March 31, 2008

It’s strange to visit a place you haven’t been to in a while. I learned this when I went to high school football games at Hennessey in the fall.

Because I graduated almost four years ago, I don’t know most of the students anymore. That’s so surreal! With few exceptions, I used to know everyone. It’s as if things changed over night and now my school functions smoothly without me.

Well, I had that same feeling last week when a group of Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) members and I went to Oklahoma City to visit the firm I interned for this past summer.

One of the things I love about OSU is that I’m able to be involved in whatever interests me. I’m very passionate about PRSSA because I am extremely interested in public relations, and the organization has been a great tool for learning about the industry and networking with professionals across the state.

This year many of our members said they would like to visit a public relations firm to get a better idea of what working for a firm would be like. It didn’t take long for me to decide where we should go.

As an intern for Saxum Strategic Communications this summer, I learned volumes about the field of public relations and what it was like to work in a firm. So I e-mailed my intern supervisor and asked if we could stop by.

The team at Saxum welcomed us with open arms and invited us to its weekly brainstorming meeting so we could see how everything works. As we walked through the office, memories from my time there flooded back to me. It was wonderful to see everyone again, and when the meeting started, I found myself fighting the urge to take notes (recording the minutes was one of my jobs as an intern).

When the meeting was over, everyone started their day. Phone calls were made, papers were read and work began – all without me.

That’s a good thing, of course. I mean what kind of company can no longer function after losing a lowly intern? Since the time I left, Saxum has not only survived but it has also grown. It was good to meet the new employees and hear the results of projects that were in only their planning stages when I left.

Looking back, I’d have to say that the experience was humbling. Knowing that the world doesn’t revolve around you is something I think we all need to be reminded of from time to time. This realization has given me a new perspective, which I think will ease the shock of graduation.

It will be strange to no longer be an OSU student, but I am convinced that my professors will keep teaching, my organizations will keep functioning and thousands of students will keep learning. And that’s a very comforting thought.

	Here I am with Allison and Megan, part of the group that went to Saxum on Thursday.
	Kyle’s friend just bought a house so on Thursday night, we helped him work on it. By midnight, I had become a pro at priming the walls.
	My allergies bothered me all week, and I think these blooming trees were part of my problem. How can something so pretty be so troublesome?
	The OSU Student Foundation is gearing up for our scholarship campaign, which involves selling T-shirts and putting the money we make into an endowed scholarship fund for deserving OSU students. I worked the booth on Friday with Caroline and Lyle to help promote the campaign.