NYC PR Benchmark Trip
The Newhouse School hosted three benchmark trips for public relations students during the spring semester. The opportunity was open to both undergraduate seniors and graduate students and offered in three different cities. The trips offered prospective internships, interviews for full-time positions and opportunities to network with industry professionals, including SU alumni. The trips took place February 20-22, 2019 in Boston, New York City and Washington, D.C.. The experience exposed students to the many facets of public relations professions including agencies, non-profits and non-governmental organizations. Although transportation was not provided by the school, students were able to receive up to $200 in financial assistance for travel, lodging and food.
I participated in the New York City benchmark trip with Professor Horn. As a group, we navigated the city and were welcomed by a plethora of agencies. Our itinerary included:
–DKC (Agency/Consumer and Sports)
–Inkhouse PR (Agency/B2B)
–W2O Group (Agency/Data and Analytics, Consumer Research)
–dna communications (Agency/Healthcare)
–HBO Sports (Media/Sports)
–MLB Advanced Media (Media/Sports)
–Peppercomm (Agency/Reputation Management)
In between our tours of different organizations, we visited the Museum of PR. From its inception five years ago, the museum documents and chronicles the evolution of public relations. We met Shelley Spector, the founder and director of the museum and president of Spector & Associates. In honor of Black History Month, she highlighted the African American pioneers and trailblazers of public relations.
Over the course of two days, we met Syracuse alumni and it was refreshing to learn of their professional experiences post-graduation and excelling in their careers.
After our first day, we got the opportunity to partake in an alumni panel and reception at The Lubin House. The panel discussion went further in-depth into their experiences of working and living in one of the most bustling cities in the world. The initial formality of the event was shredded as our group continued to ask questions and I truly appreciated the chance to mingle and get to know the four featured Newhouse PR alumni.
The strength of the Newhouse network is real! Connecting with the numerous alums during this trip nurtured my professional development. The trip created a chance to explore the many options within public relations and confirmed my area of interests.
