Our E-Board Leaves You with This…
By: Lilibeth Orozco
December 4, 2020
As this fall semester comes to an end, our e-board wanted to share their favorite experiences within their positions and express their excitement for the upcoming Spring semester. With school being fully online, our chapter had to overcome some obstacles, but the passion for public relations and networking has been stronger than ever! Continue reading to get a closer look on the Executive Board experience…
Carlo Lupercio - President
When I started college I was not sure if I wanted to pursue a career in public relations but that is where PRSSA came into play. During my sophomore year, I started attending meetings. It was there that I was able to learn more about various industries in public relations and understand the career path that I wanted to take. To become more engaged with the chapter I wanted to take it a step further and after much encouragement from previous board members, I decided to run. Throughout Spring 2020 I was the Director of Member Services and assisted in recruitment functions for our chapter as well as enrolling members.
Becoming a student leader was not what I planned or expected when I started going to PRSSA meetings but throughout my time on the executive board, I have been able to build leadership skills and become ready to take the next step in furthering our chapter. This fall, I took on the role of President for our chapter. As President of our chapter my main goal was to continue helping members navigate a career within PR. When the pandemic hit I knew our programming had to be tailored to helping our members gain beneficial skills and exclusive networking opportunities to advance their careers while facing uncertainty.
Being a part of CSUN PRSSA has been one of the greatest communities I have been a part of throughout my college career. The organization has not only helped me navigate a career within public relations but also build a network with future professionals and leaders.
Bee Williams - Vice President
I’m currently a senior with a major in Public Relations and a minor in marketing. In addition, I have been involved with CSUN for about 4 years now and have enjoyed every year. I was inspired to run for Vice President because I felt like I wanted to take the next step within leadership in the club.
My favorite part of this position is being involved with the fellow members and seeing how well we’ve worked together this semester to properly execute our ideas for PRSSA. After spending four years with PRSSA, it’s really influenced my future career. I would like my career path to be something within Entertainment PR because all the guest speakers in that field really inspired me to get info in that realm of PR. Lastly, with the new semester right around the corner, I’m excited to see what PRSSA has in store for Spring 2021.
Anessa Quintanilla - Historian
I first joined PRSSA my freshman year in 2017 and became an official member in Spring 2018. I’m currently a senior majoring in journalism with an emphasis in public relations. Before elections last semester, I was encouraged to apply for a position by several members including those on the executive board. I was looking for ways to be more involved with PRSSA but felt I needed to gain more leadership skills and learn how the board operates internally before tackling a greater role. The historian position seemed like the right fit for me as I was able to take on the responsibilities of managing records and recording meetings while observing what the other e-board members worked on.
My favorite part of the position has been moderating and creating the agendas for our weekly board meetings. Coordinating our board meetings, reaching out to e-board members, and assigning action items has helped me get out of my shell and develop new skills. Being a historian has helped prepare me for my career goals as it has led me to be more organized, confident in my managerial duties, and competent in working within a team. My goal is to work within a PR department for a nonprofit organization. I am excited to apply for a new e-board position and to build more connections with others in PRSSA next semester!
Mayra Agredas - Director of Social Media
My name is Mayra Agredas, and I’m currently the Director of Social Media for CSUN PRSSA. I'm also a senior graduating in the Spring with a major in Journalism with an emphasis in Public Relations. As Director of Social Media, I had a blast promoting and creating events this Fall semester. Social media is honestly the glue that sticks everything together! It was such an important role that has taught me how to manage my time, excel in campaign matters, and overall helped me be creative! I will keep devoting my time to PRSSA as a member in the Spring.
Although I won’t be re-running again for the E-Board, I’m excited to see who will be running for Spring! Being part of an organization with hands-on leadership has given me so much exposure and confidence that I’ve never had before. With that being said, I’m really eager to start my future as a public relations specialist post-graduation, and I really have to thank PRSSA for that.
Michelle De Leon - Director of Chapter & Professional Development
I joined CSUN’s PRSSA as a transfer student from Moorpark College and have been a member for a year and a half. It was my way of making new friends within my major and gaining access to professionals outside of the classroom. After a year of attending speaker events, I decided to run for a board position because I wanted to implement new programs and initiatives. After talking to the graduating President and last Director of Chapter and Professional Development about how I wanted to expand what the Chapter offered in events, programming, and how the Chapter operated, they stirred me to my current role.
I enjoy that my role provides opportunities to come up with new ways to expand what our Chapter offers and find creative solutions to problems. A career goal of mine is to work in the beauty industry and I think my role on the board has helped me strengthen and expand the skills I will need after I graduate. I have learned a lot about myself in this role and the work it takes to execute projects. I’m looking forward to taking the lessons I have learned this semester into the Spring and launch programs that we have in the works.
Hadie Tobar - Director of Special Events
It’s been wonderful being part of CSUN PRSSA for a couple of years now. I’m currently a Senior majoring in Journalism Broadcast and minoring in Entertainment Media Management. Being on the executive board as a Director of Special Events, has given me the opportunity to meet and connect with professionals while coordinating events throughout the semesters.
My position on the executive board has helped me further develop my skills for a career in event production. I’ve enjoyed learning from people who are in the public relations industry and listening to their career stories and advice. Collaborating with others on the board and creating fun educational events is one of the reasons I chose to run for this role. Each one of us brought a creative element when planning our programs. Whether in-person or online, workshops or moderating speaker panels, small or large events, I am so happy I have been able to keep practicing and improving my event planning skills. I’m really looking forward to is producing additional events with partnered Southern California PRSSA Chapters. Not only are we able to collectively create events where all members can attend and gain more understanding, but we can continue building relationships by networking together. I’m thrilled to be continuing as a board member. I cannot wait to connect with new PRSSA friends and help them further develop their career paths to enjoy their own journeys.
Lilibeth Orozco - Director of Public Relations
I started going to PRSSA meetings since I was a freshman back in 2017, however, I became an official member spring of 2019 and I haven’t looked back since! Now, I’m a senior with a major in Communications and a minor in Journalism with an emphasis in public relations and PRSSA has influenced my career path in more ways than one.
The Director of Public Relations position interested me right off the bat because I had experience in creating merchandise, writing newsletters, writing up blog posts, and working closely with a team. My favorite part so far has been connecting with other PRSSA chapters within southern California and helping out with the newsletter. At the beginning of my senior year, my ultimate goal was to get an internship in the field, and fortunately, I landed a Spring internship with an agency that works with PR for architecture, lifestyle, and philanthropy! PRSSA taught me hands-on PR skills like how to pitch, how to write a press release, and how to network with professionals. I’m really excited to pass the torch on to the next Director of Public Relations and see how the new e-board will take on this Spring semester!
