is your favorite Grady memory? My favorite? I don’t think I can pick one! There were just too many…but PRSSA exec board dinners at Dr. Jones’ house, hosting the Robert Osborne Film Fest with the Grady Ambassadors, being a part of (what I consider to be) the best Bateman team, and my internship with Twilight – for which a Grady contact introduced/recommended me and through which I ultimately met my husband – would certainly be at the top of the list! 

What advice do you have for current AdPR students? 
1) Network –- with everyone you can. Classmates, alums, PRSSA/Ad Club speakers, people you meet at industry events … all of them. You never know where you’ll want to go or how your paths may cross down the road, and the more connections you have, the more options you’ll have. Lend a hand when you can, and the favors will come back to you tenfold. 2) Internships – not only do they give you much-needed experience, but they also help you figure out where you’d ultimately like to end up. Try agency life, try non-profit communications, try event-planning…whatever it is, the more you do, the more you learn about your skill set, your interests and where your passions lie. And the earlier you start (it’s never too early, by the way), the more time you have to test-drive career paths. 3) Leadership roles – it’s great to be a member of organizations – especially PRSSA and Ad Club – but the cliché is true: you get out of it what you put into it. You don’t have to be president, but having a leadership role in any organization will help you achieve my first two points with more ease – and it’s certainly noticed among employers/recruiters.

Alumni Spotlight: Arielle D'Avanzo (ABJ '12)

Arielle D'Avanzo

 Arielle D'Avanzo, a 2012 graduate who majored in public relations and minored in Spanish, is originally from Atlanta. 

 What are you doing now and how did you get there? I'm working at Edelman in Washington, D.C. as an assistant account executive on the Food & Nutrition Team. Knowing that Edelman would provide me with the best experience and training in my field, I applied for the summer internship program prior to graduation. I interviewed for the position and was hired to start in June 2012 on the Food & Nutrition Team. Edelman's internship program is a little different from other companies in that if you're doing an exceptional job after three months, you may have the option to extend your internship for an additional three months. So, after three months of interning I was extended, and then a month later I was hired as a full-time employee on my team. I have been an AAE on the team for about six months now. 


 What activities were you involved while in Grady/UGA? 
- Active member of PRSSA. I served on a variety of PRSSA committees (Service & Outreach Committee; Publications Committee; Publicity Committee; Mentoring Committee)
- I was involved in Creative Consultants for three years serving as a member (for YogaSprouts), assistant account executive (for Porter Novelli's pro-bono client, The Jack& Jill Late-Stage Cancer Foundation) and account executive (for the UGA Women's Ultimate Team)
- I took part in the UGA Agency Tour in D.C.
- Intern with the Grady College Communications/External Relations Team my last year in school.
- Tutor at Chase Street Elementary School.
- Member of the Golden Key International Honor Society.
- Member of the Kappa Alpha Theta Sorority.


 What is your day-to-day like at your job? (Any interesting projects that you can share with us?) Because I work on a variety of different accounts, my day is never the same and constantly shifting! But that's quite typical in an agency setting. Some days are devoted to primarily one client, while on other days I can be working on as many as four or five accounts. This work could include media pitching, developing materials such as a press release, talking points and scripts, coordinating logistics for upcoming events, staffing events and compiling media coverage reports. 

    One thing that always remains the same though is reading the day’s news. I usually spend at least 30 minutes of my day—no matter how busy—reading through clips so that I'm fully knowledgeable about what is going on in the F&N world. Also, Edelman does a wonderful job at providing learning and growth opportunities within the company. So, during any given week I may take part in a diversity training or an Excel how-to course. There are so many opportunities for growth here. 

   One client I work on is Walmart and its Healthier Food Initiative. In February of this year we held an event at a store in Springfield, Mo. to celebrate the progress Walmart has achieved in making healthy foods more affordable in just three years. What’s more, the First Lady Michelle Obama was interested in celebrating that progress in conjunction with the third anniversary of her Let’s Move! campaign. I worked alongside the Edelman team to manage store event logistics and optics, both in advance and on-site, draft and revise podium remarks, Q&A, fact sheets, talking points for influencer and media calls, and more. It was an incredible experience! 

 What part of your Grady experience (classes, professors, etc.) has been helpful in your career today? All of it! Grady set me up for success. Between Campaigns, Research, Graphic Design classes, I built a strong foundation to start my PR career and am so appreciative of the learning and support I received from the college. Not to mention the staff and professors provided such positive and valuable direction. 

 What is your favorite Grady memory? In addition to attending the UGA Agency Tour in Washington, D.C., I also really enjoyed ADPRConnection, a networking event with companies from all over Georgia. The event was planned and created by Grady students. I served on the Social Media Committee for this event so it was neat to have both a behind-the-scenes perspective, and then actually get the chance to network with companies and organizations of interest to me. In addition to this, I had so many great memories interning for the Grady College. One that stands out is getting to plan and attend the Grady Alumni Gala, where I was able to meet distinguished graduates from Grady. 

I built a strong foundation to start my PR career and am so appreciative of the learning and support I received from the college. 

 What advice do you have for current AdPR students? I’m sure you’ve heard this before, but the value of networking is crucial in this industry. I attended the UGA Agency Tour when I was in school, and that's where I met someone from the F&N Team at Edelman, who ended up actually interviewing me for the position. Also, when you meet professionals in the field try to send a personal, hand-written thank-you card or note. You’d be surprised how few students actually take time to write these and how much they are appreciated—and noticed. And don't be shy about following up. I know when you don't hear back from someone you might think they're just not interested, but often times they're just super busy, so be sure to diligently and politely follow up. And be tenacious! You want to try your best to be memorable and stand out. 

     While in school, try and get as much writing experience—of all different forms—as possible. Whether it's writing an email to a client, developing a pitch for a reporter, creating a webinar script or speech, or providing analysis on a particular subject, excellent writing is essential in our world. And it's not always about learning one particular writing style. You may be called on to write web copy, social media content, brochures, speeches, briefing documents and client memos, so keep learning and expanding your writing skills and experiences. And of course, AP writing style is still very important in our business, also.

AdPR Alumni Spotlight: Steve Guyer (ABJ '05)

Steve Guyer

Steve Guyer (ABJ '05), an advertising major, is originally from Royston, Ga.

What activities/internships were you involved while in Grady/UGA?

• Martin Agency Student Workshop (Richmond, VA) ‘05.
• Staff Photographer, UGA Bulldogs Athletic Department ‘03-’05.
• VP. Interactive Media, UGA Ad Club ‘04-’05.

What are you doing now and how did you get there?

I’m a manager for Viacom’s Kids and Family group, which includes Nickelodeon and Virtual Worlds. I’ve been managing digital initiatives since 2006 when I worked at Grey’s direct marketing and digital agency. In the past, I’ve worked at G2 (part of Grey Group), Experian CheetahMail, AgencyRx (part of the CDM Group Omnicom Group).

What is your day-to-day like at your job? (Any interesting projects that you can share with us?)

We wake up each morning trying to find new ways to make Viacom’s kids and family properties more and more educational and fun. We just wrapped nick.com’s LIVE Kids’ Choice Awards experience which supported the on-air show experience on March 23 at 8:00pm.

What part of your Grady experience (classes, professors, etc.) has been helpful in your career today?

The Campaigns class, definitely. Pulling together teams to do the new business pitches in the Campaigns class was by far the most helpful. Nothing beats real-world experience dealing with other team members. I realized after graduating that while I might take a test on my own, I needed every one of my coworkers to finish projects. Ron Lane was always very supportive of the work that I did and helped me build my confidence.

What is your favorite Grady memory?
There were two experiences that are in my memory:

• Traveling to New York was really what kicked it off for me. The school arranges the trip for students every year. The trip is a great opportunity to see what an agency looks like inside and a bit about what the environment is like.
• Working on the Campaigns class was a lot of fun. We worked really late and long hours to make the presentation the best it could be. There really is nothing like seeing an idea go from inception to a fully realized product.

What advice do you have for current AdPR students?

• Meet as many people, resources, colleagues, teachers, professors, athletes, musicians (you get the idea) as you can since you never know when you might want or need to reach out to them for advice or to join you in your project.
• Get really involved in any of the projects that you want to take on and drop the ones you aren't interested in (no one cares about a laundry list of clubs if all you did was pay dues--- that makes you a subscriber, not a member).
• Get ready to work really really hard!

Alumni spotlight: Scott Sparks (ABJ '10)

Scott Sparks

Scott Sparks, a 2010 graduate who majored in advertising and earned a New Media certificate, is originally from Athens, Ga. 

What are you doing now and how did you get there? I work as a strategist at 360i. I started as an intern at Translation, an agency I first learned about through one of the UGA AdClub agency tours in NYC. After interning, the agency extended an offer for a full time position in the spring of my senior year. After two years there, I found a more digital-focused opportunity at 360i.

What is your day-to-day like at your job? (Any interesting projects that you can share with us?) I help brands navigate the rapidly-changing marketing landscape, always making sure our endeavors are laddering back up to aligned-upon strategic objectives. My day-to-day changes a lot, but is typically filled with the crafting of briefs, writing of decks, various meetings or brainstorms with teams across the agency, and presentations to clients. I currently work on Hanes, NBC Olympics, Alamo Rent A Car and National Car Rental. In a nutshell, I do whatever's needed to make sure we're always staying on strategy for each of my brands. 

What activities/internships were you involved while in Grady/UGA? Ad Club, HSBT, NMI, Student Union.

What part of your Grady experience (classes, professors, etc.) has been helpful in your career today? I can honestly say that I've used learnings from the majority of my Grady classes in my career thus far. I'd say my extracurricular activities (i.e. Ad Club, HSBT, study abroad) were even more helpful though. I would never be where I am today if I hadn't gotten involved in AdClub, visited Translation on an agency tour in NYC & stayed in touch with fellow alumnus, Rosie Siman (who was working at Translation at the time). 

What is your favorite Grady memory? Dressing up as the Easter Bunny for an AdClub Easter egg hunt for some of the Grady professors' children. It got ridiculously hot hopping around in that suit, but was really fun (& hilarious) at the same time.

What advice do you have for current AdPR students? Get involved in clubs & activities outside of classes. Don't just do it to put it on your resume, but have fun with it! You'd be surprised at the friendships & memories you'll make along the way. Also to that point, make real connections with people whenever possible. Connections, not solely the trading of business cards at networking events, are what can help you get to that next step in your career. Real connections & relationships, not solely the trading of business cards at networking events, are what can help you get to that next step in your career.

Find me on Twitter via @scottwsparks. Go Dawgs!

Alumni spotlight: Katelyn Fish (ABJ '12)

Katelyn Fish

Katelyn Fish, a native of Johns Creek, graduated in May 2012 with bachelor's degrees in advertising and psychology.

 What are you doing now and how did you get there? I have been working as an Assistant Account Executive at Lovell Communications in Nashville, Tennessee for two months. I graduated from UGA in May of last year, and continued my job search in Atlanta and Nashville. I knew I wanted to stay in the south, but wasn’t dead set on Atlanta. I had visited a friend in Nashville earlier in the year and loved it’s vibrant, fun, young atmosphere. It’s the best combination of Atlanta and Athens, still a fairly big city, with a small town feel. A few weeks into summer, I landed an internship in the marketing department of Habif, Arogeti & Wynne, LLP in Atlanta. I actually found the internship through the AdPR group on LinkedIn. In October, I reached out to previous contacts I had made in Atlanta and Nashville, and I found myself with an amazing opportunity at Lovell Communications, a national public relations, marketing and crisis management firm in Nashville. I moved up here the day after Thanksgiving and couldn’t be happier.

What is your day-to-day like at your job? (Any interesting projects that you can share with us?)The thing I love most about my job, and really working in public relations in general, is that every day is different. One day I could be creating a media list and updating social media accounts, and the next I could be at a client’s office training them on how to interact with the media. Primarily, I do a lot of media relations, whether that’s creating media lists, pitching stories to reporters, or sending out press releases about our clients events. I also blog frequently for our firm, as well as update our social media accounts. The amount of knowledge and experience you will gain in just the first few months of your job is incredible.

What activities were you involved while in Grady/UGA? When I was a freshman I wanted to get involved in everything that I could. I knew I wanted to pursue a career in communications before I even set foot on UGA’s campus. I immediately joined PRSSA my freshman year and looked for ways to get involved. I was a part of Creative Consultants for two years, one year as an assistant account executive. Additionally, I co-directed the first ADPR Connection in the fall of 2012, and was on executive board my senior year. In addition to PRSSA, I was active in UGA HEROs, serving on the corporate relations committee and as a team leader for a group of freshmen. I was a member of the Panhellenic sorority, Alpha Gamma Delta, and held a position as the philanthropy coordinator. Being a “puppy walker” for the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind, raising a black lab puppy named Hope, was probably one of my favorite UGA experiences. For fun, I was very active in UGA intramurals and worked a part-time job for part of my junior and senior years.

What part of your Grady experience (classes, professors, etc.) has been helpful in your career today? Every part of my Grady experience benefited me in some way in my career. Joining PRSSA was probably the most important first step. By joining PRSSA, I formed so many relationships with classmates and professors. Dr. Betty Jones, the PRSSA adviser, has been one of the most influential people in my life as I do not know where I would be without her. She is an amazing mentor and has had a tremendous impact on my career development. Additionally, being a member of PRSSA gave me the opportunity to co-direct ADPR Connection where I was able to build and develop skills that are so important for being successful in your career. I managed four different committees, created an entire event from concept to execution, formed an overwhelming amount of connections with industry professionals in Atlanta, and honed my writing skills along the way. The networking alone from ADPR Connection is one of the primary reasons for my success today.

What is your favorite Grady memory? One of my absolute favorite memories from my Grady experience was traveling to Washington, D.C. with PRSSA to tour a variety of public relations agencies and network with Grady alumni. Grady has so many wonderful opportunities that you can take advantage of to help direct you down whatever career path you want to take.

What advice do you have for current AdPR students? Network, network, network! I can’t say it enough. Your classes will provide you with the foundation you need, but absolutely nothing beats real world experience. The only way you’re going to get that experience is making connections with people in your field of study that can help you secure that extremely important internship. You can never have too many contacts, and you can learn something from every person that you meet. That being said, feel free to email me for any advice or questions that you have, especially if you’re interested in moving to Nashville. Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn as well. 

AdPR Alumni spotlight: Isha Ghodke

Isha Ghodke

Isha Ghodke is a December 2011 graduate who majored in public relations, German, and the New Media certificate. Originally from Norcross, Georgia, Ghodke currently lives in Berlin, Germany.

What are you doing now and how did you get there? I am in Germany on a Fulbright grant until July 2013. Fulbright is a cultural exchange program aimed at increasing understanding between the United States and other countries. Therefore, my time here is certainly about improving my language skills, but more importantly, about the exposure I’m gaining to the German systems of government and education. The application process involved a resume, essays, letters of recommendation, interviews, foreign language assessment and a lot of help from my wonderful professors and Honors Program staff. You typically apply about a year before you wish to begin the grant.

What is your day-to-day like at your job? (Any interesting projects that you can share with us?) For four mornings every week, I work with third through sixth graders as an English teaching assistant at an elementary school in Berlin. I am very fortunate to have three-day weekends to use for travel around Germany and Europe. When I’m not teaching at the school during the week, I try to take advantage of all the opportunities Berlin has to offer. Yesterday morning, for example, I hopped on a train right after school to my master’s class at Humboldt University on economic problems stemming from the rise in social media usage. After class, I sprinted through the street to spend the rest of the day at a Google Big Tent conference on the value of data and data privacy, where I met industry experts from across the world and listened to them frame problems of new media in a truly international context.

What activities were you involved while in Grady/UGA? I joined PRSSA August of freshman year and remained involved throughout my time at Grady, including serving on the executive board my junior year. I was a junior account executive for two Creative Consultants teams. Outside of Grady, I was a team captain for Undergraduate Mock Trial and a Residential Advisor for University Housing.

What part of your Grady experience (classes, professors, etc.) has been helpful in your career today? Grady professors and alumni were and continue to be an integral element of my support system; it is one I am incredibly thankful for! Additionally, the new media certificate, in particular, really helped to shape the direction I intend my graduate coursework and career to take.

What is your favorite Grady memory? That’s a tough one. I really enjoyed traveling to Washington, D.C. with PRSSA to meet with Grady alumni and tour public relations agencies. Other than that, networking events like PR Workout, Professional Connection, alumni visits and lectures, local agency tours, etc. were always a highlight, because there are so many paths to explore with a Grady degree and these events really reinforced that notion.

What advice do you have for current AdPR students? Take the time to get to know your professors. Never hesitate to apply for an opportunity you’re interested in, even if you don’t think you have enough experience or good enough grades. Every application you fill out will teach you something more about yourself and the professors who serve as your references may even pick up on an interest area for you that you had not identified for yourself.  

AdPR MA Internship Spotlight: Jiaqiao (Clare) Li

Jiaqiao (Clare) Li

Jiaqiao (Clare) Li is a 2012 M.A. graduate with a concentration in advertising. She is originally from Foshan, China. 

Where did you work?

J House Media Group in Athens.

What are your responsibilities?

I managed some of the internal client accounts, facilitated the web design and development process, offered digital marketing suggestions that benefit clients' business, and managed the agency's social presence. 

What valuable information or skills have you learned at your internship?

I learned to ask good questions — questions that inspire clients to think about their business in new perspective in the context of the digital era, got to observe how people with different talents and focus communicate with each other and prioritize in the work process, learned the fundamental concepts and tactics within the web industry, and most importantly, challenged myself to think, get on the phone and get awkward!:) 

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

Dr. Lee Becker's Research Methodology class prepared me to be analytical but at the same time acutely aware of logical and narrative fallacies when I set out to explore a hypothesis. It's so easy to get lost in the sea of tools and info and slip into the self-imposed logic. Referencing back to the client's websites, their business and the industry always gave me new ideas to see a set of data or trends. That's where Pat Thomas' Newsroom Class set in. It helped me feel okay to get out of my comfort zone and asked people simple open questions without assumptions. Dr. Karen King's Media class equipped me with the fundamental knowledge about the media industry. Dr. Kent Middleton's Media Law class made me ultra-sensitive when industry issues such as user privacy, net neutrality, DMCA, anti-competition patent fight came up. It's interesting to see and predict how the big players like Google and Facebook launch new business models but try to sidestep the legal hot spots. 

What has been the best part of your internship experience?

Being able to work in an agency with really cool and smart people, and feeling trusted and recognized by them. It always takes time to learn and there are always new things to learn. But the people that you learn from and with makes a big difference in the whole experience. 

Now that you're a recent alumna, what was your favorite Grady memory?

In one of Pat's newsroom in-class projects, we had to go around and out of campus and asked people that looked completely different from us about 9/11's impact on the young generation. It was quite a fun experience to approach someone and connect with them in the most unexpected way. 

What are your career goals? 

Be a digital strategist. Surround myself with smart, driven and creative people and make some awesome things together.

ADPR and Grady mourn the loss of Don Perry (ABJ '74)

Don Perry (ABJ '74). (photo by Peter Frey for Georgia Magazine)

Grady College alumnus Donald (Don) A. Perry (ABJ '74), spokesman and vice president of corporate public relations for Chick-fil-A, died suddenly early this morning.


Perry began working for Chick-fil-A in August 1983 as part of the company's public relations staff, and helped the company grow into a national chain, according to a recent profile of Perry for Georgia Magazine. During his time at Chick-fil-A, the company had established several programs, including its WinShape Foundation, which creates student scholarships and fosters community leadership. Before he worked for Chick-fil-A, the Valdosta native began his career at General Electric as part of their in-house news bureau. 


Perry was an active and involved alumnus, serving Grady College and the greater UGA community. Perry has been on Grady College's professional advisory board and on the UGA Arch Foundation's Board of Trustees since 2004. He has also served as a trustee of the UGA Foundation and editorial board member of Georgia Magazine. He was also involved with the Atlanta Press Club and the Georgia chapter of Public Relations Society of America, serving as chapter president in 1993. In 2006, Grady College awarded him the John Holliman Jr. Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2011, he received the Blue Key Service Award from UGA’s Blue Key Honor Society.


We will dearly miss him.

AdPR alumni well represented in UGA's "40 Under 40"

Several Grady AdPR alumni were selected for UGA's "40 Under 40" class of 2012. The 40 under 40 is a distinction given by the Alumni Association to prominent graduates who have impacted "business, leadership, community, educational and/or philanthropic endeavors." Grady College was well represented with nine alumni total recognized on this year's list. 

This year's AdPR alumni include:


- Peter Dale,  ABJ ' 99, Public Relations; executive chef at The National Restaurant;
- Jehan Y. El-Jourbagy, ABJ '00, Public Relations; executive director and former partner of Jasper Co. Mentor Program/ Haygood, Lynch, Harris, Melton & Watson, LLP;
- Vivian Greentree, ABJ '00, Public Relations; director of research and public policy at Blue Star Families;
- Lorraine Hawley, ABJ '98, Advertising; director of international government relations at Archer Daniels Midland Company; 
- Mike Martin, ABJ '95, Advertising; owner and creative director of Skylab-B. 


"Being named to the UGA Alumni Association's 40 Under 40 is an incredible honor. The education I received at Grady College definitely laid the foundation for my career," said Mike Martin. " What makes Grady so special to me is how my professors view my successes as their successes. They have a genuine vested interest in the professional accomplishments of their students that lasts a lifetime. This is a testament to their passion and dedication to all of their students. Go Dawgs."

AdPR Alumni Spotlight: Stephanie Friedrich

Stephanie Friedrich

Stephanie Friedrich graduated in 2010 with bachelor's degrees in public relations, sociology and a new media certificate.

What are you doing now and how did you get there?
I currently work for Novant Health in Charlotte, North Carolina in the public relations and marketing department. Novant Health is a not-for-profit healthcare system with 13 hospitals in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. Novant provides healthcare services across the spectrum, as well as physician practices ranging from primary care to specialists.

I started my work with Novant through an internship in the public relations and marketing department the summer before my senior year of college. I lived in Charlotte for the summer and worked with the hospital on various projects. After I completed my internship, I knew I wanted to stay in the healthcare field. During my senior year, I got an internship with St. Mary’s Hospital in Athens. I continued my work with hospital communications and stayed in touch with Novant Health throughout the year.

Upon graduation, I took a job doing marketing and PR for one of Novant’s community hospitals in Gaffney, South Carolina. As the only person doing communications for this one hospital, the experience was invaluable my first year out of school.

After a year in Gaffney, I was able to move to the downtown Charlotte marketing department to represent four of Novant’s other hospitals. This transition allowed me to continue doing the same type of work but on a much larger scale. I have been in this position for about a year and will soon be moving into a corporate role in the department. The new role will allow me to work on projects that oversee all of Novant’s 13 hospitals. It has been great to move within the same department to covering different areas of the healthcare system. I have learned so much about the system overall and have gotten to work on a broad range of projects.

What is your day-to-day like at your job? (Any interesting projects that you can share with us?) Working in a PR and marketing department, every day is different. Whether I am conducting brainstorming meetings with my team, meeting with a doctor’s office to develop a marketing plan for a new physician coming on board or facilitating a press conference to announce a new partnership, I am always on the go and always connected to my email and phone. On a typical day, I can usually be found scanning social media sites, developing marketing plans and tracking measurements, tweaking budgets, responding to reactive media calls, editing articles, drafting press releases or writing website copy. The most interesting project I have worked on to date was being a part of the communications team that assisted in the opening of one of our newest hospitals. Being onsite during the grand opening, assisting with internal and external communications, media relations and events made for an overall awesome opportunity.

What part of your Grady experience (classes, professors, etc.) has been helpful in your career today? I could not be happier with my decision to be a part of Grady College. After an indecisive freshman year, I found myself diving head first into public relations. I have always loved writing, quotes, words and talking with people, so I thought it might be a good fit. And it was. From the professors and writing assignments to Creative Consultants and PRSSA meetings, I gained valuable skills, a new-found confidence in my career choice, and wonderful friends and colleagues. My campaigns class also played a major role in helping me gain real world experience in the life of a PR professional. To this day I keep a binder of notes from my PR classes on a shelf in my office. It amazes me how often I reference those notes on a day-to-day basis. UGA did a fantastic job of preparing me for the real world. I truly feel confident in my skills and know that I am contributing in my profession. I can’t thank Grady enough.

"I could not be happier with my decision to be a part of Grady College ... UGA did a fantastic job of preparing me for the real world."

What is your favorite Grady memory? I have many favorite Grady memories; it’s hard to pick just one. I think my most favorite memory is a funny one from my PR Law class my senior year. I pride myself on being early to everything. I hate being late. In my PR Law class, arriving to class five minutes early was considered on time. If you happen to arrive a minute late, you were at risk of having to take the final exam, without any chance of exemption. I never walked that line until one day I happen to miss my alarm. I scrambled out of bed and made it to class with one minute to spare. I always laugh about that experience when I arrive to meetings, appointments and media interviews between 10 and 15 minutes earlier. Now, I don’t ever risk being late. A first impression is invaluable, and I always like to start off on the right foot.

What advice do you have for current AdPR students? Always network -- before college, during college and after college. Network within your company, within UGA alumni groups, in your particular industry groups, on LinkedIn, at happy hours, at PRSA luncheons, at work conferences, on your after-work softball team and at the grocery store. You never know where your next job lead might be waiting. Networking opens up new doors to experiences you may have never thought possible. And, at the end of the day, if you meet someone and they don’t lead you to your dream job, you still made a new contact. Continue to network. It will take you places you could not get to on your own.