The network of amazing alumni that being a part of PRSSA connects you to is a great benefit. Chelsea Seidel (KLN ’19) is one of these successful alumni. She made the most out of her college experience to get to where she is today.
After graduating with a degree in strategic communications and a concentration in public relations, Chelsea went on to work at Weber Gallagher. Her current position is Digital Marketing Coordinator, where she leverages social media, webinars, podcasts, and more to drive digital marketing efforts. Chelsea also helps some clients with freelance work.
Chelsea can relate to our struggles with “Zoom University,” since she has been working from home for longer than she was in the actual office. She says that this has really been a “surreal" experience for her. Not only has she seen her work life be affected by the pandemic, but she has also seen the changes it brought to the PR industry overall. Chelsea believes businesses have begun to see what an asset public relations can be.
She says that the PR industry has had to focus more on digital aspects like social media and SEO. This intersects with the business needs that the pandemic has highlighted. As Chelsea said, “they were forced to rely solely on digital communications with the pandemic.”
Back when Chelsea was at Temple and coronavirus didn’t exist, she was highly involved in PRSSA. She joined in her freshman year and worked her way up through various e-board positions. She served at Student Government Representative, then Conference Coordinator, and finally Chapter President. In her first two roles, Chelsea was responsible for making sure PRSSA was in good standing with the student government and planning a TU Invitational with 100 guests.
When Chelsea became Chapter President in her senior year, her goal was to help members get networking opportunities through events, agency tours, and general meetings. She managed the plans for the Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference and the 50th anniversary, as well as helping the executive board create more opportunities for members. On top of all of Chelsea’s work on the PRSSA e-board, she was even a part of PRowl as an Account Associate and a Junior Account Executive!
PRSSA was a major part of Chelsea’s college experience. You could probably find her at any and every event PRSSA held. Her time with the chapter gave her many great memories. One of those is the fun she had going to events and planning the conference with her close-knit executive board in her senior year. The friendships and connections that Chelsea developed through PRSSA were incredibly valuable to her. Chelsea shared that networking in college brought her incredible experiences, like internships that got her to where she is today.
We are lucky to be able to hear the one piece of advice Chelsea would give her college self, it’s something that we could all use: “Keep pushing forward! Some days are harder than others but, moving through each challenge and curveball will only make you a better person and professional.”
This blog post was written by Michelle Rodriguez, Digital Committee Member.