Intern Spotlight: Missy Harris

Public relations major and AdPR intern Missy Harris

Missy Harris is a senior public relations major pursuing a Spanish minor from Alpharetta, Georgia, and is one two student interns behind the scenes here in the Advertising and Public Relations department of Grady College. 

Who has been an impactful teacher during your time within Grady College?

Dr. Carolina Acosta-Alzuru, Dr. A for short, has been the most impactful teacher during my time within Grady College. This past semester I enrolled in Dr. A’s Telenovelas, Culture and Society class. I decided to take this class because it is a Grady elective and a Spanish class; therefore, I could mix both of my interests into one class. At first, I assumed this class would just be an easy class filled with telenovela clips, but I was very wrong.  Dr. A made this class so much more. With her passion and constant dedication to helping her students learn, Dr. A inspired me to dive headfirst into exploring telenovelas throughout the world. Dr. A always pushed me and my fellow classmates to never stop learning. Overall, Dr. A is the most compassionate and inspiring in my college career. 

What is your dream job after graduation?

Since my start in Grady College as a PR major, I’ve always wanted to work for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta in the corporate foundation or PR department. With my passion to help children coupled with my communication skills, I think that working for CHOA would be a perfect fit for me. 

What's your favorite spot in Athens?

I love exploring the Normaltown area in Athens. There are always new restaurants and hidden treasures. 

Describe valuable lessons or skills that Grady College has helped develop for you.

Grady College has helped me developed my writing and communications skills. Before my classes in Grady, I was terrified to talk in front of crowds of people. However, through my PR classes, I overcame my fear of presenting. 

One valuable lesson that I’ve learned while a student in Grady College is to get to know those around you: other students, professor and administrators. Networking is a huge part of an industry but especially in PR. 

What has been your most memorable moment during your time as a student within Grady College?

Being a student within Grady College is the best. Grady opens so many doors to so many incredible opportunities. My most memorable moment during my time as a student has to be when I went on the PRSSA Atlanta Agency Tour in 2015.  This tour was exclusive to PRSSA members and was an awesome experience.  We spent the day visiting some of the top Atlanta agencies: Edelman, MSLGROUP and Jackson Spalding. At each agency, we met with some of the top professionals and toured the office space. 

What are your goals for your career after UGA?

After I graduate form UGA, I hope to find a career path in which I can use my knowledge and skills in writing and communication.

If you could go anywhere in the world where would you go?

I would love to go to Paris and experience the city magic for myself.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

In 10 years, I hope to have a career that makes me excited to wake up every morning. I’m driven by my passions, so I want a job that incorporates them into my everyday life. 

Additionally, in the next 10 years, I hope to be an active Grady Alumni. I want to give back to the college that gave so much to me. 

Intern Spotlight: Carrie Clemens

With the endless impressive accolades of Grady’s Advertising and Public Relations students, we don’t often get the chance to recognize those working behind the scenes. Carrie Clemens is a senior public relations major from McDonough, Georgia, and is one of the interns for the Advertising and Public Relations department of the Grady College.

Carrie Clemens, Senior PR Major and AdPR Intern

Carrie will graduate in May of 2016 with a degree in public relations and a New Media certificate. With these accomplishments under her belt, she plans on working in entertainment public relations. She got a taste of this industry when she visited France for a study abroad experience at the Cannes Film Festival. Clemens says, “I applied on a whim, with a passion for film and public relations and a desire to travel. That trip introduced me to wonderful and talented friends, and a growing love for storytelling that has redirected my career goals toward the film and entertainment industries.”

Clemens dreams of traveling to Luxembourg with her dad where he has traced back family ancestry and is currently pursuing citizenship. Including the desire to venture to Luxembourg, Carrie would like to go back to Australia where she visited following her high school graduation. She says, “I heard about an amazing story of a man who lived there. Since then, I’ve wanted to go back to learn more about him and ultimately write a screenplay about his life.”

This ambitious traveler wasn’t alone when she came into the world she would later crave to discover. Carrie has a twin sister who attends the University of South Carolina. The duo recently found out through their parents that they don’t know if Carrie and Katie are actually identical or fraternal. It turns out; they never had the formal tests performed. “We can’t read each other’s minds,” Carrie says.

The Advertising and Public Relations department is proud to have students like Carrie Clemens on the AdPR team. Thank you for your hard work, Carrie! 

PR major Jordan Thomas blogging about ESPN

Jordan Thomas at the
Corporate Communication Division of ESPN

Jordan Thomas, recently featured on News@AdPR in a student spotlight, has been working hard but enjoying his summer internship in the Corporate Communications division of ESPN. 

Jordan just authored a post profiling 9 of the 16 SEC (Southeastern Conference) interns for ESPN's corporate blog - ESPN Front Row, which was posted on July 22. 

View Jordan's post here: 
http://frontrow.espn.go.com/2013/07/the-lineup-nine-of-espns-southeastern-conference-interns/  This was Thomas' second written installment for ESPN's corporate blog. The first one, posted on July 12, featured an interview with an intern co-worker.

Student Spotlight: Katherine Keng

Katherine Keng, a senior majoring in public relations and English, is from Marietta.

What encouraged you to apply to Grady College?  I was decidedly undecided throughout freshman year. In terms of majors, all I knew was that I wanted to be in a line of work where writing would be a key tenet in my daily duties. I stumbled upon public relations, whereupon I was unclear about what such practitioners did. As I learned about the work, I realized that good PR underpinned the growth of my dad’s startup company. I applied for Grady because I believe every organization should invest in good PR, and I wanted to be one of the people making it happen.

What activities are you involved in at Grady/UGA/Athens? I am a part of UGA’s Honors Program, which has given me unique learning opportunities through Socratic Circle-type classes, lunchbox lectures and faculty mentor network. I am also involved with PRSSA and Creative Consultants. Currently I am working with EcoFocus Film Festival, a local environmental film organization. The setup is great because we have a lot of flexibility and room for creative idea sourcing. The best part for me is collaborating with same-age peers, which I haven’t been able to do much of in past internships. I was a contributing writer and copy editor for Little Red Book, a campus fashion magazine, and Chinese Language Society member and Alpha Lambda Delta service society member for three years.

What kinds of internships have you been involved in, and what were your responsibilities? Last summer I interned with JMC, LTD., the manufacturing partner of Ford Motors in China. I was JMC’s first intern, so experimentation was a running theme, and being in a foreign country upped the excitement. I took charge of the corporate newsletter, integrating my bilingualism and writing skills to write feature stories, reports on competitors and company updates. During this process I learned to digest and translate annual reports and also grew my Photoshop and InDesign capabilities. I also rewrote parts of the company’s English website for higher readability and web presence and sat in daily on marketing meetings and presentations to collate a higher understanding of branding.

What were the best parts of your internship experiences? The best part of my internship experience was being immersed in a different culture. It was a lot of fun but also made me appreciate certain aspects of American work culture more. I also engaged with some Chinese social media outlets. Though I learned a lot about the consumer mindset and social landscape, exploring the content on those sites did not feel at all like work.   

What part of your Grady experience (classes, professors, etc.) has been helpful in your internship or work experiences? I’ve been lucky to have a roster of top-notch teachers. The Dr. Jones team has been especially wonderful. Dr. Barry Jones sharpened my writing skillset, while Dr. Betty Jones’ graphics communications class taught me many new things and had high real world relevance. I ended up with pieces for my portfolio after all their classes and really appreciated that the Drs. Jones were so helpful on any matter, both in and out of class. Dr. Leara Rhodes, my Honors faculty mentor, has also been incredibly generous with advice and time. All three of these professors take real interest in their students’ lives – I think that’s amazing.  

What advice would you give to someone who is considering pursuing an Ad/PR program? My advice would be to work on creating a brand for yourself. Find something that others don’t have and use that to an advantage. It’s not new advice, but especially in AdPR careers, a brand name can go a long way. (Of course, you also have to start with hard work in order to back up that brand!)

What are your career goals and interests? My short-term career goal is to find a position in either branding or corporate social responsibility. I realize that true social responsibility is not just participating in a program or two but actual integration of social and environmental considerations into an organizational vision. The idea of helping to transform an organization for the better really appeals to me. I’m interested in newness in all its forms (cool-hunting, technology, etc.), but I also know that some things, like being part of a good cause, transcend trends. 

Two Ad students to participate in exclusive Martin Agency program

Congratulations to two AdPR students who will participate in The Martin Agency's student workshop this January. Liza Wooten, an advertising major and Spanish minor from Charlotte, N.C., and Lindsay Davis, an advertising major from Buford, will take part in the annual 10-day undergraduate program in Richmond, Va. 

       The program is designed to "give college students a true experience in the advertising business," according to the Martin Agency's application. "It is our hope that after participating in the workshop, students will gain a better understanding of how an agency works, its creative environment and its philosophy. This workshop helps students discover whether advertising is the career for them."

       Approximately 15 students are chosen every year for the workshop. "Having two students accepted into this very competitive program speaks to the caliber of advertising talent at UGA," said Tom Reichert, AdPR Department Head.

"I also felt that with how respected this program is and The Martin Agency itself, it would open many doors for me and introduce me to some insanely creative and intelligent people."

       The program schedule includes seminars on public relations, account management, marketing intelligence and studio art. The students will also have the opportunity to work on a case project, in which they'll develop a communications plan for a real client, and present their findings to agency executives and a client representative. 

       Wooten said she was inspired to apply because of the program's learning opportunities.  "It seemed perfect because hopefully by the end of this internship, I will have somewhat of an idea of what it is like to come up with an idea from start to finish, whether that will be an ad campaign or a way to re-market a product, and pitch it to an actual client," Wooten said. "I also felt that with how respected this program is and The Martin Agency itself, it would open many doors for me and introduce me to some insanely creative and intelligent people."

       In addition to participating in the Martin Agency workshop, Lindsay Davis participated in the UGA Cannes Lions Study Abroad program in 2012.

       Founded in 1965, The Martin Agency is a leading advertising agency based in Virginia. In 2010, the agency was named AdWeek's "U.S. Agency of the Year."

Master's Student Wins Video Award from GSPRA Conference

Ben Elliott, a second-year master's student studying public relations, helped produce a video for Clarke County Public Schools that won a Silver Award of Merit at the Georgia School Public Relations Association conference. Elliott is currently a graduate assistant in the public relations department of the Clarke County School district, as well as a master's student in the Grady College at the University of Georgia. The video that Elliott worked on was an educational tool that informed of the International Baccalaureate learning framework.

Elliott's supervisor, Anisa Sullivan Jimenez, CCPS Director of Public Relations and Communications, passed on her commendations to Grady College. "This award is a testament to the quality work produced by the partnership between the school district and the Grady College."

UGA PR Senior Works on Delta Commercial Campaigns During Internship

Mallory Brannon

Mallory Brannon, a senior from Atlanta majoring in public relations, recently completed an advertising internship with Delta Air Lines, Inc. this summer. Below, Brannon shares a behind-the-scenes look at some of the projects she worked on, including two new commercials, "Up" and "NY Anthem." 

"When Delta brought me on board to assist in planning their commercials, I honestly had no idea what I was in store for. So where do you begin when you need to plan a commercial?" Brannon said. "First things first, you have to figure out where you're going to film. We filmed two commercials, one national and one for New York. Given that the first commercial is aired in only in those specific New York markets, we selected LaGuardia airport for our first spot. Unlike our national spot, this one didn't take place entirely inside the airport because of the nature of the story line."

 "For the second national spot we selected the Atlanta airport since that's where Delta is headquartered and also because the construction of the new international terminal was just completed," Brannon said. "Using the freshly renovated terminal at LGA and the new space in ATL gave us a new, great-looking canvas to film. After a location was selected, our ad agency (Weiden + Kennedy) sent out a call for directors. After the agency selects a director, they then began to collaborate as a team to develop story boards and begin pitching ideas to Delta."

Brannon shared some of her responsibilities during the commercial process. "Through their collaboration and Deltas input, storyboards are developed. This process continues until literally the last week before filming," she said. "My job was to coordinate with Delta contacts, location managers and security at both respective airports making sure expectations were set and that all appropriate authorities were aware and fully informed of what our team wanted to accomplish." 

The filming process was not always easy in such a busy atmosphere, Brannon said. "The customer and their flying experience always comes first and that just can't be interfered with. It's very much a give and take from all sides and that's just something that you have to understand when you're attempting to film in the busiest airport in the world." 


Many thanks to Mallory for sharing an inside look to her internship. Below are the final cuts of the two commercials, "Up" and "NY Anthem": 

Internship Spotlight: Mallory Brannon

Mallory Brannon

Mallory Brannon, a senior from Atlanta majoring in public relations, is a U.S. advertising intern for Delta Air Lines, Inc. this summer. 

What are your responsibilities? My main responsibility has been planning the production of two TV commercials for Delta as well as various other projects. Since parts of the TV spots are filmed within secure parts of the airport, it has required not only coordinating with key Delta employees, but also The Department of Aviation, the FAA, TSA and of course our production company and ad agency. I’ve also maintained an active role in coordinating with our ad agency, Wieden + Kennedy, to make sure all advertising such as our digital, out-of-home and print are on schedule and submitted by deadline.

What valuable information or skills have you learned thus far at your internship? I came into my internship with a broad textbook level understanding of how a marketing department functions. I’m leaving with solid knowledge and firsthand experience of that now. Attending meetings everyday within the department and acting as a liaison between Delta and Wieden + Kennedy has helped me see how projects come together and our advertising really takes shape.

Planning a commercial is probably one of the hardest things you could ever be given the task of doing. Months of time are poured into what you see in that short 60-second spot. During production things change in a split second and you don’t have the option of not being prepared to solve the problems that arise. I’ve learned the value of being overly prepared, gained the ability to plan extensively, sharpened my communication skills and can operate smoothly under pressure.

The last day on set during our most previous shoot, I was told by the director and his production manager that if I could handle planning that shoot, I can plan anything. It had been a long, problematic past couple of days, but hearing them tell me that was so validating. It made all the stress and hard work completely worth it.

What part of your Grady experience (classes, professors, etc.) has been helpful in your internship? My education at Grady gave me a great foundation to build on but more than anything my personal interests have served me well. This internship has been great because it not only incorporates advertising and PR, but something else I really love - aviation. Previously working for an airline allowed me to gain knowledge of airport and airline operations, which was especially useful in our logistical planning. I got more excited than most people consider normal any day I knew we would be working with airplanes. My passion for aviation has definitely made me want to work harder and put my best foot forward. I can’t say I’ve been bummed out about going to work a single day during this summer and I consider myself lucky to say that.

What has been the best part of your internship experience? Definitely working with so many truly talented people. I’ve had the opportunity to pick the brains of people at the top of many different industries. Everyone from our creative directors at Wieden +Kennedy to the director of our commercials has been a pleasure to work with. My colleagues at Delta have gone out of their way to cater to my interests and help me gain experience in those areas. When I had questions about how the marketing budget is allocated, my boss made time to go to lunch with me so we could talk about it. I’m thankful I’ve had the opportunity to spend time with people who were willing to invest their time in me. Flying to New York to film one of our spots wasn’t too shabby, either!

What are your career goals? I’d like to work in advertising and PR in the hospitality and travel industry. I’m attracted to hotels, restaurants and airlines. I love traveling and what better way to incorporate that into my life than work. Aside from work, my first priority after graduation is to log my last flight hours to finish my private pilot’s license.

Internship spotlight: Tommy McConnell

Tommy McConnell

Tommy McConnell is a senior advertising major from Atlanta.

Where do you work? I currently am an account management intern at breen★smith advertising in downtown Atlanta.

What are your responsibilities? Because breen★smith is a relatively small agency, I have responsibilities in pretty much all aspects of the day-to-day operations of the agency. Even though my official title has "account management" in it, I still get creative input in most of our projects, help traffic run smoothly within the agency, as well as interact with our clients on a regular basis.  

What valuable information or skills have you learned thus far at your internship?
Honestly, this interview would run on too long if I listed everything I've learned thus far. I'll try and keep it as brief as I can: 

I've become (fairly) proficient at software like Excel and Powerpoint and I've also observed creative programs like Photoshop and InDesign being used at its best, which in turn helps me understand more and more of the programs.

Organization has been really crucial to keep me at my best.

Always keep a little notepad and pen with you on all times to write down any of your ideas; you never know what might be the next big thing.

Embrace coffee. I know some of you might not drink it because of myths of adverse health effects but trust me, those are wrong and coffee is just so right.

Finally, I've learned how great agency life can be when things are running smoothly but also how stressful they can be when the deadlines come closer and closer. Take everything with a grain of salt though, because in the end our jobs are much cooler than everyone else's.

What part of your Grady experience (classes, professors, etc.) has been helpful in your internship? Grady has pretty much prepared me for every aspect of this internship. Message Strategy with Dr. Kirsten Strausbaugh-Hutchinson has had a huge impact of my knowledge of working in an agency, from making creative briefs to knowing how to brainstorm. During my time in Cannes for the Lions Festival, Dr. Reichert provided me with invaluable knowledge of what the industry is like and how to take it all in. The actual Grady study abroad to the Lions Festival has served me as a source of constant inspiration. Every time I'm trying to think of a new idea for a client, I think back to a workshop, a masterclass, or a guest speaker that shared some insight with me.

What has been the best part of your internship experience? Working at an ad agency isn't really like "work" at all. I don't mean that it's easy because it certainly isn't, but it provides so many cool opportunities to see your artistic side in a real life setting. I wake up every morning and look forward to coming in for the day because I literally have no idea what the day holds for me. It seriously is a better alternative to the every day monotony that so many other careers have. I also feel like I'm a part of the breen★smith family as opposed to a co-worker or colleague which is a great feeling.

What are your career goals? I'm still keeping my options within the field of advertising very open. My plan once I finish my time at UGA (I'm still coming to grips with the fact that the end is in sight) is to enroll in either the Portfolio Center or the Creative Circus to pursue my dream to be part of the creative side of advertising. However, if I fall in love with the account side of advertising, I would absolutely pursue that path. Just look for me to be strolling down the red carpet to accept my Lion in Cannes soon enough...

Graduate student spotlight: Stephanie Stevens

Stephanie Stevens

Stephanie Stevens is a second-year master's student with a concentration in advertising. She is originally from Ponchatoula, Louisiana.

Where did you do your undergraduate work? Louisiana State University.

What helped you decide to choose Grady's AdPR program for your master's degree? I really didn't know much about different programs when I decided to apply to graduate school, so I spent a lot of time online just looking at schools. Grady came up a lot, along with all the great research that was going on here. Then one of my undergraduate professors encouraged me to apply. Having family nearby in Atlanta sealed the deal for me.

What are your areas of interest for research or for a future career path, and why? My undergraduate degrees are in Mass Communication and Sociology, so my research interests lie in the intersection of those areas. Specifically, I'm interested in electronic and traditional word-of-mouth for entertainment goods like books, movies, and music.

What kinds of activities (work, internships, etc.) have you been involved in during your graduate experience? I work as a teaching assistant in the Telecommunications department, so I've gotten to meet and work with some great faculty members there. It's also given me the chance to meet some of the smart and talented undergrads in Grady. This summer I'm doing a public relations internship with a small business here in Athens, a yoga company called Yoga Sprouts, which has been a lot of fun.

What part of your Grady experience (classes, professors, etc.) has been helpful in your graduate program? The best thing for me has been being surrounded by such amazing people every day. I was a little nervous about not knowing anyone when I first got here, but both my professors and classmates have made Grady a second home. Now I know I always have people to go to for advice, whether it's about class or the ad industry or where to grab a bite to eat. That's a good feeling.

What's been your favorite part about living in Athens? I love that Athenians really embrace everything local, from food to music. It makes living here feel like being part of a community.

What are your career goals? I'm very interested in brand management, so my goal for after graduation is to find a job in an agency doing that.

What advice would you give to someone who is considering pursuing an Ad/PR graduate program? Ask questions! Lots of them. Something that surprised me when I was looking at grad schools was just how willing people were to answer the questions I had about everything from course requirements to parking options. Take advantage of that and learn everything you can before deciding if an AdPR program is right for you.