What is your name, year and major?
My name is Guadelope Cortez. I am a third year Communications major with an emphasis in Public Relations.
What sparked your interest in the PR field?
The way I first got introduced to PR was actually my sophomore year in high school when I did a community service event called El Paseo Fashion Week. During that time, I was still discovering what I wanted to do and where I could fit in. I had this passion for journalism but for some reason when I was volunteering, I was placed in the public relations media booth instead of a backstage manager. I did not know what it was but it sounded cool. I found it interesting that there are so many ways to reach the public so that was the event where I found out about public relations.
If you were a fruit, which one would you be and why?
I would be an orange not only because it has a lot of vitamin C, but it’s also a color. I see it as a unique fruit because it has so many different meanings. An orange is also a helpful fruit like when someone gets sick, they eat oranges or drink orange juice and I like helpin
g people so I can relate to it.
How did you hear about PRSSA?
I first found out about PRSSA my senior year of high school. It was college decision making time. I always wanted to have a good amount of academic classes but also be involved in a student organization. So, when I was on the communications website, that’s when I came across an organization specifically for students who are interested in the PR industry. Since joining PRSSA, it has really opened my eyes about a career in PR and how it’s not just one area, it is present in many industries like medical, music and entertainment. I thought PR only existed in the fashion industry and I wasn’t really interested in that but because of attending the panels and events PRSSA had, my view of the field expanded. I remember the first panel I went to, Crisis Communications. As much as I was doubting going to the panel, crisis communications sounded so interesting to me so I eventually went. Being able to hear first hand information about the various aspects of PR helped me understand what I want to pursue in the future.
What is your favorite social media platform and why?
My favorite social media platform to use would be Instagram because I have a background in photography and design. It allows me to be creative, and I like how I can share that with other people. On Instagram, I can look through posts with hashtags I follow which allows me to see other people’s work and get background knowledge about the artist. With those certain hashtags, I can find local photographers and connect and collaborate with them to create more art that can be shared with other people.
What has been your favorite panel so far?
I really liked the Fashion and Beauty panel. The representatives were from really well known brands so that was cool. I liked hearing about how the products we use on a daily basis impacted people.
What is the best advice you’ve heard from one of the panels?
I am entering my last year of college so that means applying and going through the interview process for obtaining an internship. One piece of advice I remember is that everyone will have their time to get the job they want or internship they worked for. If for some reason you don’t get that opportunity, the journey doesn’t end there, there will be another moment in time in the future where I will get another opportunity. I want to go into the music industry, and it’s really competitive so keeping that advice in my mind keeps me feeling positive.
What is a dream company you would like to work for?
Universal Music Group!
