Membership Spotlight: Park Seghal

The third membership spotlight of the year is Park Seghal, a sophomore majoring in public relations. This is Park’s first semester as a member of PRSSA and he is already a very committed member of our chapter. He can often be found participating in meetings and bonding with the executive board!

Here is a Q&A session with Park:

Q: Where are you from?

A: I was born in Chapel Hill but moved to Prince George's County, Maryland when I was about three years old. We moved to Howard County, Maryland when I was eight and that's where I stayed until I came back to Philly last year. Howard County is a suburb about 40 minutes from Baltimore.

Q: Why do you love PRSSA? What do you hope to get out of it?

A: I love PRSSA because it provides so many great resources, like workshops on software or guest speakers who've worked in areas I'm interested in. I hope that I can get a lot of networking out of PRSSA and hopefully make some friends along the way. The e-board impresses upon us that they want us to get internships and that they're there to help us do so, which is very encouraging as well.

Q: What have you done with the PR committee?

A: I haven't done much with the PR committee yet but in one of our meetings we went over press releases and I have one due tomorrow that I looked over the slides from that presentation to look for tips.

Q: What PRSSA events have you participated in?

A: This is my first year with PRSSA so I haven't done any events but I'm looking forward to the regional conference and some of the community service events we're doing in the future.

Q: What other TU organizations are you a part of?

A: I'm also on the By Any Means Necessary Dance Company, a four-star minority organization on campus. We're a hip hop dance team and have been around since 2001. I joined the first semester of my freshman year and I'm so happy I did. Everyone on the team treats each other like family and it's great to know I have a whole team of friends I can contact if I need something.

Q: What is the coolest place you’ve ever visited?

A: The coolest place I've ever visited was definitely Calcutta, India. It's my favorite city in India because it's one of the most technologically advanced and fast-paced, it very much reminds me of New York. The colors of women's sari's, the smell of gelabi frying in street vending carts, and the constant honking of cars all make it one of my favorite places on Earth.

Q: Favorite social media platform and why?

A: My favorite social media platform is Instagram. I really enjoy posting stuff that so many of my friends and family can see, I have several family members from India who follow me on Instagram. I can also get lost for hours in the explore page, looking at those stupid soap cutting videos or dog videos.

Q: Dream job?

A: My dream job is head reputation management expert for Amazon. I really enjoy crisis communications and I know Amazon provides a lot of experience in that department.

To learn more about Park follow him on social media!

Instagram: @park_seagull

This blog post was written by Caitlin Gemmi, Digital Publications Editor & Park Seghal, General Body Member & Spotlight Recipient.

Speaker Recap - Kim Rotondo and Brian Kenney

During our meeting on Tuesday, October 30th, we welcomed not only one but two guest speakers: Kim Rotondo and Brian Kenney. Both work for Janssen, the pharmaceutical company of Johnson & Johnson and shared the experiences they have had throughout their careers.

Each of them described their career experiences to the audience, starting off with where they went to college and how they ended up at Janssen. Both explained how Janssen focuses on unmet medical needs and how they have to look at the big picture for the good of the company. Rotondo and Kenney outlined their three most important traits to help public relations professionals tell their story: substance, strategic communication skills, and character. I thought it was really interesting how they mentioned these traits because they come up a lot in classes as a PR major, so exemplifying them in real-life scenarios was helpful.

Both Rotondo and Kenney then spoke about how exciting and stimulating it is to work for such a big company, such as Johnson & Johnson. Rotondo explained how there is never a dull moment working in pharmaceuticals because medical needs are always changing. They also provided examples of various drug companies they have worked with and explained how their jobs consist of various responsibilities, including managing media and creating campaigns.

One of Janssen’s recent campaigns was focused on lupus, a chronic autoimmune disease. The campaign consisted of a video series that tells the story of the work Janssen is doing and highlights one of the company’s researchers and one patient struggling with this disease. The video series was successful in showing that Janssen is working hard for the disease and cares about patients with lupus.

Another set of skills the two emphasized greatly were on the topic of issues management. It is important to “expect the unexpected” and to anticipate, prepare materials, respond rapidly, and correct inaccuracies. I thought it was important that they mentioned the issues that arise in PR because not everything will always go smoothly and it is important to prepare for that. To elaborate, Kenney shared an entertaining story about the situation he endured when his personal and business lives both became stressful.

Overall, it was very beneficial to hear the events both Kim Rotondo and Brian Kenney have experienced and the tips they had to share with us. Both of them have a unique experience in the pharmaceutical industry, since they are involved in the communications aspect of the field, so it was interesting and helpful to hear each of their perspectives.

This blog post was written by Kiersten Sholly, General Body Member.

Membership Spotlight: Maria Clara Ribeiro

The second membership spotlight of the year is Maria Clara Ribeiro, a freshman majoring in public relations. This is Maria’s first semester as a member of PRSSA and she is already a committed member of our chapter. She can often be found attending outside events and bonding with the executive board!

Here is a Q&A session with Maria:

Q: Where are you from?

A: I’m originally Brazilian, but I grew up half in the Dominican Republic and Florida.

Q: Why do you love PRSSA? What do you hope to get out of it?

A: I love that PRSSA has given me so many opportunities as a freshman. It has allowed me to meet so many inspiring people that I’m excited to learn from! Most importantly, PRSSA has shown me that my passions really do lie in Public Relations, which is a confidence I feel privileged to have as a freshman. I hope to develop a strong network, acquire new skills, and most importantly develop myself as a strong professional.

Q: What have you done with the Digital committee?

A: The coolest opportunity I’ve gotten to do within the Digital committee is getting to write about something I’m very passionate about for our blog: diversity! The digital team has given me a platform to learn as a writer and as a creative individual.

Q: What PRSSA events have you participated in?

A: The PRSSA event that stands out to me the most that I got to participate in has been the Braithwaite Agency tour. It didn’t only give me insight into a field I dream about, but also connected me with really awesome people who have given me great advice.

Q: What other TU organizations are you a part of?

A: I’m currently an account associate at PRowl, President of my community council, and I serve as Director of Engagement at The Temple News.

Q: What is the coolest place you’ve ever visited?

A: My favorite city I’ve ever visited has been Madrid in Spain. I’m all about antique architecture and a buzzing city life, and Madrid is the perfect blend of both.

Q: Favorite social media platform and why?

A: My favorite social media platform is probably YouTube. I love that it gives a platform for people to be creative, talk about their passions, and connect with so many people. One of my goals is to definitely start one soon! It’s the perfect place to voice your opinions and share your life in an authentic way.

Q: Dream job?

A: I don’t really have a dream job in Public Relations. I had many growing up, but college has taught me to not limit myself to one dream. I just want to be able to connect with people, make the world as passionate as I am about whatever/whoever I’m representing, and be able to use my creativity to shine light on important organizations and campaigns.

To learn more about Maria follow her on social media!

Instagram: @heymariaclara

Twitter: @mariarelations

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/mariaclararibeiro (coming soon!)

LinkedIN: Maria Clara Ribeiro

This blog post was written by Caitlin Gemmi, Digital Publications Editor & Maria Clara Ribeiro, General Body Member & Spotlight Recipient.