This week’s profile is Erin Zaranec: a senior from Brunswick, OH.
Her Campus: Erin, what is your major and minor?
Erin Zaranec: I am (infamously) known for declaring and dropping seven minors during the first three years of my undergraduate career, but now I am graduating with a public relations degree and no minors!
HC: Why did you pick that major?
EZ: I actually selected public relations based on results from online personality quizzes I took during my senior year of high school. I knew that I loved to write and speak in public. I wanted a career with a creative path, too, and public relations just so happened to keep appearing on almost every ‘career quiz’ I took.
HC: Why Kent State?
EZ: When I toured Kent State, it just felt like home. The Kent State PR program is also accredited, which means its curriculum is held to certain standards. That definitely influenced my decision to come here. Kent State also have great student media opportunities to get involved in and that really interested me.
HC: What is PRSSA?
EZ: PRSSA stands for the Public Relations Student Society of America. There are 300+ collegiate chapters nationwide. We are a pre-professional organization for students in the public relations and communications fields. Kent State’s chapter, the Ralph C. Darrow Chapter, was named the best chapter in the nation for the 2014/2015 academic year and has been named a Star Chapter for more than five consecutive years.
HC: How does a student become involved in PRSSA?
EZ: To become an official member of PRSSA, students are required to pay national dues of $55. These dues go straight to our governing national board and give students access to opportunities like job boards, workshops and conferences. You can even put membership on our resume!
HC: Do you hold a position with PRSSA?
EZ: I am the 2016/2017 chapter president. Previously, I have served as the vice president of fundraising and community outreach and the chapter treasurer.
HC: What are some future goals you have for your position with PRSSA?
EZ: One of my greatest goals for our chapter is to really maintain our reputation both on-and off-campus. PRSSA Kent has earned great national recognition and I strive to maintain that status while also creating a close-knit community of peers on our campus.
HC: What has PRSSA taught you?
EZ: PRSSA has taught me that public relations is one field with endless career paths. Almost every industry imaginable needs public relations. From healthcare to fashion, public relations is a necessity. Our chapter has always done a great job of exposing members to the variety of options we have upon graduation.
HC: Have you recieved any awards or honors?
EZ: I am a member of the Kent State Honors College and have been on Dean’s or President’s List every semester of my collegiate career. Last year, I received a Leadership Excellence Award through the Center for Student Involvement for my experience in PRSSA. (Along with PRSSA, I also serve as Entertainment Editor for The Kent Stater!)
HC: What has been your favorite experience so far here at Kent State?
EZ: I don’t know if I have one particular favorite memory or experience, but overall Kent has given me the best friends, co-workers and professors I could ever ask for. Even just walking down the esplanade, I’m always feeling like I’m right at home. I wouldn’t trade any of the late nights in Franklin, the later nights out downtown or the trips to other states I’ve taken through Kent for anything! Now that I’m a senior, I’m super sad and sappy about almost being done with school.
HC: What advice do you have for first-year students who have or are about to declare a major in Journalism and Mass Communication (JMC)?
EZ: Pick your passions and chase after them! JMC is really unlike any other school or program on campus. There are endless opportunities for involvement through student media like The Kent Stater, TV2, Black Squirrel Radio, The Burr and so many more! There are pre-professional organizations like PRSSA Kent and Franklin Advertising, and campus even offers leadership opportunities through the Student Voice Team. If you identify where your passions in your industry are, there is bound to be a way to expand on that passion in JMC. We have world-class professors here who have so much real-world experience you should never be afraid to ask a faculty member for help.
HC: What is your biggest accomplishment?
EZ: My biggest accomplishment is managing all the responsibilities that come with being a working student for the past four years. I’ve had at least one job each semester that I’ve been a full-time student and am graduating with three internships on my resume.
HC: Plans for after graduation?
EZ: After graduation, my immediate goals are to get a dog, get my own apartment and land my first job in the public relations industry. I’m really open to anything after graduation!