The Adviser

February 2014

• Intern Spotlight: Gabby Garcia
• Professor Spotlight: Jerod Foster, Ph.D.
• Get to Know Your Ambassador: Dylan Echols
• Red Raider Roadshow

Intern Spotlight: Gabby Garcia
by Allie Carlson, photo by David Vaughn

Students in the Texas Tech University College of Media & Communication seek internships throughout the industry, broadening their education through hands-on experiences. While some internship positions are marketed and posted online for the public, others require a potential intern to actively seek out these opportunities.

Gabby Garcia, junior public relations major from Arlington, Texas, worked as an intern for Kendra Scott, a fast-growing, popular jewelry company, during the summer of 2013. Kendra Scott is based in Austin, Texas, where Garcia interned at the flagship store.

Popular companies such as Kendra Scott attract many young women's interests in its internship positions, requiring a lot of research to learn about these selective opportunities. Garcia said she learned of the internship by becoming an avid reader of Kendra Scott's blog, and she noticed they had interns writing them.

"This was my dream summer internship," Garcia said, "and although nothing was posted on their website, I figured out who I needed to email, sent them all my stuff, and went from there."

After figuring out the application process, Garcia was asked to interview, and turned to the college's career center director, Aleesa Ross. Ross advises students on resumes and cover letters, performs mock interviews, and sends out a daily email with internship and job opportunities in the industry.

Garcia said Ross helped her with her resume, and did a helpful mock interview before her real one.

"Besides jobs in high school," Garcia said, "I never had experience with a real interview for a job I really wanted. She helped me with the types of questions that would be asked and the type of person they would be looking for."

Garcia landed the internship and spent her summer working at her dream job at Kendra Scott. Garcia said she worked on anything related to social media and marketing, writing blog posts, sitting in on marketing meetings, and learning the strategy and tactics behind the scenes.

"I feel so grateful to have learned so much. I learned writing styles, like tailoring your writing style for the company you're with, and a lot of computer skills, like working with Photoshop™ and all the different social media platforms."

Garcia said experiencing behind-the-scenes action at such a large company was not only an incredible learning experience, but exciting as well.

"Pretty much every girl follows them on Instagram or Facebook," Garcia said, "and it's cool seeing why they're doing what they're doing. Their new line that just came out I got to see in June. I got the total inside view on the marketing strategy."

Although internships are not a requirement for public relations students, many graduate with several on their resume. With plans to acquire another internship in the summer of 2014, Garcia encourages students to get experience early on.

"Start thinking about the type of companies you want to intern for," Garcia said, "and begin building your resume early."

---

 

Allie Carlson is a junior public relations major from Austin, Texas. David Vaughn is a senior university studies major from Spur, Texas, and works as a photographer for the college's marketing department.

top

Professor Spotlight: Jerod Foster, Ph.D.
by Allie Carlson, photo by David Vaughn

The professors in the Texas Tech University College of Media & Communication have a wide range of professional experience in the industry, as well as varying hobbies and interests.

Jerod Foster, Ph.D., began teaching at the college in the fall of 2007, after finishing his master's degree in agricultural communication. Foster worked several years as a professional freelance photographer and writer, and continues to pursue his freelance work through publication in popular press and commercial industries.

Foster currently teaches Photography, Digital Photography I and Principles of Digital Media. He also advises the student organization Tech Association of Students in Electronic Media.

"Being a member of a student organization," Foster said, "whether they're volunteer organizations, leadership organizations, or organizations that basically bring you a community of like-minded people, enhances the collegiate experience."

Foster said TASEM is a formal, entrepreneurial congregation of students with an interest in electronic media. Students come up with projects as a group, while discussing other projects going on in their classes, allowing them to bounce ideas off each other.

"It's like a think station for students interested in electronic media," Foster said. "It's a nice outlet for students in a program like this to also be super creative."

Foster said the freedom of student-driven organizations benefits students more than a classroom setting, which allows students to be creative, but with guidelines. Last semester the students in TASEM worked on projects for a film contest, and others constructed their own film festival.

Foster has a passion for electronic media and sharing his expertise with students in the classroom by advising student organizations, and also through leading study abroad trips. Foster will teach a photography course in New Zealand during the summer of 2014, taking a group of students from the college to photograph their way through the country.

"I think the biggest benefit of study abroad is just getting out of this bubble we live in," Foster said. "We live in a pretty large and diverse bubble, but once we step out of the country, it becomes a really different thing."

Foster said he did his first study abroad during graduate school, when he went to Mexico for nine days for a photography course. Although it was a short trip, he said he still had an incredible experience. And he encourages every student to go abroad in some way because leaving the country and immersing oneself in a new culture creates a unique change in one's perspective of the world.

"Anytime you go out of the country, you have a job to experience as much as you can," Foster said. "If you do that, you come away with a profound appreciation for other cultures."

Foster said he hopes to immerse his summer students in the New Zealand culture and introduce the culture's relationship with media, Hollywood especially, since they are visiting and photographing the sites where "The Lord of the Rings" was filmed.

The College of Media & Communication currently offers three study abroad programs to New Zealand, Germany and London.

"Students who come here should know we're excited about study abroad," Foster said. "We're really pumped up that we can offer these opportunities, like the ongoing program in London."

Foster said he notices students who participate in study abroad tend to be the ones who are more outgoing in what they do after graduation. Study abroad is an educational experience in a league of its own, and Foster said he encourages every student to take part in the variety of experiences Texas Tech has to offer.

"Faculty say this enough that it becomes cliché; there is no other time in your life that you can willingly put yourself in front of so many experiences, and study abroad is a big one," Foster added.

---

 

top

Get To Know Your Ambassador: Dylan Echols

Dylan Echols is a senior public relations major from Houston, Texas.

What do you love about being in the Texas Tech University College of Media & Communication?

Honestly, it's probably the faculty and the staff. They really make you feel like you're part of a community and pretty much everyone has an open door policy. Everybody is looking to help you out. If you're looking to succeed, they're willing to help.

What are you involved in on campus and in the college?

I am the director of the student PR firm, Raidercomm, a student ambassador, a student assistant in the dean's office, and I'm the vice president of Tech PR.

What are your hobbies?

When I have time I like to go hiking and camping.

What have you enjoyed most about being a student ambassador?

Preaching about Texas Tech and the College of Media & Communication. I feel like I preach more about the college, but I just enjoy sharing my love.

What advice do you have for a prospective student?

Submerge yourself in the university and the college. You're not just here to go to class and leave. College is a major part of your life, and it's a process. You learn from books and professors, but also from what you put into the university.

What is a fun fact about you?

I was born in England.

What are your future career goals?

I'm applying for three things. I want to apply for graduate school, for the Peace Corps, and I'm applying for an internship at FleishmanHillard in Dallas. So hopefully by this summer I'll have something figured out!

---

 

 

top

Red Raider Roadshow

Every spring Texas Tech University's Undergraduate Admissions office hosts Red Raider Roadshows across the state of Texas. This is an opportunity for prospective students in these cities and the surrounding areas to come and learn more about Texas Tech and the academic colleges. The College of Media & Communication will once again participate in this great event.

The dates for the remaining Red Raider Roadshows are listed below:

 

Students and parents will have the opportunity to attend different breakout sessions, including: admitted student reception, parent panel discussion, financial aid and scholarship presentations, and other sessions. The College of Media & Communication looks forward to seeing you there!

To RSVP for these events, please visit www.admissions.ttu.edu

---

 

Emily Balke is the unit coordinator for student recruitment and alumni relations from Amarillo, Texas.

top

Subscribe

Are you interested in receiving The Adviser? If so, please click subscribe.

Archive

top