PU TA-BLY ETTERPB SS Cf) z 0 ~ <( N z <( (.!J a: 0 NETWORKING IN NASHVILLE PRO SPEAKS WITH COMMUNICATION PROFESSIONALS WORDS Olivia Cook I I PHOTOS Kaleb Turner & Kendall Carwile I n spring 2017, the Public Relations Organization (PRO) took a networking trip to Nashville, Tennessee. While on the trip, PRO visited with the communications directors of three different companies. Junior Parker Samuel was one of the many public relations (PR) majors who attended the trip. Samuel enjoyed talking to Bethany Nicholson, a Harding alumna, who was public relations director for the Buntin Group, an advertising agency. "[PR] is this major that people will talk about and teach, but you don't get to see it in action very much, especially in that type of agency setting," Samuel said. "It was [a] great reassurance to know that if you work really hard and put yourself out there, then you can land awesome PR jobs." Samuel spoke on icholson's bravery when she graduated, noting she consistently applied to many jobs. Sophomore and PRO member Noah Turner commented on the persistence of icholson while reaching out to the Buntin Group. "She [emailed] the Buntin Group [many times] asking for a job," Turner said. "At different times, they said that they did not have a position for her but she kept reaching out to them, and now she is the head of PR for this big advertising agency. Persistence is key." On the second day of the trip, PRO visited a nonprofit called Healing Hands International. Turner was interested in seeing the nonprofit side ofPR. "It just seemed very rewarding that you are directly getting to do something for the kingdom of God even if you are not a Bible major," Turner said. The last stop of the trip was visiting the ashville Symphony Orchestra. Samuel found it interesting to hear from communications professionals at the orchestra speak about their different experiences, along with their different tactics that each company used to reach its target audience. Junior Kendall Carwile, president of PRO, thought it was extremely beneficial to take advantage of networking opportunities like the ashville trip. "Get involved with an organization that your major offers because that is how you meet people in your major," Carwile said. "It is a great way to meet your peers and the faculty. You get to go on fun trips, network and plan for your future." I Vintage concert posters, made with trad1t1onal printing press ancl type setting, decorate the walls of Hatch Show Print 1n Nashville, Tennessee, on March 25, 2017 PRO v1s1ted the press to learn about pnnt1ng and promotions for their spring networking trip to Nashville // Photo by Kaleb Turner Joel Gordon, executive director of the Arkansas Regional Innovation Hub, and Errin Stanger, director of programs, events and membership at the Innovation Hub, tell PRO students about the benefits of maker spaces and community development on Oct 20, 2017 The v1s1t to the Innovation Hub was part of the group's PR in LR networking field trips they hosted each semester // Photo courtesy of Kendall Carwile
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