Kayli Lewis
Proposal Manager
Hensel Phelps
Washington, D.C.
During my four years of undergraduate studies at the University of North Florida, I took many courses in mass communications and public relations that have advanced and shaped my career. It’s hard to narrow it down, but two courses that stand out most in my mind focused on public relations writing and advanced writing for the media.
After receiving my bachelor’s degree, I didn’t know at the time what industry I would be working in or how beneficial my degree would be in my career.
As a marketing professional in the construction industry, writing is one of the most important skill sets to possess in order to be successful on the job. We are constantly relating to the public on some platform, whether it’s advertising, social media or a public relations campaign.
I can say wholeheartedly that I wouldn’t be as successful as I am in my career or had the opportunity to advance my career to the level I have since graduating without my communication/public relations degree.
Hilary Morgan
Senior Associate Attorney
Cotney Construction Law
Tampa, Fla.
Interning on political campaigns during my time at Vanderbilt University gave me the opportunity to gain experience organizing and streamlining vast amounts of voter and polling data, which helps me today in navigating extensive data and documents on large construction projects. Interning on campaigns also gave me experience synthesizing and summarizing complex legislation into brief points, which is another skill I continue to use daily.
I also learned about managing and growing relationships with donors. This taught me the importance of ensuring that communications and expectations are clear, and showed me the satisfaction that can be attained by working hand-in-hand with others to achieve shared goals.
Through these campaigns, I was exposed to stressful work environments where elections loomed and opponents (and sometimes the media) watched the campaign’s every move. In these situations, I carefully observed how my supervisors balanced conflicting priorities to accomplish the best possible outcome.
Ryan Glynn
Corporate QA/QC Manager
STARCON International, Inc.
New Lenox, Ill.
Choosing a career path is a stressful process. The thought of investing time and effort to achieve a goal and not be satisfied with your end result can be agonizing.
My parents advised me to obtain an internship related to the career I was pursuing. At the time, I wasn’t convinced that a career in the petrochemical industry was the right fit.
I was fortunate to be hired as an intern by STARCON International, a mechanical contractor in the petrochemical industry. The internship helped me learn about the industry and the many different career opportunities that could be offered.
I gained a lot of respect for the type of work performed and realized the impact a successful project can make when managed with the utmost safety and quality. Upon graduation from Western Illinois University, I accepted a full-time position with STARCON, and 12 years later I continue to enjoy my career there.
The experience I had and the values I learned during my internship helped me advance my career to where it is today.
