What is your name, year, and major?
My name is Kaitlin Martinez, and I am a Communications graduate student– first year.
What sparked your interest in the field of PR?
I originally have a background in Journalism. While getting my undergraduate degree, I worked at the campus newspaper for three years, and I also worked a semester at the Daily Titan– so you know, go Titans!
It was a really great experience, I enjoy writing and editing, but I just realized the pacing didn’t really fit me as a person. I wanted more structure in my workday, and I thought: okay, I’m willing to write for businesses that I care about and that I think are important for people to know about, so I thought that’s how marketing and public relations would be a good fit.
I am currently taking professor Hagihara’s PR Writing II course, and I’m really enjoying it. We’re learning not just the format of writing for PR, but also applicable life skills in the field. He also recommended that we join PRSSA to gain access to all the different benefits provided and to do the Public Relations Certificate Program. So since that was something I really wanted to do to help build my professional knowledge of public relations, I became a member.
I also started with a focus on Journalism and made the switch to Public Relations. What inspired you to change?
I still appreciate and respect all that Journalists do. I just realized that I didn’t want to be entrenched in the industry. I feel like it’s the kind of industry where you don’t have the best work + life balance, and that’s something that I personally treasure. So I wanted a career that accommodated for that.
What are your goals for this year, and how can the PRSSA help you achieve them?
If we’re talking about the 2019-2020 academic year, my goal is to get an internship in PR, land a job in PR if possible, build my portfolio in terms of press releases and whatnot, and to take those next professional steps to solidify my career in PR.
I’m going to achieve that by getting more active in PRSSA in the spring. I’m also taking a PR for nonprofits class in the spring and doing different research projects to add to my portfolio. I’m trying to do all these things to get involved professionally in Public Relations and with PRSSA.
What is your favorite social media platform, and why?
Okay, I really love Facebook, and you’ll kind of hear why. So I joined this dog-spotting society kind of group on Facebook. It just has pictures of dogs you know people’s dogs, and then stories behind it. So I love it for the visual and the story component. For me, Instagram is mostly photos. So I like the balance that Facebook has as well as the variety of content.
How many years have you been at Cal State Fullerton?
This is my second semester, so my first year. Though I only have two more semesters left.
Where did you go for your undergraduate degree?
Whittier College, it’s a private liberal arts college.
How did you hear about the PRSSA?
I know for sure I heard about from Hagihara, but I also saw it in a booth and online. There was also a class presentation from a PRSSA member.
When not in class, where do you like to spend your time on campus?
I’m kind of a foodie, so I like going to Cafe Rio and Coffee Bean. Other than that, I think the library is a good spot. There are a lot of computers and charging stations, and because I’m doing research right now for my thesis, I’m spending a lot of time in the library.
What is your favorite class this semester?
This semester, I really like the PR class I’m taking with Hagihara because I like the variety of assignments we have with very real applicability for a professional career. I can say, “I did this,” and I can put this in my portfolio. I also appreciate my Communications Technologies class because it goes into tech and its social impact on us. It even talks about the politics of tech which is a really cool concept, and I appreciate that.
