Finding my place in a fast-paced industry

As a brand new public relations major, working with Eagle PR has been one of the most exciting, yet stressful times of my life.

This was my first semester working with Oklahoma Christian University’s student-led Eagle PR.

At the beginning of the semester, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I had learned a lot about PR in classes, but I did not really know what to expect once work began. My interests aligned with photography, and I thought I could manage a bit of social media. I had never done a campaign before, and I was prepared to write press releases randomly for clients.

Well, I ended up doing much more than that.

During our first meeting, we were assigned to write a news article. As the semester progressed, I found myself writing multiple blog posts, taking photos for OC’s communication department and various clients and participating in campaigns with other Eagle PR team members.

Before I knew it, my schedule was jam-packed.

Over the course of the 15 weeks, learning how to balance my schedule with work for Eagle PR proved to be challenging. I had to find ways to improve my writing skills as well as try new formats and techniques.

Although working with Eagle PR provided its challenges, there were many benefits. Working with the team helped me learn how to communicate effectively with different members. Bringing back Adobe skills, creating posters from Canva and finding new angles to shoot photos allowed me to enhance my creative skills. Deadlines helped reinforce discipline to get work done in a timely manner. Working with Eagle PR has taught me what my strengths and weaknesses are.

Over the course of the semester, I enjoyed working with a team who was encouraging and a team who I could count on when work got tedious.

Learning more about the work I will potentially partake in as a PR professional has helped me understand what the job entails.

I am thrilled to continue working with Eagle PR to develop the skills I need to succeed. -Melanie Campbell

josh watson