February 4, 2008

That is without a doubt the most common question people ask college students. It’s not a bad thing, in fact, how you answer that question can say a lot about who you are and what you’re interested in.

I think I heard somewhere that the average person changes his or her major five times before graduating. I’m not sure if I believe that, but if it’s true I’m definitely not average. I have had the same major my entire college career. This is remarkable because I knew next to nothing about my major before arriving at OSU.

Public relations (PR) isn’t a career that I had a lot of exposure to growing up in Hennessey. In fact, the only career I knew a lot about was teaching. My mom and sister are teachers so I seriously considered becoming one myself.  However, after spending a semester in high school as an aide for a pre-K class, I decided it wasn’t for me.  

So what now? I went through an OSU course catalog looking for majors that sounded interesting. I found public relations and it seemed like a perfect fit because I like people. Little did I know that public relations involves so much more.

I’ll never forget one of my PR professors telling my class that communicating with the public is only a fraction of a PR practitioner’s job. She explained that public relations is more about researching, planning and developing communication strategies to reach specific target audiences. What a bummer.

As soon as I heard that, I decided to go on a hunt for a new major. I looked into hotel and restaurant administration, but as I described the things I might like to do, my advisor said, “It sounds like you would enjoy doing public relations for a hotel.”

I definitely wasn’t going to switch my major if I would end up doing public relations anyway. So I told myself my degree would be versatile and decided to stick it out. That’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

Once I got more involved in public relations, I found that I really enjoy it. The basic principles I’ve learned about communication have not only aided me professionally, but also personally. I can apply what I’m learning in class to almost every situation. It’s so wonderful!

I am so lucky to have found a career that I’m not only good at, but that I also enjoy. It’s hard to decide what you want to do for the rest of your life when you’re 18. That’s probably why people switch majors and careers so often. As for me, I think public relations is a perfect fit, and I can’t wait to graduate.

Part of the reason I can’t wait for graduation is because I have a job! After I graduate in May, I will begin my career working for the OSU Foundation, and I couldn’t be more thrilled! I came to OSU to get an education, but in the process, I have found a lifelong passion. I am so fortunate to be able to use my knowledge and talent to support an organization that means so much to me.

	My group for my PR Research and Campaigns class met in the Union on Wednesday to discuss what type of research we should conduct for our nonprofit organization. I love those girls! (Left to Right: Phuong, Kayla, me and Abi)
	A lot of people don’t like cold weather, but when the campus is this beautiful how could you not fall in love with it?!
	We ate at Eskimo Joe’s Friday night with Jessica and Lexi. They stayed with us because they are from out-of-town and had to take a test early Saturday morning. (Left to Right: Jessica, me, Lexi and Kim)
	When we got home, we played Mystery date. It was SO much fun!