Describe yourself: year in school, major, current internship, student involvement, etc.

 

I am in my third year at DePaul, majoring in Public Relations & Advertising with a double minor in Environmental Studies and Event Planning. On campus, I serve as president for two FSL organizations—Delta Gamma and Order of Omega—and have loved participating in other programs and activities that DePaul offers, including DemonTHON and a short-term study abroad course on sustainable energy in Scandinavia! I also currently hold the position of Conservation Communications Intern at Shedd Aquarium.

 

What are you passionate about and how do you hope to imPRint your passion into your PR career? Are you currently pursuing a passion in your current internship?

 

I’m passionate about the health of our planet and all the beings that call it home. My Discover class freshman year (Bicycle/Green Design Chicago) sparked my interest in using what we know about human impacts and our world’s changing climate to inspire people to want to make a positive change for the planet, even with actions as small as biking somewhere instead of driving, or cutting down on single-use plastics. This, combined with my love of writing, has driven me to pursue a career that involves environmental communications and empowering others to make a difference.   

 

During my current internship, I’ve gotten to pursue that passion through an organization with values that align with my own. As the Conservation Communications Intern, I deep dive into the many conservation efforts going on at Shedd and help out with communicating their impacts to the general public. By doing so, we inspire people worldwide to be informed and involved in protecting wildlife.

 

Can you describe meaningful work have you done in PR that has made an impact?

 

Thus far, I’ve been working on developing stories and materials that spread awareness of plastic pollution, sustainable tourism, women in STEM, and incredible research projects on wildlife that are being conducted both regionally and internationally. Additionally, I’m helping with the promotion of Kayak for Conservation, a program which encourages people to get outside and explore the nature that surrounds us right here in Chicago!

 

Why do you think PR as a career invites so much passion?

 

In PR, we get to tell a story about something our organization or client is passionate about, and extend the invitation to others to be a part of the story and share that excitement. This is most effective if we work with organizations that we share a common goal with. If a PR professional is pitching or promoting something that they’re passionate about, then that will translate over to audiences and inspire them to get in on the action as well.