Alumni Spotlight: Clarissa Ford

Clarissa Ford (’18), Account Coordinator on the Health and Beauty team at Hunter Public Relations, is proof that hard work, dedication and making the most out of your opportunities will lead you to achieving your dreams. A Temple PRSSA member from day one, turned PRowl Firm Director, Ford actively sought out new opportunities to grow as a student, young professional and as a person.

Ford’s story, like many of ours, started freshman year. As an eager student that knew joining an organization would help her get involved in the community and make friends, she attended Temple Fest in search for a group. She noticed the Temple PRSSA table on Liacouras Walk and from then on was at every Tuesday meeting.

Having started out as a journalism major, Ford immediately sensed a passion and camaraderie from other members and declared a PR minor. Taking advantage of the Temple PRSSA mentorship program, it was her mentor that helped Ford redefine her career goals. It was during her sophomore year when Ford officially changed her major to PR. It was the time spent with Temple PRSSA that redirected the entire course of her college and professional career.

It wasn’t long before Ford took on more leadership roles within both Temple PRSSA and PRowl Public Relations, Temple’s student-run public relations firm. Having served as the Director of Mentorship during her junior year, Ford was able to meet many members of PRSSA, having the opportunity to see them grow during their academic and professional careers.

Having served as an Account Associate within PRowl, quickly moving up as a Junior Account Executive and Account Executive, Ford was selected to lead the firm as the Firm Director during her senior year. “I’m eternally grateful for my involvement in the firm because it helped me make a difference on campus, follow my passion of helping others and create long-lasting friendships,” Ford stated.

Ford emphasized that for her, learning never stops. In college, she used to think of her courses as a challenge to better herself and build a skillset, but that didn’t stop for her after graduation. She continuously seeks out opportunities to give herself a competitive edge in her career.

Since graduating from Temple, Ford has been working at Hunter Public Relations, a consumer agency located in New York City where she currently works on the Health and Beauty team. Ford also serves on the Student Outreach and Intern Committee, allowing her to continue her passion of mentoring students.

This blog post was written by William Careri, General Body Member.

Surviving Your Last Semester of College

As a second semester senior, I have been on the job hunt for a couple months now. This is also one of the busiest and most challenging semesters a college student will experience. Between juggling applications, school work, an internship and a part-time job, I have learned how difficult it can be to keep everything balanced, and I know there are others struggling with this too! Here are some tips I try to follow to keep my days productive and balanced throughout the last semester of college:

1) Attend job fairs and events. Job fairs are an efficient way to make new connections and find openings without having to leave campus. Klein organizes great fairs and brings companies and opportunities right to you. RSVP’ing for these events also pushes you to prepare for job hunting in other ways, such as getting your resume approved and preparing yourself to interact with professionals and employers – all things you will have to do eventually. If you cannot attend any job fairs, networking events also allow you to practice talking yourself up as well as open doors to new opportunities. Even simply keeping up with your current network is a great way to put yourself out there as a job-seeking soon-to-be graduate. Being proactive and attending these events allows you to be more comfortable when it comes time to interview and be in that mindset.

2) Include job searching in your schedule (even on the weekends). It can be easy to procrastinate your job search when you have many other obligations on your plate such as a heavy homework load, work, or extracurricular activities. I find a good way to stay motivated is to fit designated job search time into my schedule along with all of my other tasks and activities. Not only does it remind me to stay on top of it, but it also creates more satisfaction when you can cross it off your list. Tending to job applications a few times per week and making it part of your routine allows you to chip away at it consistently rather than putting it off until it becomes too stressful. If you have busy weekdays like me, you can try including it in your nightly routine or even the weekends!

3) Take your time. Finally, be sure to de-stress and take your time! This is important not only because applications require time and care to reflect a good impression, but so does self-care! Between your busy schedule and planning for the future, allow yourself plenty of time to breathe, relax, and enjoy your other activities. Maintaining balance will allow us to make the most of our last semester of college!

This blog post was written by Peyton Pflug, Secretary.

Community Service - Cradles to Crayons

Every year Temple PRSSA partners with a local organization for our community service initiative. This year we are partnering with Cradles to Crayons. Cradles to Crayons is a local non-profit that works to deliver children in need with the things they need. They organizations accept anything from school supplies to clothing, and even baby items. For clothing, they accept any lightly-used clothes up to an adult size small, and shoes up to an adult size 9.

PRSSA will be hosting collection drives during February and March at the Howard Gittis Student Center. Below are the details of what can be donated and the specific dates and times. For alternative drop-off times, email Gabby Arias at gabbyarias@temple.edu.

February 22, 2019

Location: Student Center Atrium

Time: 10a.m. – 3 p.m.

March 15, 2019 – Day 2

Location: Student Center Atrium

Time: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

The following items can be donated:

• School supplies

• Reading books for children

• Clothing (up to an adult size small)

• Footwear (up to an adult size 9)

• Baby supplies

• Monetary donations are also accepted

For updates and more information, visit the community service page.